JP7039008B2 - Stove - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a stove.

Conventionally, it is equipped with a reflective optical sensor that detects the reflected light reflected at the bottom of the heated object placed on the Gotoku, and determines the presence or absence of the heated object based on the detection result of the optical sensor. A stove is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). It is also known that a stove is provided with a thermistor that detects the temperature of the bottom of the object to be heated by contacting the bottom of the object to be heated placed on the trivet, and controls the thermal power of the burner based on the detected temperature of the thermistor. (See, for example, Patent Document 2).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-242481 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-83007

In a stove in which the stove described in Patent Document 1 is combined with the configuration of the thermal power control of the burner by the thermistor described in Patent Document 2, even if the thermistor is not in contact with the bottom of the object to be heated placed on the trivet. Based on the detection result of the optical sensor, there is a possibility that it is determined that there is an object to be heated. Further, when the object to be heated is like a glass pot, the light emitted from the optical sensor may pass through the glass pot and the glass pot may not be recognized accurately.

An object of the present invention is to provide a stove that can accurately determine the presence or absence of a heated object placed on the trivet and can reliably detect the temperature of the bottom of the heated object.

The stove according to claim 1 is installed so as to surround the burner and the burner, and has a trivet on which a heated object is placed, and the stove can move up and down in the center of the inside of the trivet and is upward. The temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the bottom of the object to be heated and the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit in a state of being constantly urged and pushed downward in contact with the bottom of the object to be heated. Based on this, in a stove provided with a control unit for controlling the thermal power of the burner, a position detection unit that detects the position of a movable unit that moves in conjunction with the temperature detection unit and the position detected by the position detection unit. Based on the above, a determination unit for determining the presence or absence of the object to be heated on the trivet and a burner control unit for controlling the operation of the burner based on the determination result of the determination unit are provided , and the position detection unit is red. It is characterized by having an infrared distance sensor whose output voltage changes according to the distance to the movable portion by emitting external light and receiving the reflected light reflected by the movable portion .

In addition to the configuration of the invention according to claim 1, the stove according to claim 2 has a distance sensor that detects the distance to the movable portion and amplifies the output according to the distance. When the output value output by the distance sensor is equal to or higher than the threshold value stored in advance in the storage unit, the determination unit may determine that the object to be heated is on the trivet.

In addition to the configuration of the invention according to claim 2, the stove according to claim 3 has a threshold value change receiving unit that accepts a change in the threshold value and a threshold value that changes the threshold value based on the change received by the threshold value change receiving unit. It is good to have a change part.

In addition to the configuration of the invention according to claim 2, the stove according to claim 4 has the determination unit when the output value of the distance sensor continues to be equal to or higher than the threshold value for a predetermined time. It is preferable to provide a determination unit for determining the result of determining that the object to be heated is present.

In addition to the configuration of the invention according to claim 4, the stove of claim 5 changes the predetermined time based on the time change reception unit that accepts the change of the predetermined time and the change received by the time change reception unit. It is advisable to provide a time changing unit.

The stove according to claim 6 is an error that outputs an error when the output value from the distance sensor is out of the preset allowable range in addition to the configuration of the invention according to any one of claims 2 to 5. It is preferable to have an output unit.

The stove according to claim 7 has a power switch for turning on / off the power supply in addition to the configuration of the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and the determination unit is in the position from the time when the power switch is turned on. Based on the position detected by the detection unit, it is advisable to determine the presence or absence of the object to be heated on the trivet.

The stove according to claim 8 is installed so as to surround the burner and the burner, and the trivet on which the object to be heated is placed, and the stove that can move up and down in the center inside the trivet and upward. The temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the bottom of the object to be heated and the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit in a state of being constantly urged and pushed downward in contact with the bottom of the object to be heated. Based on this, in a stove provided with a control unit for controlling the thermal power of the burner, a position detection unit that detects the position of a movable unit that moves in conjunction with the temperature detection unit and the position detected by the position detection unit. Based on the above, a determination unit for determining the presence or absence of the object to be heated on the trivet and a burner control unit for controlling the operation of the burner based on the determination result of the determination unit are provided, and the position detection unit is the position detection unit. It has a distance sensor that detects the distance to the movable part and amplifies the output according to the distance, and the determination unit has a threshold value in which the output value output by the distance sensor is stored in advance in the storage unit. In the above case, it is determined that the object to be heated is present on the trivet, and based on the threshold change receiving unit that accepts the threshold change and the change received by the threshold change receiving unit. It is characterized by having a threshold change unit for changing the threshold.
The stove according to claim 9 is installed so as to surround the burner and the burner, and the trivet on which the object to be heated is placed, and the trivet that can move in and out in the vertical direction and upward in the inner center of the trivet. The temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the bottom of the object to be heated and the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit in a state of being constantly urged and pushed downward in contact with the bottom of the object to be heated. Based on this, in a stove provided with a control unit for controlling the thermal power of the burner, a position detection unit that detects the position of a movable unit that moves in conjunction with the temperature detection unit and the position detected by the position detection unit. Based on the above, a determination unit for determining the presence or absence of the object to be heated on the trivet and a burner control unit for controlling the operation of the burner based on the determination result of the determination unit are provided, and the position detection unit is the position detection unit. It has a distance sensor that detects the distance to the movable part and amplifies the output according to the distance, and the determination unit has a threshold value in which the output value output by the distance sensor is stored in advance in the storage unit. In the above case, it is determined that the object to be heated is on the trivet, and the output value of the distance sensor is equal to or higher than the threshold value for a predetermined time. The predetermined time is changed based on the time change reception unit that accepts the change of the predetermined time and the change received by the time change reception unit. It is characterized by having a time change part to do

According to the stove of claim 1, when the object to be heated is placed on the trivet, the position of the movable part that moves in conjunction with the temperature detection unit that is pushed downward by the bottom of the object to be heated is positioned. It can be detected by the detector. As a result, the stove can accurately recognize the state in which the temperature detection unit is in contact with the bottom of the object to be heated, so that it is possible to safely control the thermal power of the burner based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit. Further, since the position detection unit includes an infrared distance sensor, the position of the movable portion can be detected by detecting the distance to the movable portion. In addition, the infrared distance sensor detects the position of the moving part, not the object to be heated. Therefore, even if the object to be heated is a glass pot, if it is placed on the trivet, the bottom of the pot will be at a temperature. Since the detection unit is pushed down, the stove can accurately determine the presence or absence of the object to be heated on the trivet.

According to the stove of claim 2, in addition to the effect of the invention according to claim 1, when the output value of the distance sensor is equal to or more than the threshold value, it is determined that there is an object to be heated on the trivet. Even if the distance to the temperature sensor deviates due to the component dimensional error due to individual differences, it is possible to accurately determine the presence or absence of the object to be heated on the trivet. Further, in comparison with the conventional configuration in which the push-down of the temperature detection unit is detected by, for example, a reed switch, in this embodiment, the output value of the distance sensor is determined by comparison with the threshold value, so that the temperature detection unit can be used. It is possible to widen the allowable range that allows small ascent and descent. As a result, for example, in pot-shaking cooking, the presence or absence of a pot can be determined many times by raising and lowering the temperature detector, and the operation of the burner can be prevented from switching many times in a short time. Can be provided. The threshold value may be lower than the output value of the distance sensor when the object to be heated is placed on the trivet. As a result, for example, even if the heated object is slightly lifted from the trivet and the position is changed, if the temperature detection unit hits the bottom of the heated object, it is determined that the heated object is still present on the trivet. can. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the burning power of the burner from switching just by floating the object to be heated from the trivet, and it is possible to provide an easy-to-use stove.

According to the stove of claim 3, in addition to the effect of the invention of claim 2, the threshold value can be freely changed, so that the determination of the presence or absence of the object to be heated on the trivet is appropriately adjusted according to the usability of the user. can.

According to the stove of claim 4, in addition to the effect of the invention according to claim 2, when the state where the output value of the distance sensor is equal to or higher than the threshold value continues for a predetermined time, there is an object to be heated on the trivet. Confirm the judgment result. As a result, the stove can more accurately determine the presence or absence of the object to be heated on the trivet.

According to the stove of claim 5, in addition to the effect of the invention according to claim 4, the predetermined time for determining the result of determining that the object to be heated is present on the trivet can be freely changed. The presence or absence of the object to be heated can be appropriately adjusted according to the user's convenience.

According to the stove of claim 6, in addition to the effect of the invention according to any one of claims 2 to 5, if the output value of the distance sensor is out of the permissible range, the distance sensor may be out of order. Therefore, it is possible to respond quickly by outputting an error.

According to the stove of claim 7, in addition to the effect of the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 6, it is possible to determine the presence or absence of a heated object in the trivet even when the burner is not ignited.

It is a perspective view of a stove 1. It is sectional drawing of the right burner 4 and its surroundings. It is sectional drawing of the right burner 4 (when the pot 71 is placed) and its surroundings. It is sectional drawing of the right burner 4 (when the pot 72 is placed) and its surroundings. It is a block diagram which shows the electric structure of a stove 1. It is a flowchart of combustion control processing. It is a graph which shows the change of the sensor value with respect to the moving distance of a movable part 45. It is sectional drawing of the sensor assembly 140 (modification example) and its surroundings.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. Unless otherwise specified, the structure of the device and the like described below are not intended to be limited thereto, but are merely explanatory examples. The drawings are used to illustrate the technical features that may be employed in the present invention.

The structure of the stove 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The stove 1 is a built-in stove. A top plate 3 is installed on the upper part of the housing 2 of the stove 1. In the top plate 3, a right burner 4 is provided in front of the right side, a left burner 5 is provided in front of the left side, and a back burner 6 is provided in the back side of the center. A trivet 15 is attached around the right burner 4, a trivet 16 is attached around the left burner 5, and a trivet 17 is attached around the back burner 6. Igniter 4A and thermocouple 4D (see FIG. 5) near the right burner 4, igniter 5A and thermocouple (not shown) near the left burner 5, and igniter 6A and thermocouple (not shown) near the back burner 6. (Omitted) is provided.

A sensor assembly 40 is provided at the center of the right burner 4, a sensor assembly 50 is provided at the center of the left burner 5, and a sensor assembly 60 is provided at the center of the back burner 6. The sensor assembly 40, 50, 60 is supported by projecting upward, and is pushed down in contact with the bottom of the pot placed on the trivets 15, 16 and 17. In addition, the "pot" in the present embodiment means a heating container for heating an object to be cooked, and is a concept including a heating container such as a frying pan in addition to the pot. The thermistor 4B (see FIG. 5) is housed inside the sensor assembly 40. The thermistor 4B can detect the temperature of the bottom of the pot placed on the trivet 15 (hereinafter referred to as the pot bottom temperature). A similar thermistor (not shown) is also stored inside the sensors assembled 50 and 60. An exhaust port 7 for a grill is provided at the rear of the upper surface of the top plate 3.

A power switch 25 is provided on the upper right portion of the front surface of the housing 2. A grill door 10 is provided at a substantially central portion on the front surface of the housing 2. The grill door 10 is provided so as to be movable toward the front side, and opens and closes an opening on the front side of the grill storage (not shown) provided inside the housing 2. A grill burner (not shown) is provided in the grill chamber. A thermocouple and an igniter are also installed near the grill burner. In the area on the right side of the grill door 10, operation buttons 11 and 12 having a circular front view are provided side by side in a horizontal row. In the area on the left side of the grill door 10, operation buttons 13 and 14 are provided side by side in a horizontal row.

The operation button 11 is pushed backward to ignite and extinguish the right burner 4, the operation button 12 is the grill burner, the operation button 13 is the back burner 6, and the operation button 14 is the left burner 5. The operation buttons 11 to 14 are almost flush with the front surface of the stove 1 when the fire of each corresponding burner is extinguished. When pushed in for ignition, the control circuit 100 (see FIG. 5) described later executes ignition processing for each corresponding burner, and the known push-push mechanism (not shown) causes the operation buttons 11 to 14 to be pressed. The housing 2 protrudes in a substantially columnar shape from the front surface to the front, and the rotation operation is possible in the protruding state. When the operation buttons 11 to 14 are rotated, the gas amount adjusting device (not shown) adjusts the gas supply amount to the corresponding burner so that the gas amount corresponds to the rotation operation amount.

An opening / closing type panel 9A is provided below the operation buttons 11 and 12, and an opening / closing type panel 9B is provided below the operation buttons 13 and 14. When the panel 9A is pushed in, the operation panel 120 (see FIG. 5) is rotated toward and pulled out by a known push-push mechanism (not shown). When the panel 9B is pushed in, the operation panel 121 (see FIG. 5) is similarly rotated toward and pulled out. The operation panel 120 accepts, for example, menu function selection, timer setting, timer time display, and the like for the right burner 4 and the grill burner. The operation panel 121 accepts, for example, menu function selection, timer setting, timer time display, and the like for the left burner 5 and the back burner.

The structure of the right burner 4 and its surroundings will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4. Since the left burner 5 and its surrounding structure, the back burner 6 and its surrounding structure are the same as the right burner 4 and its surrounding structure, the description thereof will be omitted. As shown in FIG. 2, the burner mounting base 30 is mounted substantially horizontally inside the right side of the housing 2. A right burner 4, an igniter 4A, a thermocouple 4D (see FIG. 5), a sensor assembly 40, and the like are mounted on the burner mounting base 30. The right burner 4 includes a burner main body portion 21 and a throat portion 23. The burner main body 21 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and an annular burner cap 22 is placed on the upper portion to form a plurality of flame holes on the outer peripheral surface. The throat portion 23 is connected to the lower side surface of the burner main body portion 21 and extends laterally. An inflow port 231 through which the gas flows is provided at one end of the throat portion 23 on the upstream side where the gas flows. A nozzle 35 of a gas amount adjusting device (not shown) is arranged at the inflow port 231. The throat portion 23 mixes the gas ejected from the nozzle 35 with the air in the housing 2 drawn by the ejection of the gas in the throat portion 23 and supplies it to the burner main body portion 21. The igniter 4A is supported toward the side surface of the burner main body 21 and operates to ignite the gas ejected from the flame hole. The thermocouple 4D detects a misfire in the right burner 4.

The sensor assembly 40 includes a shaft portion 41, an outer cylinder portion 42, a thermistor 4B, a spring (not shown), and the like. The shaft portion 41 extends upward, and the lower end portion thereof is fixed to the burner mounting base 30. The outer cylinder portion 42 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with a bottom, and is attached so as to cover the upper half of the shaft portion 41 from above. The upper end portion of the outer cylinder portion 42 is formed in a flat shape and can be brought into close contact with the flat bottom of the pot. The thermistor 4B is fixed to the lower surface (inner surface) of the upper end portion of the outer cylinder portion 42. The spring has a coil shape and is arranged inside the outer cylinder portion 42 between the upper end portion of the shaft portion 41 and the lower surface of the upper end portion of the outer cylinder portion 42. As a result, the outer cylinder portion 42 is supported in a state of being constantly urged upward by the spring. When the pot 71 is placed on the trivet 15, the outer cylinder portion 42 is pushed down by the pot bottom, and the thermistor 4B can detect the temperature of the bottom portion of the pot that abuts on the upper end portion of the outer cylinder portion 42. Therefore, the stove 1 can satisfactorily control the combustion of the right burner 4 based on the pot bottom temperature detected by the thermistor 4B.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the pot 71 is placed on the trivet 15, the bottom of the pot 71 comes into contact with the upper end of the outer cylinder portion 42 of the sensor assembly 40, and pushes down the outer cylinder portion 42. Since the outer cylinder portion 42 is always urged upward by a spring, it comes into close contact with the bottom of the pot. Therefore, the thermistor 4B can accurately detect the pot bottom temperature of the pot 71. A movable part 45 having a substantially L-shaped side view is fixed to the lower portion of the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder portion 42. The movable component 45 extends from the lower portion of the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder portion 42 in parallel with the shaft portion 41 and downward, and a plate-shaped detected portion 45A is provided at the lower end portion thereof. The detected portion 45A is bent laterally at a substantially right angle and extends substantially horizontally.

A distance sensor 4C is provided below the detected portion 45A at a distance. The distance sensor 4C detects the distance to the detected portion 45A. As the distance sensor 4C, for example, an optical sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or the like can be used. The optical sensor is a sensor that detects the distance to the object to be measured by irradiating the light from the light source inside the sensor and receiving the reflected light from the object to be measured by the light receiving element. An ultrasonic sensor is a sensor that detects the presence or absence of an object to be measured and the distance to the object to be measured by transmitting ultrasonic waves toward the object to be measured by a transmitter and receiving the reflected wave by the receiver. be. The distance sensor 4C is an infrared distance sensor.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the pot 71 is not placed on the trivet 15, the distance from the distance sensor 4C to the detected portion 45A is L0. As shown in FIG. 3, when the pot 71 is placed on the trivet 15, the detected portion 45A is pushed down together with the outer cylinder portion 42, so that the distance from the distance sensor 4C to the detected portion 45A is larger than that of L0. It becomes a short L1. Therefore, L0-L1 becomes the moving distance L2 of the detected portion 45A. The moving distance L2 is the distance pushed down by the pot 71. In the combustion control process (see FIG. 7) described later, the stove 1 calculates the moving distance L2 of the detected unit 45A based on the sensor value from the distance sensor 4C, and whether or not the pot 71 is placed on the trivet 15. To judge.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a recess 72A recessed upward is provided in the central portion of the bottom of the pot 72. When such a pot 72 is placed on the trivet 15, the recess 72A does not come into contact with the upper end of the outer cylinder portion 42 of the sensor assembly 40, so that the outer cylinder portion 42 cannot be pushed down. Therefore, since the distance from the distance sensor 4C to the detected portion 45A remains L0, the stove 1 does not have the pot 72 placed on the trivet 15 in the combustion control process (see FIG. 7) described later. to decide. When the bottom of the pot does not come into contact with the upper end of the outer cylinder portion 42, the thermistor 4B cannot detect the temperature of the bottom of the pot, so that the combustion control of the right burner 4 cannot be performed. Therefore, in the combustion control process described later, even if the pot is placed on the trivet 15, the stove 1 determines that the pot bottom temperature cannot be detected due to the shape of the bottom thereof, and does not ignite the right burner 4. As a result, the stove 1 can satisfactorily control the combustion of the right burner 4 only when the pot bottom temperature can be accurately measured.

In this way, the distance sensor 4C does not detect the bottom of the pot 71 on the trivet 15, but determines the position of the detected portion 45A of the movable part 45 fixed to the outer cylinder portion 42 pushed down by the bottom of the pot 71. To detect. For example, in the case of a stove that directly detects the bottom of a pot with a distance sensor, depending on the material of the pot, for example, a glass pot, the light emitted from the distance sensor may be transmitted, so the distance sensor cannot detect the bottom. .. On the other hand, the distance sensor 4C of the present embodiment detects the position of the detected portion 45A of the movable part 45 that moves together with the outer cylinder portion 42, not the bottom of the pot, so that the trivet 15 is on regardless of the material of the pot 71. It is possible to accurately determine whether or not the pot 71 is placed in the pot 71.

The electrical configuration of the stove 1 will be described with reference to FIG. Since the electric parts such as the solenoid valve, igniter, thermistor, and thermoelectric pair for supplying gas to each burner are common to all burners, only the electric parts attached to the right burner 4 are shown in FIG. The description of other electrical components attached to the burner will be omitted.

The stove 1 includes a control circuit 100. The control circuit 100 includes a CPU 101, a ROM 102, a RAM 103, a flash memory 104, a timer 105, and an I / O interface (not shown). The CPU 101 comprehensively controls various operations of the stove 1. The ROM 102 stores various programs of the stove 1 including a "combustion control program". The combustion control program is a program for executing a combustion control process (see FIG. 7) described later. The RAM 103 temporarily stores various types of information. The flash memory 104 stores various information and maintains the storage of data even when the control circuit 100 is not supplied with electric power. The flash memory 104 stores, for example, a threshold value and a fixed time for determining whether or not a pot is placed on the trivet 15 based on the sensor value of the distance sensor 4C. The timer 105 is operated by a program, and includes various timers for measuring various times in the combustion control process described later.

The control circuit 100 includes a misfire detection circuit 111, a safety valve circuit 112, a solenoid valve circuit 113, an igniter circuit 114, a thermista input circuit 115, a sensor input circuit 116, a switch input circuit 117, a power supply circuit 118, an audio output circuit 119, and an operation panel. 120, 121 and the like are connected.

The misfire detection circuit 111 detects the misfire of the right burner 4 based on the thermoelectromotive force generated by the thermocouple 4D, and inputs the misfire to the control circuit 100. The thermoelectromotive force generated by the thermocouple 4D is input to the safety valve circuit 112. The safety valve circuit 112 controls the open / closed state of the safety valve 48. The safety valve 48 is provided in a gas supply pipe (not shown) that supplies gas to the right burner 4. The safety valve 48 is mechanically opened by pushing the operation button 11. The safety valve circuit 112 operates the electromagnet by the thermoelectromotive force generated by the thermocouple 4D heated by the ignition of the right burner 4, and keeps the safety valve 48 in the open state. When the right burner 4 misfires, the thermoelectromotive force is lost, and the safety valve 48 is closed by the urging force of the spring (not shown).

The solenoid valve circuit 113 opens and closes the solenoid valve 18 based on the control of the CPU 101. The solenoid valve 18 is a gas shutoff keep solenoid valve. The solenoid valve 18 is provided on the right burner 4 side of the safety valve 48 in the gas supply pipe that supplies gas to the right burner 4. The solenoid valve 18 is opened or closed by energization, and is maintained in the open or closed state by the magnetic force of the built-in permanent magnet. The igniter circuit 114 drives the igniter 4A, respectively, based on the control signal output by the CPU 101. The thermistor input circuit 115 inputs a signal from the thermistor 4B to the control circuit 100. The sensor input circuit 116 inputs a signal from the distance sensor 4C to the control circuit 100.

A power switch 25 and an igniter switch 19 are connected to the switch input circuit 117. The power switch 25 is manually turned on and off. The switch input circuit 117 detects the state of the power supply switch 25 and inputs the state to the power supply circuit 118 and the control circuit 100. The power supply circuit 118 supplies power supplied from the AC power supply 26 to various circuits when the power supply switch 25 is turned on. The control circuit 100 operates when power is supplied from the power supply circuit 118, and stops operating when the power supply is cut off.

The igniter switch 19 is turned on and off in conjunction with, for example, a pressing operation of the operation button 11. When the igniter switch 19 is turned on, the control circuit 100 opens the corresponding solenoid valve 18 and operates the igniter 4A. The control circuit 100 terminates the operation of the igniter 4A when the igniter 4A is operated for a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) or the igniter switch 19 is turned off.

The audio output circuit 119 controls the output of audio from the speaker 125 provided in the housing 2. In the combustion control process described later, for example, an alarm "pee-pee" is output from the speaker 125 at the time of an error. As described above, the operation panels 120 and 121 accept the selection of the cooking menu, the setting of the timer, and the like, and input the input to the control circuit 100. Further, the operation panels 120 and 121 receive the control signal from the control circuit 100 and display the timer time and the like.

With reference to FIG. 6, the relationship between the moving distance of the movable component 45 and the sensor value of the distance sensor 4C will be described. FIG. 6 is a plot of the sensor value of the distance sensor 4C with respect to the moving distance of the detected portion 45A of the movable component 45 that gradually pushes down the outer cylinder portion 42 of the sensor assembly 40 and moves downward accordingly. be. From this graph, it can be seen that the sensor value of the distance sensor 4C increases as the moving distance of the detected portion 45A increases. The moving distance when the pot 71 is not placed on the trivet 15 is 0 mm, and the sensor value of the distance sensor 4C at that time is 1.75 V. The moving distance when the pot 71 is placed on the trivet 15 is 7 mm, and the sensor value of the distance sensor 4C at that time is 2.2 V. In the present embodiment, the threshold value of the sensor value is set to 1.96V in order to determine whether or not the pot 71 is placed on the trivet 15 by using the sensor value of the distance sensor 4C. The moving distance corresponding to the sensor value = 1.96 V is 3.2 mm. The threshold value of the sensor value may be stored in the flash memory 104 in advance.

In the present embodiment, the presence or absence of the pan 71 is determined by comparing the sensor value of the distance sensor 4C with the threshold value. Therefore, for example, due to a component dimensional error due to individual differences, the distance sensor 4C to the detected portion 45A of the movable component 45. Even if there is a deviation in the distance between the two, the presence or absence of the pot 71 on the trivet 15 can be accurately determined. Further, the threshold value (1.96V) of the present embodiment is set to a value lower than the output value (2.2V) of the distance sensor 4C when the pot 71 is placed on the trivet 15. As a result, for example, even if the pot 71 is slightly lifted from the trivet 15 and the position is changed, if the outer cylinder portion 42 (thermistor 4B) hits the bottom of the pot 71, the pot 71 will continue to be on the trivet 15. It can be judged that there is. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the heating power of the right burner 4 from being switched by simply floating the pot 71 from the trivet 15, so that it is possible to provide an easy-to-use stove 1.

The combustion control process in the right burner 4 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. When the power switch 25 is turned on by the user, the CPU 101 reads the "combustion control program" from the ROM 102 and executes this process. The CPU 101 reads the sensor value of the distance sensor 4C (S1). The CPU 101 determines whether or not the read sensor value is within the allowable range (S2). The permissible range should be within the range that the sensor value can take. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, considering that the sensor value when the pot 71 is placed on the trivet 15 is 2.2V. , For example, it may be set in the range of 0 to 2.4V including an error. If the sensor value is out of the permissible range (S2: NO), it is highly possible that the distance sensor 4C is out of order. Therefore, for example, the CPU 101 outputs an alarm "pee-pee" from the speaker 125 to notify the error (S12). At this time, for example, on the operation panel 120, an error number or the like indicating a failure of the distance sensor 4C may be displayed. As a result, the user can quickly recognize that the distance sensor 4C is out of order, and can request the manufacturer to repair it. In this case, the CPU 101 ends this process.

On the other hand, when the sensor value is within the permissible range (S2: YES), since the distance sensor 4C is normal, the CPU 101 determines whether or not the operation button 11 is pushed and the right burner 4 is ignited (whether or not the right burner 4 is ignited). S3). Whether or not the ignition operation is performed may be determined by, for example, turning on / off the igniter switch 19. If there is no ignition operation for the right burner 4 (S3: NO), the CPU 101 returns to S3 and waits until there is an ignition operation. When there is an ignition operation (S3: YES), the CPU 101 determines whether or not the sensor value of the distance sensor 4C is equal to or greater than the threshold value (S4). For example, when the pot 71 is not placed on the trivet 15, the sensor value is less than the threshold value (S4: NO), so the CPU 101 considers safety and does not operate the igniter 4A, for example, from the speaker 125 to "pot". "Please put on" is output, and the pot is not notified (S13). The user who hears this puts the pot 71 on the trivet 15 in order to ignite the right burner 4.

When the pot 71 is placed on the trivet 15, the outer cylinder portion 42 of the sensor assembly 40 is pushed down, and the detected portion 45A of the movable component 45 moves downward (see FIG. 3). At this time, when the sensor value of the distance sensor 4C rises to 2.2V, it is equal to or higher than the threshold value (1.96V) (S4: YES), so that the CPU 101 determines that the pot 71 is placed on the trivet 15. (S4: YES) and activate the igniter 4A (S5). When the right burner 4 is ignited by the operation of the igniter 4A, the CPU 101 executes combustion control of the right burner 4 based on the pot bottom temperature measured by the thermistor 4B (S6). Since the outer cylinder portion 42 of the sensor assembly 40 is in a state of being pushed down in contact with the bottom portion of the pot 71 and being urged upward by a spring, the thermistor 4B can reliably detect the pot bottom temperature.

During the execution of the combustion control of the right burner 4, the CPU 101 determines whether or not the sensor value of the distance sensor 4C continues to be below the threshold value for 1 second in order to determine whether or not the pan 71 has been lifted (S7). .. One second used for this determination is a confirmation time for determining a state below the threshold value. The time after the sensor value becomes equal to or less than the threshold value is measured by the first timer (not shown) of the timer 105. When the sensor value is larger than the threshold value or is less than the threshold value but does not continue for 1 second (S7: NO), the pot 71 is placed on the trivet 15, so that the CPU 101 uses the right burner 4. Without weakening the firepower, return to S7 and continue to monitor the pot 71. On the other hand, when the sensor value of the distance sensor 4C continues to be below the threshold value for 1 second (S7: YES), the pot 71 is separated from the trivet 15, so the CPU 101 closes the solenoid valve 18 for adjusting the thermal power. Reduce the firepower (S8). Thereby, the stove 1 can improve the safety.

After weakening the thermal power, the CPU 101 determines whether or not the pot 71 is placed on the trivet 15 again, and therefore determines whether or not the sensor value of the distance sensor 4C continues to be equal to or higher than the threshold value for 1 second (. S9). Then, when the state where the sensor value is equal to or higher than the threshold value continues for 1 second (S9: YES), since the pot 71 is surely placed on the trivet 15, the CPU 101 opens the solenoid valve 18 for adjusting the thermal power. The right burner 4 is returned to the original thermal power (S10). The CPU 101 returns to S7 and repeats the above process in order to monitor the pot 71 on the trivet 15 again.

On the other hand, if the state where the sensor value is equal to or higher than the threshold value does not continue for 1 second even after the thermal power is weakened (S9: NO), the pot 71 is not placed on the trivet 15, so the CPU 101 uses S8. It is determined whether or not 10 seconds have passed since the thermal power was weakened (S14). The elapsed time from weakening the thermal power is measured by the second timer (not shown) of the timer 105. Until 10 seconds have passed since the thermal power was weakened (S14: NO), the CPU 101 returns to S9 and stands by. When 10 seconds have passed since the heat was weakened (S14: YES), a certain amount of time has passed since the pot 71 was separated from the trivet 15, so the CPU 101 forcibly extinguished the right burner 4 (S15) and returned to S3. Repeat the process. As a result, the stove 1 can prevent the burning state of the right burner 4 from continuing for a long time when the pot 71 is not placed on the trivet 15, so that the safety can be improved.

Next, the operation of changing the threshold value and the fixed time will be described. In the combustion control process shown in FIG. 7, the threshold value and the determination time are stored in advance in the flash memory 104. The threshold value and the determination time can be input and set using, for example, the operation panel 120, and changes can be accepted. Therefore, the user can make various customizations by changing the threshold value and the fixed time according to the usage of the stove 1. For example, the user may perform "pot-shaking cooking". The pot-shaking cooking is cooking in which the ingredients are mixed by lifting and shaking the pot 71 placed on the trivet 15.

When the pot-shaking cooking is performed, the outer cylinder portion 42 (moving part 45) of the sensor assembly 40 moves up and down diligently, so that the thermal power of the right burner 4 reacts sensitively at the above-mentioned normal setting threshold value and the fixed time. The firepower may not be stable due to switching many times in a short period of time. Therefore, in the case of pan-shaking cooking, the threshold value may be set higher than the standard setting and the fixed time may be set longer by using the operation panel 120. For example, when the threshold value of the standard setting is 1.96V and the confirmation time is 1 second, the threshold value may be 2.1V and the confirmation time may be 2 seconds. As a result, the thermal power of the right burner 4 does not react sensitively to the diligent ascent and descent of the outer cylinder portion 42, so that the switching does not occur many times in a short time as compared with the standard setting. As a result, the heating power of the right burner 4 can be stabilized even during cooking by shaking the pot.

On the other hand, when safety is more important than the standard setting, it is advisable to lower the threshold value and shorten the confirmation time, contrary to the case of setting the pan shake. For example, the threshold value may be set to 1.8 V and the fixed time may be set to 0.2 seconds with respect to the above-mentioned standard setting threshold value and fixed time. As a result, the thermal power of the right burner 4 reacts more sensitively to the raising and lowering of the outer cylinder portion 42 than in the standard setting, so that safety can be improved.

As described above, the stove 1 of the present embodiment includes the sensor assembly 40 in the center inside the trivet 15 installed around the right burner 4. The outer cylinder portion 42 of the sensor assembly 40 houses the thermistor 4B. The outer cylinder portion 42 can move in and out in the vertical direction, and is always urged upward. The thermistor 4B detects the pot bottom temperature through the outer cylinder portion 42 in a state where the outer cylinder portion 42 is in contact with the bottom portion of the pot 71 and pushed downward. The CPU 101 of the stove 1 controls the thermal power of the right burner 4 based on the pot bottom temperature detected by the thermistor 4B. Such a stove 1 includes a distance sensor 4C. The distance sensor 4C detects the position of the movable component 45 that moves in conjunction with the outer cylinder portion 42. The CPU 101 determines the presence or absence of the pot 71 on the trivet 15 based on the position of the movable component 45 detected by the distance sensor 4C. The CPU 101 controls the thermal power of the right burner 4 based on the determination result of the presence / absence of the pot 71. As a result, the stove 1 can accurately recognize the state in which the outer cylinder portion 42 (thermistor 4B) is in contact with the bottom of the pot 71, and can safely control the combustion of the right burner 4 based on the pot bottom temperature detected by the thermistor 4B. It can be carried out.

The distance sensor 4C detects the distance of the movable component 45 to the detected portion 45A, and the output voltage changes according to the distance. The CPU 101 determines that the pot 71 is on the trivet 15 when the sensor value of the distance sensor 4C is equal to or higher than the threshold value stored in advance in the flash memory 104. As a result, even if the distance from the distance sensor 4C to the detected portion 45A of the movable component 45 is deviated due to a component dimensional error due to individual differences, the stove 1 accurately determines the presence or absence of the pan 71 on the trivet 15. I can judge.

The stove 1 can accept the change of the threshold value on the operation panel 120. Based on the change of the threshold value received by the operation panel 120, the CPU 101 changes the threshold value stored in the flash memory 104. As a result, the determination of the presence or absence of the pot 71 on the trivet 15 can be appropriately adjusted according to the usability of the user.

Since the CPU 101 determines the result of determining that the pot 71 is on the trivet 15 when the sensor value of the distance sensor 4C continues to be equal to or higher than the threshold value for a predetermined time, the stove 1 determines that the pot 71 on the trivet 15 is present. The presence or absence can be determined more accurately.

The operation panel 120 accepts a change in the fixed time. The CPU 101 changes the fixed time stored in the flash memory 104 based on the change of the fixed time received by the operation panel 120. As a result, the determination of the presence or absence of the pot 71 on the trivet 15 can be appropriately adjusted according to the usability of the user.

If the sensor value of the distance sensor 4C is out of the permissible range, the stove 1 may have failed the distance sensor 4C, so that an error can be output to enable a quick response.

Since the distance sensor 4C is an infrared distance sensor, the position of the detected unit 45A can be detected by detecting the distance to the detected unit 45A. Further, since the infrared distance sensor detects the position of the detected portion 45A instead of the bottom of the pan 71, even if the pan 71 is a glass pan, if it is placed on the trivet 15, it will be detected. Since the bottom of the pot pushes down the outer cylinder portion 42 and the movable part 45, the stove 1 can accurately determine the presence or absence of the pot 71 on the trivet 15.

In the above description, the right burner 4, the left burner 5, and the back burner 6 are examples of the "burner" of the present invention. The pot 71 is an example of the "heated object" of the present invention. The outer cylinder portion 42 and the thermistor 4B of the sensor assembly 40 are examples of the “temperature detection portion” of the present invention. The distance sensor 4C is an example of the "position detection unit" of the present invention. The CPU 101 that executes the process of S6 of the combustion control process is an example of the "control unit" of the present invention. The CPU 101 that executes the processes of S4, S7, and S9 is an example of the "determination unit" of the present invention. The CPU 101 that executes the processes of S5, S8, and S10 is an example of the "burner control unit" of the present invention. The CPU 101 that executes the process of S12 is an example of the "error output unit" of the present invention. The operation panel 120 is an example of the "threshold change reception unit" and the "time change reception unit" of the present invention. The CPU 101 that changes the threshold value and the fixed time stored in the flash memory 104 based on the threshold value and the fixed time received by the operation panel 120 is an example of the "threshold value changing unit" and the "time changing unit" of the present invention.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made. The stove 1 of the above embodiment includes the sensor assembly 40 at the center of the right burner 4, but the structure of the sensor assembly may be other than that of the above embodiment. For example, the sensor assembly 140 shown in FIG. 8 also has the present invention. Can be applied. The sensor assembly 140 is provided at the center of the right burner 400, for example, and includes a shaft portion 141, an outer cylinder portion 142, an inner cylinder portion 143, a spring 144, a movable part 145, and the like. The sensor assembly 140 has the same basic structure as the sensor assembly 40 of the above embodiment, but is inserted and fixed so that a substantially cylindrical inner cylinder portion 143 projects downward from the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder portion 142. .. A substantially stepped cylindrical movable part 145 is externally inserted and fixed to the lower part of the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder portion 143, and extends downward. The thermistor is fixed to the lower surface of the upper end portion inside the outer cylinder portion 142. When the outer cylinder portion 142 abuts on the bottom of the pot and is pushed down, the movable part 145 moves downward together with the outer cylinder portion 142 and the inner cylinder portion 143. A flange-shaped detected portion 146 that projects radially outward is provided at the lower opening end of the movable component 145. The distance sensor 4C detects the distance to the detected portion 146. Even with such a sensor assembly 140, it can be reliably determined whether or not the pot 71 is placed on the trivet 15 as in the above embodiment.

Although the present embodiment illustrates the stove 1 which is a built-in stove, it may be a table stove. The stove 1 has three burners on the top plate 3, but the number of burners is not limited. Although the stove 1 includes an AC power source 26, the stove 1 may be a stove using a dry battery as a power source. Further, instead of the power switch 25, a stove that detects the pressing of the operation buttons 11 to 13 and supplies power may be used.

The movable component 45 of the present embodiment is substantially L-shaped in side view, but the shape is not limited as long as it is pushed down together with the outer cylinder portion 42. The distance sensor 4C detects the position of the detected portion 45A of the movable component 45, but may detect the position of the predetermined portion of the outer cylinder portion 42.

The distance sensor 4C of the present embodiment is arranged below (directly below) the detected portion 45A of the movable component 45, and the infrared light from the distance sensor 4C is orthogonally applied to the detected portion 45A. However, the distance sensor 4C may be tilted so as to hit diagonally.

1 Stove 4 Right burner 4B Thermistor 4C Distance sensor 15 Gotoku 25 Power switch 40 Sensor assembly 42 Outer cylinder part 45 Moving parts 45A Detected part 71 Pot 101 CPU
140 Sensor assembly 142 Outer cylinder 145 Moving parts 146 Detected 400 Right burner

Claims (9)

With Burna,
The trivet, which is installed so as to surround the burner and where the object to be heated is placed,
The temperature of the bottom is detected in a state where it can move up and down in the center of the inside of the trivet, is constantly urged upward, and is pushed downward in contact with the bottom of the object to be heated. Temperature detector and
In a stove provided with a control unit that controls the thermal power of the burner based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit.
A position detection unit that detects the position of the movable unit that moves in conjunction with the temperature detection unit, and
A determination unit that determines the presence or absence of the object to be heated on the trivet based on the position detected by the position detection unit.
A burner control unit that controls the operation of the burner based on the determination result of the determination unit is provided .
The position detection unit is characterized by having an infrared distance sensor that emits infrared light and receives the reflected light reflected by the movable portion to change the output voltage according to the distance to the movable portion . Infrared. The position detecting unit has a distance sensor that detects the distance to the movable part and amplifies the output according to the distance.
The claim is characterized in that, when the output value output by the distance sensor is equal to or higher than a threshold value stored in advance in the storage unit, the determination unit determines that the object to be heated is present on the trivet. The stove according to 1. The threshold change receiving unit that accepts the threshold change and
The stove according to claim 2, further comprising a threshold value changing unit that changes the threshold value based on the change received by the threshold value change receiving unit. The judgment unit
The claim is characterized in that it is provided with a definite portion for determining the result of determining that the object to be heated is present on the trivet when the state in which the output value of the distance sensor is equal to or higher than the threshold value continues for a predetermined time. The stove according to 2 or 3. The time change reception unit that accepts changes in the predetermined time, and
The stove according to claim 4, wherein the stove is provided with a time changing unit that changes the predetermined time based on the change received by the time change receiving unit. The stove according to any one of claims 2 to 5, further comprising an error output unit that outputs an error when the output value from the distance sensor is out of a preset allowable range. It has a power switch that turns the power on and off,
Claims 1 to 6 are characterized in that the determination unit determines the presence or absence of the object to be heated on the trivet based on the position detected by the position detection unit from the time when the power switch is turned on. The stove described in any of. With Burna,
The trivet, which is installed so as to surround the burner and on which the object to be heated is placed,
The temperature of the bottom is detected in a state where it can move up and down in the center of the inside of the trivet, is constantly urged upward, and is pushed downward in contact with the bottom of the object to be heated. Temperature detector and
A control unit that controls the thermal power of the burner based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit.
In the stove equipped with
A position detection unit that detects the position of the movable unit that moves in conjunction with the temperature detection unit, and
A determination unit that determines the presence or absence of the object to be heated on the trivet based on the position detected by the position detection unit.
With a burner control unit that controls the operation of the burner based on the judgment result of the determination unit
Equipped with
The position detecting unit has a distance sensor that detects the distance to the movable part and amplifies the output according to the distance.
The determination unit determines that the object to be heated is present on the trivet when the output value output by the distance sensor is equal to or higher than the threshold value stored in advance in the storage unit.
The threshold change receiving unit that accepts the threshold change and
With the threshold value changing unit that changes the threshold value based on the change received by the threshold value change receiving unit.
The stove is characterized by being equipped with. With Burna,
The trivet, which is installed so as to surround the burner and on which the object to be heated is placed,
The temperature of the bottom is detected in a state where it can move up and down in the center of the inside of the trivet, is constantly urged upward, and is pushed downward in contact with the bottom of the object to be heated. Temperature detector and
A control unit that controls the thermal power of the burner based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit.
In the stove equipped with
A position detection unit that detects the position of the movable unit that moves in conjunction with the temperature detection unit, and
A determination unit that determines the presence or absence of the object to be heated on the trivet based on the position detected by the position detection unit.
With a burner control unit that controls the operation of the burner based on the judgment result of the determination unit
Equipped with
The position detecting unit has a distance sensor that detects the distance to the movable part and amplifies the output according to the distance.
The determination unit determines that the object to be heated is present on the trivet when the output value output by the distance sensor is equal to or higher than the threshold value stored in the storage unit in advance. A confirmation unit for determining the result of determining that the object to be heated is present on the trivet when the output value of the distance sensor continues to be equal to or higher than the threshold value for a predetermined time is provided.
The time change reception unit that accepts changes in the predetermined time, and
Based on the change received by the time change reception unit, the time change unit that changes the predetermined time
The stove is characterized by being equipped with.

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