JP6779958B2 - Vacuum cooker - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vacuum cooker.

Conventionally, a vacuum cooker for cooking foodstuffs in a cooking tank whose pressure is reduced to less than atmospheric pressure is known.

As an example of a vacuum cooker, there is a vacuum steam cooker described in Patent Document 1. The cooking machine includes a processing tank for accommodating foodstuffs, a decompression means for reducing the pressure in the processing tank, a steaming means for supplying steam into the processing tank, a sensor for measuring the pressure in the processing tank, and the output of the sensor. It is provided with a decompression means and a control means for controlling the steaming means based on the above.

In this vacuum steam cooker, after depressurizing the inside of the processing tank by the depressurizing means, the steaming means and the depressurizing means are controlled so as to keep the inside of the processing tank at a set pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure based on the output of the sensor. , Ingredients can be cooked under a set pressure of less than atmospheric pressure.

Japanese Patent No. 4055684

However, in the vacuum steam cooker described in Patent Document 1, since the steaming means and the depressurizing means are controlled based on the output of the sensor that measures the pressure in the processing tank, the foodstuffs are cooked at an appropriate temperature. Not necessarily.

An object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum cooker capable of cooking foodstuffs at an appropriate temperature under pressure below atmospheric pressure.

As a result of diligent research to solve the above problems, the present inventors have found that the thermal conductivity inside the food material is higher under the pressure below the atmospheric pressure than under the pressure above the atmospheric pressure, and the core temperature of the food material is high. Found that the surface temperature was quickly approached, and focused on this, the present invention was completed.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention comprises a cooking tub that can accommodate and seal foodstuffs, a depressurizing means that reduces the pressure inside the cooking tub to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, and foodstuffs contained in the cooking tub. A first temperature sensor that detects the surface temperature, a heater that heats the cooking tub whose inside is depressurized by the depressurizing means, a steam supply means that supplies steam into the cooking tub, and the first temperature sensor. A control means for controlling the heater based on the detection result is provided, and after the inside of the cooking tub is depressurized to less than atmospheric pressure by the depressurizing means, the driving of the heater is started, and the heater is used in the depressurized state. After the foodstuff is heated to the target cooking temperature, the steam supply means starts to supply steam to the cooking tub, and the foodstuff is the target while the inside of the cooking tub is maintained in a state of being depressurized to less than atmospheric pressure. Provided is a vacuum cooker configured to be maintained at a cooking temperature .
Further, the present invention includes a cooking tub that can accommodate and seal foodstuffs, a decompression means that reduces the pressure inside the cooking tub to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, and a non-contact method that detects the temperature of the foodstuffs contained in the cooking tub. Based on the detection results of the first temperature sensor of the mold, the heater that heats the cooking tub whose inside is depressurized by the depressurizing means, the steam supply means that supplies steam into the cooking tub, and the first temperature sensor. The cooker is provided with a control means for controlling the heater, and the inside of the cooking tank is depressurized to less than atmospheric pressure by the decompression means, and then the heater is started to be driven. After being heated to a temperature, the steam supply means starts supplying steam to the cooking tub, and the foodstuff is maintained at the target cooking temperature while the inside of the cooking tub is maintained in a state of being depressurized below atmospheric pressure. It is a vacuum cooker that is configured to be cooked.

According to this vacuum cooker, a cooking tub whose inside is decompressed to a pressure less than atmospheric pressure is heated by a heater. The heater is controlled based on the detection result of the first temperature sensor. Under pressure below atmospheric pressure, the thermal conductivity inside the food is higher than under pressure above atmospheric pressure, and the core temperature of the food quickly approaches its surface temperature. Therefore, the center temperature of the food can be estimated from the surface temperature of the food detected by the first temperature sensor. Therefore, by controlling the heater based on the detection result of the first temperature sensor while the food is placed in the cooking tank whose pressure is adjusted to less than atmospheric pressure, the temperature of the food is appropriate from the surface to the center. Can be cooked in. Further, in the present invention, steam is supplied into the cooking tank decompressed by the decompression means. In the presence of steam, the thermal conductivity from the cooking tub to the food is high. Therefore, the cooking time of the ingredients can be shortened.

In the present invention, a second temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the cooking tub is further provided, and the control means controls the heater based on the detection result of the first temperature sensor based on the detection result of the second temperature sensor. It is preferable to correct.

The detection temperature of the second temperature sensor is considered to be higher than the detection temperature of the first temperature sensor. The surface temperature of the food material is not uniform over the entire surface and varies depending on the distance between the food material and the inner surface of the cooking tub, and is considered to be between the detection temperature of the first temperature sensor and the detection temperature of the second temperature sensor. Therefore, by correcting the heater control based on the detection result of the first temperature sensor based on the detection result of the second temperature sensor, the foodstuff can be obtained as compared with the case where the heater control is performed based only on the detection result of the first temperature sensor. It can be cooked at a more suitable temperature.

Specifically, it is preferable that the control means suppresses heating by the heater based on the detection result of the second temperature sensor.

According to this configuration, heating of the heater is suppressed based on the detection result of the second temperature sensor, so that overheating of the cooking tub and the foodstuff can be prevented.

In the present invention, at least, the target pressure which is the pressure that the inside of the cooking tank should reach by depressurization, the target cooking temperature which is the temperature that the surface of the food material should reach by heating, and the time when the target cooking temperature should be maintained. The control means further includes an input means for receiving an input of the target cooking time, and the control means sets the surface temperature of the food material to the target cooking temperature during the target cooking time in a state where the pressure in the cooking tank becomes the target pressure. It is preferable to perform control to keep the temperature.

According to this configuration, the surface temperature of the food is maintained at the target cooking temperature during the target cooking time in a state where the thermal conductivity inside the food is increased by the reduced pressure. The target cooking temperature and target cooking time differ depending on the type and amount of ingredients. Therefore, by inputting the target cooking temperature and the target cooking time according to the type and amount of the food material, the user can cook the food material at an appropriate temperature from the surface to the center regardless of the type and amount of the food material.

Further, the present invention detects a cooking tub that can accommodate and seal foodstuffs, a decompression means that reduces the pressure inside the cooking tub to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, and the surface temperature of the foodstuffs contained in the cooking tub. The control means includes a first temperature sensor, a heater for heating the cooking tub whose inside is depressurized by the depressurizing means, and a control means for controlling the heater based on the detection result of the first temperature sensor. In the control of the heater by the above, the vacuum cooker is controlled by regarding the detection result of the first temperature sensor for the foodstuff in the cooking tank in the state of being depressurized by the depressurizing means as the central temperature of the foodstuff.

Further, the present invention detects a cooking tub that can accommodate and seal foodstuffs, a decompression means that reduces the pressure inside the cooking tub to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, and the surface temperature of the foodstuffs contained in the cooking tub. A first temperature sensor, a second temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the cooking tub, a heater for heating the cooking tub whose inside is depressurized by the depressurizing means, and a control means for controlling the heater are provided. said control means, the detection value of the first temperature sensor, based on the difference between the set at the time of reaching the target cooking temperature, the detected value of the said and the detected value of the second temperature sensor first temperature sensor , A vacuum cooker that corrects heater control based on the detection result of the first temperature sensor by correcting the set target cooking time.

Further, the present invention detects a cooking tub that can accommodate and seal foodstuffs, a depressurizing means that reduces the pressure inside the cooking tub to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, and the temperature of the surface of the foodstuffs contained in the cooking tub. It includes a first temperature sensor, a second temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the cooking tub, a heater that heats the cooking tub whose inside is depressurized by the depressurizing means, and a control means that controls the heater. The control means is based on the difference between the detected value of the second temperature sensor and the detected value of the first temperature sensor when the detected value of the second temperature sensor reaches the set target cooking temperature. It is a vacuum cooker that corrects the heater control based on the detection result of the first temperature sensor by correcting the target cooking temperature.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vacuum cooker capable of cooking foodstuffs at an appropriate temperature under a pressure of less than atmospheric pressure.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the vacuum cooker which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of the cooking condition of the food material in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the operation of the vacuum cooker which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a time chart which shows the operation of the vacuum cooker which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the temperature change of the cooking tub and the temperature change of the surface of a food material after the start of heating. It is a figure which shows the structure of the vacuum cooker which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the operation of the vacuum cooker which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the operation of the vacuum cooker which concerns on the modification 1 of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the operation of the vacuum cooker which concerns on modification 2 of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(First Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a vacuum cooker 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the dashed arrow indicates the flow of electrical signals.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vacuum cooker 100 according to the first embodiment includes a cooking tank 1, a pressure reducing means 2, a first temperature sensor 3, a heater 4, a steam supply means 6, and a controller 7. , The input unit 8 and the display 9.

The cooking tub 1 has a tub body 10 having an open upper portion, a lid portion 12 provided at the opening of the tub body 10 so as to be openable and closable, and a gap between the tub body 10 and the lid portion 12 with the lid portion 12 closed. It is provided with a seal portion 21 for sealing.

The tank body 10 is mainly made of a metal material such as aluminum having good thermal conductivity. The lid portion 12 is made of a heat-resistant material such as glass or polycarbonate material. A far-infrared ray generating layer (not shown) is provided on the inner surface of the tank body 10. The far-infrared ray generating layer is composed of, for example, a ceramic coating such as a composite oxide.

A countertop 11 on which the food material F is placed is arranged on the inner surface of the bottom 13 of the tank body 10. The countertop 11 is made of, for example, a metal material such as aluminum having good thermal conductivity. The countertop 11 is in contact with the bottom 13 and the side wall 22 of the tank body 10. By placing the food material F on the cooking table 11, the food material F does not come into direct contact with the bottom 13 of the cooking tank 1, so that temperature unevenness is less likely to occur in the food material F and the food material F is partially overheated (overheated). Can be prevented.

A heating element 14 that generates heat by electromagnetic induction is provided on the outer surface of the bottom 13 of the tank body 10. The heating element 14 is made of, for example, a magnetic metal plate such as ferritic stainless steel.

The heater 4 is a heating coil that electromagnetically induces and heats the heating element 14. The cooking tub 1 and the heater 4 are configured separately. The cooking tub 1 is used in a state of being placed on the heater 4. When the cooking tank 1 is placed on the heater 4, the heating element 14 comes into contact with the heater 4. When a high frequency current is supplied to the heater 4, the heating element 14 generates heat. The heat generated by the heating element 14 is transferred to the tank body 10, the far-infrared ray generating layer, and the counter 11 by heat conduction. The food material F is heated by heat conduction from the counter 11 and heat radiation from the far-infrared ray generating layer. The method of heating the cooking tank 1 is not limited to the induction heating method, and other methods may be adopted, for example, a resistance heating method in which the heater 4 is a nichrome wire.

The decompression means 2 includes a pipeline 23, a directional control valve 15, a pressure sensor 16, a moisture trap 17, and a vacuum pump 18. One end of the pipeline 23 is connected to the side wall portion 22 of the tank body 10. The pipeline 23 connects the direction control valve 15, the pressure sensor 16, the moisture trap 17, and the vacuum pump 18 in series in order from the side wall portion 22 side.

The vacuum pump 18 sucks the air in the cooking tank 1 through the pipe line 23, and reduces the pressure in the cooking tank 1 to less than the atmospheric pressure.

The pressure sensor 16 detects the pressure in the cooking tub 1. The pressure sensor 16 transmits a signal according to the detection result to the controller 7, which will be described later.

The moisture trap 17 captures the moisture contained in the air sucked from the cooking tank 1.

The directional control valve 15 is a 3-port 2-position directional control valve. The directional control valve 15 includes a cooking tank side port that communicates with the cooking tank 1 via the pipeline 23, a moisture trap side port that communicates with the moisture trap 17 via the pipeline 23, and an atmosphere introduction port that communicates with the outside. have. By controlling the directional control valve 15, the flow flows between the first state in which the cooking tank side port and the moisture trap side port communicate with each other and the second state in which the cooking tank side port and the atmosphere introduction port communicate with each other. The route can be switched. When the directional control valve 15 is switched to the first state and the vacuum pump 18 is operated, the air in the cooking tub 1 is sucked out to the vacuum pump 18 through the directional control valve 15. When the directional control valve 15 is switched to the second state while the inside of the cooking tub 1 is depressurized, the atmosphere is introduced into the cooking tub 1 through the directional control valve 15. The directional control valve 15 is controlled by a controller 7 described later.

The first temperature sensor 3 is a non-contact type temperature sensor. As the non-contact type temperature sensor, for example, a radiation temperature sensor that detects infrared rays can be preferably used, but is not particularly limited. The first temperature sensor 3 is provided in the cooking tub 1, for example, on the inner surface of the lid portion 12. The first temperature sensor 3 may be provided at another position, or may be provided on the inner surface of the side wall portion 22 of the tank body 10. The first temperature sensor 3 transmits a signal according to the detection result to the controller 7.

The steam supply means 6 includes a steam introduction valve 20, a boiler 19, and a pipeline 24.

One end of the pipeline 24 is connected to the side wall portion 22 of the tank body 10. The pipeline 24 connects the steam introduction valve 20 and the boiler 19 in series in order from the side wall portion 22 side.

The boiler 19 is configured so that water can be injected from the outside. The boiler 19 boils water W with heat obtained from a heat source (not shown) to generate steam, and supplies the steam to the cooking tank 1 via a pipeline 24.

The steam introduction valve 20 is an on-off valve. By opening the steam introduction valve 20, the steam generated in the boiler 19 is guided to the cooking tank 1 via the pipe line 24. By closing the steam introduction valve 20, the pipeline 24 is shut off and the steam supply to the cooking tank 1 is blocked. The opening and closing of the steam introduction valve 20 is controlled by a controller 7 described later.

The input unit 8 is, for example, a touch panel or an operation button. The input unit 8 should maintain at least a target pressure Pm, which is the pressure that the inside of the cooking tank 1 should reach by depressurization, a target cooking temperature Tm, which is the temperature that the surface of the food material F should reach by heating, and a target cooking temperature Tm. Accepts the input of the target cooking time tm, which is the time. The input unit 8 transmits a signal corresponding to the input information to the controller 7.

The target pressure Pm is not particularly limited, but is set to, for example, 0.2 atm.

The target cooking temperature Tm varies depending on the type and amount of the food material F to be cooked, but is, for example, the value shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of cooking conditions (recipe) for the food material F. FIG. 2 shows examples 1 to 5 of cooking conditions, and for each cooking condition example, "cooking content", "target cooking temperature Tm", "target cooking time tm", and "presence or absence of steam supply" are shown. It is shown. The contents of the dish include the name of the dish, the required ingredients and their amount. An example of the cooking conditions of the food material F is stored in a storage unit (not shown).

The cooking content, target cooking temperature Tm, target cooking time tm, and presence / absence of steam supply are not limited to those shown in FIG. 2, and may be changed as appropriate.

Further, in Examples 3 to 5 of the cooking conditions, "steam supply" is "none". This indicates that, for Examples 3 to 5 of the cooking conditions, the food material F can be vacuum-cooked at an appropriate temperature without supplying steam. This is because steam supply is not required depending on the type of dish, such as (4) impregnation of root vegetables with seasonings and (5) drying of apples in FIG.

The display 9 is, for example, a liquid crystal display. The display 9 displays the information input by the input unit 8 and the cooking state.

The controller 7 as a control means includes a ROM, a RAM, a CPU, and the like, and performs the following control by executing a program stored in the ROM. The controller 7 controls heating by the heater 4 based on the detection result of the first temperature sensor 3.

Next, the operation of the vacuum cooker 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the vacuum cooker 100. FIG. 4 is a timing chart showing an example of the operation of the vacuum cooker 100. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a temperature change of the cooking tank 1 and a temperature change of the surface of the food material F after the heating of the cooking tank 1 is started. Note that S2, S3, S5, S7, and S9 shown in FIG. 4 correspond to S2, S3, S5, S7, and S9 shown in FIG. 3, respectively. Further, t2 and t3 shown in FIG. 5 correspond to t2 and t3 shown in FIG.

First, as shown in FIG. 3, the lid portion 12 is opened by the user, the foodstuff F is placed on the countertop 11, and the lid portion 12 is closed (step S1). When the cooking condition display button is pressed, the controller 7 controls to display an example of the cooking condition of the food material F (see FIG. 2) on the display 9.

Next, the user inputs cooking conditions such as "target pressure Pm", "target cooking temperature Tm", "target cooking time tm", and "presence / absence of steam supply" via the input unit 8 (step S2). The user can input the cooking conditions while referring to the example of the cooking conditions of the food material F displayed on the display 9. The controller 7 controls to display the input cooking conditions on the display 9.

When the cooking conditions are input and the start button is pressed, the controller 7 operates the vacuum pump 18 and switches the directional control valve 15 to the first state to start the control of depressurizing the inside of the cooking tank 1. (Step S3). As shown in (1) of FIG. 4, at time t1, the controller 7 starts the decompression control. This depressurization control is a control for reducing the pressure in the cooking tank 1 to the target pressure Pm and maintaining the pressure. The controller 7 controls the display 9 to indicate that the decompression has started.

After starting the decompression control, the controller 7 determines whether or not the inside of the cooking tank 1 has been decompressed to the target pressure Pm based on the detection result of the pressure sensor 16 (step S4).

When it is determined that the pressure inside the cooking tub 1 has been reduced to the target pressure Pm (determined as YES), the controller 7 turns on the power of the heater 4 and starts the control of heating the cooking tub 1 (step S5). This heating control is a control in which the food material F is heated until the surface temperature thereof reaches the target cooking temperature Tm to maintain the surface temperature. The controller 7 controls the display 9 to indicate that heating has started.

As shown in (2) and 5 of FIG. 4, the controller 7 starts the heating control of the cooking tank 1 at time t2. By heating the cooking tub 1, the temperature of the cooking tub 1 rises as shown in FIG. 5, and the surface temperature of the food material F also rises with the temperature rise (see (3) and FIG. 5 of FIG. 4). ). Since this heating control is performed under a pressure below atmospheric pressure, the thermal conductivity inside the food material F is higher than when heating under a pressure above atmospheric pressure, and the center temperature of the food material F quickly becomes its surface temperature. Get closer to. Therefore, it can be estimated that the central temperature of the food material F during heating is substantially the same as the surface temperature of the food material F.

In this heating control, the controller 7 controls so that the surface temperature of the food material F becomes the target cooking temperature Tm as shown in FIGS. 4 (3) and 5 based on the detected temperature of the first temperature sensor 3. I do. Since the thermal conductivity inside the food material F is high, when the surface temperature of the food material F reaches the target cooking temperature Tm, the temperature at the center of the food material F is almost the same as the target cooking temperature Tm. Therefore, by heating the food material F while monitoring the surface temperature of the food material F, it is possible to heat the food material F while substantially monitoring both the surface temperature and the center temperature of the food material F.

In this heating control, as shown in FIG. 5, the temperature rise rate of the cooking tank 1 is larger than the temperature rise rate of the food material F for a while after the heating control is started at time t2, and the cooking tank 1 The difference between the temperature of the food and the surface temperature of the food material F gradually widens. However, if the cooking tank 1 is continuously heated, the temperature difference between the two gradually becomes smaller from the point where the temperature of the cooking tank 1 reaches the peak temperature Tp. Then, by the time the surface temperature of the food material F reaches the target cooking temperature Tm, the temperature of the cooking tank 1 and the surface temperature of the food material F each converge to a constant temperature, and the temperature difference ΔT between the two becomes considerably small (for example). About 10 ° C).

After starting the heating control in step S5, the controller 7 determines whether or not the detection temperature (surface temperature of the food material F) of the first temperature sensor 3 has reached the target cooking temperature Tm (step S6).

When it is determined that the detection temperature of the first temperature sensor 3 has reached the target cooking temperature Tm (determined as YES), the controller 7 is based on the cooking condition "presence or absence of steam supply" input in step S2. , Determine whether steam supply is required (step S7).

When it is determined that steam supply is necessary (determined as YES), the controller 7 controls to open the steam introduction valve 20 (step S8). As shown in (4) of FIG. 4, the controller 7 controls the opening of the steam introduction valve 20 at time t3. By opening the steam introduction valve 20, steam is supplied from the boiler 19 into the cooking tub 1. The amount of steam supplied is, for example, a value according to the input cooking conditions. This value can be set, for example, by conducting an experiment or a simulation in advance. The controller 7 controls the display 9 to indicate that the steam supply has started.

After the start of steam supply, the controller 7 determines whether or not the elapsed time from the detection temperature of the first temperature sensor 3 reaching the target cooking temperature Tm has reached the target cooking time tm (step S9). As shown in (5) and 5 of FIG. 4, the controller 7 determines whether or not the elapsed time (cooking time) from the time t3 has reached the target cooking time tm.

When it is determined that the cooking time has reached the target cooking time tm (determined as YES), the controller 7 switches the directional control valve 15 to the second state to introduce the air into the cooking tank 1 and the vacuum pump 18 The depressurization control is terminated by stopping, the heating control of the cooking tank 1 is terminated by turning off the power of the heater 4, and the steam supply control is terminated by closing the steam introduction valve 20 (step S10). As shown in (6) of FIG. 4, these operations are performed at time t4. By the control of step S10, the atmosphere is introduced into the cooking tank 1 and the cooking is completed. The controller 7 controls the display 9 to indicate that cooking has been completed.

If it is determined in step S4 that the pressure inside the cooking tank 1 has not been reduced to the target pressure Pm, the process returns to step S4 and the determination is made again.

If it is determined in step S6 that the detected temperature of the first temperature sensor 3 has not reached the target cooking temperature Tm, the process returns to step S6 and the determination is made again.

If it is determined in step S9 that the cooking time has not reached the target cooking time tm, the process returns to step S9 and the determination is made again.

As described above, in the vacuum cooker 100 according to the present embodiment, the cooking tank 1 whose inside is depressurized to a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure is heated by the heater 4. The heater 4 is controlled based on the detection result of the non-contact type first temperature sensor 3. Under the pressure below the atmospheric pressure, the thermal conductivity inside the food material F becomes higher than under the pressure above the atmospheric pressure, and the central temperature of the food material F quickly approaches the surface temperature thereof. Therefore, the center temperature of the food material F can be estimated from the surface temperature of the food material F detected by the first temperature sensor 3. Therefore, by controlling the heater 4 based on the detection result of the first temperature sensor 3 in a state where the food material F is arranged in the cooking tank 1 whose pressure is adjusted to less than the atmospheric pressure inside, the food material F can be removed from the surface. It can be cooked to the center at an appropriate temperature. Further, since the temperature of the food material is detected by the non-contact type temperature sensor 3, the temperature of the food material F can be easily and hygienically detected. That is, it is conceivable to pierce the food material F with a temperature sensor to detect the core temperature of the food material F and control the steam supply means and the depressurizing means based on the detected core temperature, but the temperature sensor is pierced into the food material F. Detecting the core temperature is not hygienic and time-consuming. On the other hand, by detecting the temperature of the food material with the non-contact type temperature sensor 3, the temperature of the food material F can be detected easily and hygienically.

Further, since steam is supplied into the decompressed cooking tank 1, the heating of the food material F can be promoted and the cooking time can be shortened.

Further, since the heating control is started after the pressure in the cooking tank 1 reaches the target pressure Pm (step S5), the heating control is started before the pressure in the cooking tank 1 reaches the target pressure Pm. Therefore, it becomes easy to reduce the pressure in the cooking tank 1 to the target pressure Pm, and the pressure can be quickly reduced to the target pressure Pm.

Further, since the steam supply is started after the surface temperature of the food material F reaches the target cooking temperature Tm (step S8), it is possible to prevent the supplied steam from condensing in the cooking tank 1.

In the above description, the vacuum cooker 100 is used for cooking (baking, steaming, impregnating seasonings, drying) the food material F, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the food material F can be thawed, sterilized, or the like by appropriately changing at least one of the conditions of the target pressure Pm, the target cooking temperature Tm, and the target cooking time tm. Further, the food material F can be vacuum-cooled by changing the target pressure Pm and not heating the food material F.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of the vacuum cooker 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Here, the components and operations different from those of the first embodiment will be described, and the description of other components and operations will be omitted.

In the second embodiment, the second temperature sensor 5 is provided as shown in FIG. The second temperature sensor 5 is a contact type temperature sensor. Examples of the contact type temperature sensor include a thermocouple temperature sensor and a thermistor temperature sensor, but the temperature sensor is not particularly limited. The second temperature sensor 5 is provided, for example, on the outer surface or the inner surface of the bottom portion 13 of the tank body 10. The position where the second temperature sensor 5 is provided is not limited to the bottom 13 of the tank body 10, and may be the outer surface or the inner surface of the side wall 22 of the tank body 10. The second temperature sensor 5 transmits a signal according to the detection result to the controller 7.

Next, the operation of the vacuum cooker 200 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vacuum cooker 200. In FIG. 7, the same operations as those in FIG. 3 are designated by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 3, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In the second embodiment, it is determined whether or not the detected temperature of the first temperature sensor 3 has reached the target cooking temperature Tm (step S6), and if so, the process proceeds to step S11.

In step S11, the controller 7 detects the detection temperature of the second temperature sensor 5 and the detection of the first temperature sensor 3 at the time when the detection temperature of the first temperature sensor 3 reaches the target cooking temperature Tm (time t3, see FIG. 5). The target cooking time tm is changed to a time longer or shorter than the target cooking time tm input in step S2 according to the temperature difference ΔT1 (see FIG. 5) (correct the target cooking time tm).

The surface temperature of the food material F is not always uniform over the entire surface, and may differ depending on the distance between the food material F and the inner surface of the cooking tub 1. For example, the surface temperature of the portion of the food material F that comes into contact with the countertop 11 is different from that of the other portion. However, the surface temperature of the food material F is considered to be between the detection temperature of the first temperature sensor 3 and the detection temperature of the second temperature sensor 5. Therefore, by correcting the target cooking time tm according to the difference ΔT1 between the detection temperature of the second temperature sensor 5 and the detection temperature of the first temperature sensor 3, heating control is performed based only on the detection temperature of the first temperature sensor 3. Ingredient F can be cooked more appropriately than when it is done.

(Modification 1 of the second embodiment)
In the second embodiment, the target cooking time tm is corrected, but the present invention is not limited to this. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vacuum cooker 200 according to the first modification of the second embodiment. In FIG. 8, the same operations as those in FIG. 3 are designated by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 3, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In this modification, as shown in FIG. 8, after the heating control of the cooking tank 1 is started (step S5), the controller 7 determines whether or not the detection temperature of the second temperature sensor 5 has reached the target cooking temperature Tm. Determine (step S12). When it is determined that the detection temperature of the second temperature sensor 5 has reached the target cooking temperature Tm (determined as YES), the controller 7 determines when the detection temperature of the second temperature sensor 5 reaches the target cooking temperature Tm (determined as YES). The target cooking temperature Tm is corrected according to the difference ΔT2 (see FIG. 5) between the detection temperature of the second temperature sensor 5 and the detection temperature of the first temperature sensor 3 at time t5 (see FIG. 5) (step S13).

The larger the difference ΔT2 between the detection temperature of the second temperature sensor 5 and the detection temperature of the first temperature sensor 3 at time t5, the more difficult it is to heat the food material F, and the smaller the temperature difference ΔT2, the smaller the food material F. It is considered that the food material F is a food material that is easy to warm up. Therefore, by correcting the target cooking temperature Tm according to the temperature difference ΔT2, the food material F can be cooked at the target cooking temperature Tm that reflects the ease of warming and the difficulty of warming of the food material F. It can be cooked more properly.

(Modification 2 of the second embodiment)
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vacuum cooker 200 according to the second modification of the second embodiment. In FIG. 9, the same operations as those in FIG. 3 are designated by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 3, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In this modification, as shown in FIG. 9, after the heating control of the cooking tub 1 is started (step S5), the controller 7 heats the cooking tub 1 based on the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor 5 during heating of the cooking tub 1. The control for suppressing the heating according to No. 4 (heating suppression control) is started (step S14). This heating suppression control is a control for suppressing heating by the heater 4 when the detection temperature of the second temperature sensor 5 is equal to or higher than a threshold value. When the detection temperature of the second temperature sensor 5 is less than the threshold value, the heating by the heater 4 is not suppressed. In the heating suppression control, when the detection temperature of the second temperature sensor 5 is equal to or higher than the threshold value, the controller 7 lowers the heating temperature of the heater 4 so that the detection temperature of the second temperature sensor 5 is lower than the threshold value. The threshold value is set to, for example, a temperature at which the cooking tank 1 is in an overheated state. After determining whether or not the target cooking time tm has elapsed (step S9), the controller 7 ends the heating suppression control (step S15). The example of heating suppression control is not limited to this. For example, when the detection temperature of the second temperature sensor 5 is equal to or higher than the threshold value, the controller 7 may perform the heating suppression control by stopping the heating by the heater 4 and forcibly ending the heating control.

According to this modification, it is possible to prevent the vacuum cooker 1 from malfunctioning and the food material F from being scorched due to overheating of the cooking tub 1.

1 Cooking tank 2 Decompression means 3 1st temperature sensor 4 Heater 5 2nd temperature sensor 6 Steam supply means 7 Controller 8 Input part 9 Display 10 Tank body 11 Cooking table 12 Lid part 13 Bottom 14 Heat generator 15 Directional control valve 16 Pressure sensor 17 Moisture trap 18 Vacuum pump 19 Boiler 20 Steam introduction valve 21 Seal part 22 Side wall part 23,24 Pipeline 100,200 Vacuum cooker

Claims (8)

A cooking tub that can hold and seal ingredients,
A decompression means for reducing the pressure inside the cooking tank to less than atmospheric pressure,
A first temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the surface of the foodstuff contained in the cooking tank, and
A heater that heats the cooking tub whose inside has been decompressed by the decompression means,
A steam supply means for supplying steam into the cooking tub and
A control means for controlling the heater based on the detection result of the first temperature sensor is provided.
After the inside of the cooking tank is depressurized to less than atmospheric pressure by the depressurizing means, the heater is started to be driven, and the foodstuff is heated to the target cooking temperature by the heater in the depressurized state, and then the steam supply means. starting the supply of steam into the cooking vessel, a vacuum cooker is configured such that the inside cooking tank said foodstuff being maintained in a reduced pressure state below atmospheric pressure is maintained in the target cooking temperature. A cooking tub that can hold and seal ingredients,
A decompression means for reducing the pressure inside the cooking tank to less than atmospheric pressure,
A non-contact type first temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the foodstuff contained in the cooking tank, and
A heater that heats the cooking tub whose inside has been decompressed by the decompression means,
A steam supply means for supplying steam into the cooking tub and
A control means for controlling the heater based on the detection result of the first temperature sensor is provided.
The heater is started to be driven after the inside of the cooking tank is depressurized to less than atmospheric pressure by the depressurizing means, and the foodstuff is heated to the target cooking temperature by the heater in the depressurized state, and then the steam supply means. A vacuum cooker configured to start supplying steam to a cooking tub so that the foodstuffs are maintained at the target cooking temperature while the inside of the cooking tub is kept depressurized below atmospheric pressure. A second temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the cooking tub is further provided.
The vacuum cooker according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the control means corrects the heater control based on the detection result of the first temperature sensor based on the detection result of the second temperature sensor. The vacuum cooker according to claim 3 , wherein the control means suppresses heating by the heater based on the detection result of the second temperature sensor. At least, input the target pressure which is the pressure that the inside of the cooking tank should reach by decompression, the target cooking temperature which is the temperature where the surface of the food should be reached by heating, and the target cooking time which is the time when the target cooking temperature should be maintained. With additional input means to accept
The control means is characterized in that it controls to keep the surface temperature of the food material at the target cooking temperature during the target cooking time in a state where the pressure in the cooking tank reaches the target pressure. The vacuum cooker according to any one of 1 to 4 . A cooking tub that can hold and seal ingredients,
A decompression means for reducing the pressure inside the cooking tank to less than atmospheric pressure,
A first temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the surface of the foodstuff contained in the cooking tank, and
A heater that heats the cooking tub whose inside has been decompressed by the decompression means,
A control means for controlling the heater based on the detection result of the first temperature sensor is provided.
In the control of the heater by the control means, the vacuum cooker is controlled by regarding the detection result of the first temperature sensor for the foodstuff in the cooking tank in the state of being decompressed by the decompression means as the central temperature of the foodstuff. .. A cooking tub that can hold and seal ingredients,
A decompression means for reducing the pressure inside the cooking tank to less than atmospheric pressure,
A first temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the surface of the foodstuff contained in the cooking tank, and
A second temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the cooking tub and
A heater that heats the cooking tub whose inside has been decompressed by the decompression means,
A control means for controlling the heater is provided.
Said control means, the detection value of the first temperature sensor, based on the difference between the set at the time of reaching the target cooking temperature, the detected value of the said and the detected value of the second temperature sensor first temperature sensor , A vacuum cooker that corrects heater control based on the detection result of the first temperature sensor by correcting the set target cooking time. A cooking tub that can hold and seal ingredients,
A decompression means for reducing the pressure inside the cooking tank to less than atmospheric pressure,
A first temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the surface of the foodstuff contained in the cooking tank, and
A second temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the cooking tub and
A heater that heats the cooking tub whose inside has been decompressed by the decompression means,
A control means for controlling the heater is provided.
The control means is based on the difference between the detected value of the second temperature sensor and the detected value of the first temperature sensor when the detected value of the second temperature sensor reaches the set target cooking temperature. A vacuum cooker that corrects heater control based on the detection result of the first temperature sensor by correcting the target cooking temperature.