EP0000958B1 - Verfahren zum Kochen von nicht-flüssigen Nahrungsmitteln in einem Mikrowellenofen - Google Patents

Verfahren zum Kochen von nicht-flüssigen Nahrungsmitteln in einem Mikrowellenofen Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0000958B1
EP0000958B1 EP78100792A EP78100792A EP0000958B1 EP 0000958 B1 EP0000958 B1 EP 0000958B1 EP 78100792 A EP78100792 A EP 78100792A EP 78100792 A EP78100792 A EP 78100792A EP 0000958 B1 EP0000958 B1 EP 0000958B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
time
humidity
food
microwave oven
meat
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
EP78100792A
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP0000958A1 (de
Inventor
Ronald G. Buck
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Northrop Grumman Guidance and Electronics Co Inc
Original Assignee
Litton Systems Inc
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Litton Systems Inc filed Critical Litton Systems Inc
Publication of EP0000958A1 publication Critical patent/EP0000958A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B6/00—Heating by electric, magnetic or electromagnetic fields
    • H05B6/64—Heating using microwaves
    • H05B6/6447—Method of operation or details of the microwave heating apparatus related to the use of detectors or sensors
    • H05B6/6458—Method of operation or details of the microwave heating apparatus related to the use of detectors or sensors using humidity or vapor sensors
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
    • G05D—SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
    • G05D22/00—Control of humidity
    • G05D22/02—Control of humidity characterised by the use of electric means

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a method for cooking non-liquid food in a microwave oven having a cooking cavity, a source of microwave energy, a sensor for sensing the time-dependent humidity in the cooking cavity, including sensing the time-dependent humidity.
  • thermometer types of probes have been unsatisfactory in that the probe only indicates the temperature at that one particular location for the piece of meat and is not an indication of the true overall temperature of the piece of meat or more importantly, the doneness of that piece of meat. Also the accuracy of the probes is sometimes less than desirable as not being a true indication of the surface temperature of the meat or the internal temperature of the meat, especially when the meat has reached an equilibrium temperature. In not indicating the surface temperature of the meat, a cook is not able to tell when to turn the meat over.
  • DE-A-27 06 367 describes a method for determining the time at which the energy source of a microwave oven is to be switched off in order to get the foodstuff done to a pre- determined value.
  • the humidity is measured to detect a characteristic increase occurring during cooking time.
  • switch-off time is calculated.
  • DE-B-10 90 798 it is known to monitor the gases in the cooking cavity of a microwave oven, for example as to humidity, for the purpose of detecting a pre- determined condition in the cooking or frying process.
  • this pre-determined condition is the end of the cooking or frying process.
  • the invention as claimed is to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art devices by providing an accurate method for determining when the non-liquid food, for example meat, is to be turned over, to get it done on both sides.
  • the advantages offered by the invention are mainly that a method is provided for determining the optimum time when meat or other non-liquid food is to be turned over in a microwave oven to get it done on both sides.
  • a method referred to in claim 2 is a step which handles the time discontinuity where the cook is turning the meat over when the microwave oven door is open.
  • This method takes the time discontinuity into account where the cook is turned the meat oven when the microwave oven door is open and increments the temperature by a small term of x degrees centigrade per second for the time period that the door is open and microwave cooking of the food is not taking place.
  • Figure 1 illustrates a flow chart of the steps for the method of determining the optimum time to turn meats in a microwave oven in accordance with the present invention showing a start program condition 10.
  • a NO flag set condition 12 the program proceeds to determine whether absolute humidity is constant or increasing with respect to the previous sensed and sampled absolute humidity. If absolute humidity condition 14 is increasing, the program returns to start program, 10, and again determines absolute humidity. If the humidity condition 14 is constant, an indication, condition 16, is given to the cook to turn the meat over such as through a front panel light on the control panel of the microwave oven in addition to an audible alarm as required. If the NO door open condition 18 exists where the microwave oven is not detected as being opened, a set flag condition 20 occurs and the program again returns to start program 10.
  • the "characteristic humidity curve" 36 of absolute humidity in grams per cubic meter versus cooking time in seconds of Figure 2 is determined by sensing the time dependent "in-situ” humidity and temperature environmental conditions of the microwave oven heating cavity during microwave cooking for a particular type of food.
  • the time dependent "in-situ” environmental conditions are defined as the sensed humidity and temperature conditions of the microwave oven heating cavity by humidity and temperature sensors.
  • the term "in-situ” as used in this application is defined as the actual time dependent environmental conditions which exist in the environment surrounding the food product which as thin meat which is located in and cooked in the microwave oven heating- cavity.
  • a humidity sensor and a temperature sensor may be positioned outside of the microwave oven heating cavity, the sensors are configured to sense the "in-situ” environmental conditions of the microwave oven heating cavity and provide "in-situ” signal information of the environmental conditions of the microwave oven heating cavity to a programmable controller controlling the microwave oven.
  • Each particular food has its own particular "characteristic humidity curve".
  • h o is the initial absolute humidity and hx is the peak absolute humidity at time, xt for the "characteristic humidity curve" 36 of figure 2.
  • the "characteristic humidity curve" 36 of figure 2 can be approximated as a three segment 38, 40 and 42 piecewise linear curve prior to time xt.
  • the slope of the first segment 38 of the three segment piecewise linear curve is proportional to the rise in surface temperature of the food up to one hundred degrees centigrade. Once the hottest section of the surface has reached one hundred degrees centigrade which occurs at the change of slope 44, the humidity increases rapidly as illustrated by the slope of the second segment 40 of the three segment piecewise linear curve which is due to the "latent heat of vaporization" of the food.
  • the change of slope 46 is indicative of the beginning of the surface temperature of the food reaching equilibrium.
  • the slope of the third segment 42 of the three segment piecewise linear curve from points 46 to 48 is equilibrium of the surface temperature of the food occurring.
  • the "characteristic humidity curve” peaks out at 48 and plateaus indicating the surface of the food has reached one hundred degrees centigrade.
  • Point 48 on the “characteristic humidity curve” of figure 2 also indicate cook to "turn over” 16 condition on the flow chart of figure 1, is the optimum time to turn the meat or food over as complete temperature equilibrium is reached.
  • the method of optimum time to turn meats in a microwave oven can be implemented as an algorithm in accordance with the flow chart of figure 1 with the algorithmn of the flow chart stored in a programmable controller such as an Intel 8080 microprocessor.
  • An aluminum oxide humidity sensor such as a Thunder Scientific TC 2000 Humidity Measurement Module, and a temperature sensor, such as a National Semiconductor' Corporation 5700 Temperature Transducer, are positioned adjacent to the exterior of the exit ventilation port of the microwave heating oven cavity to sense the time dependent "in-situ” humidity and temperature environmental conditions in the microwave oven heating cavity and connect to the programmable controller.
  • the sensors are positioned to sense the time dependent "in-situ” environmental conditions of the microwave oven heating cavity and are electromagnetically isolated from the microwave oven heating cavity.
  • the programmable controller contains an algorithm to convert the sensed and sampled relative humidity as required for the humidity h(t n ) 14 condition in the flow chart of figure 1. Further, the programmable controller connects to the microwave power source power supply, the air exchange control and the indication controls on the front panel of the microwave oven to indicate "Turn Food Over" 16 and "Time Out” 28 conditions.
  • the algorithm of figure 1 stored in the memory of the programmable controller indicates whether the absolute humidity is increasing or constant, 14. If a constant absolute humidity 14 condition exists, the programmable controller indicates to the cook through a "Turn Food Over" control indication on the microwave oven panel to turn the food such as meat as the one hundred centigrade equilibrium point 48 of figure 2 is reached.
  • the programmable controller upon detecting the YES door open 18 condition stores the time t n 22 that the oven door is opened and if a NO door open 18 condition exists, a set flag 20 condition occurs.
  • the programmable controller through the algorithm monitors to determine how long it takes the cook to close the door 24. If the door close 24 is not completed within a predetermined set time, the time out 28 condition occurs giving an indication to the cook to close the door 30.
  • the temperature of the food is incremented, 26, by x degrees centigrade per second for the time that the door remained open.
  • the incrementation factor is approximately equal to the rate of heating prior to the opening of the door and this factor is computed by an algorithm for the computation of meat temperature.
  • the duty cycle reset 34 is performed by the programmable controller to a lower duty cycle taking into account the temperature increment adjustment performed at block 26.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
  • Control Of High-Frequency Heating Circuits (AREA)
  • Electric Ovens (AREA)

Claims (5)

1. Verfahren zum Garen von nicht-flüssigen Speisen in einem Mikrowellenherd mit einem Ofenraum, einer Mikrowellenenergie und einem Sensor zum Erfassen der zeitabhängigen Luftfeuchtigkeit im Ofenraum, der die zeitabhängige Feuchtigkeit erfaßt, gekennzeichnet durch die folgenden Schritte:
(a) ermitteln wann die zeitabhängige Feuchtigkeit im wesentlichen konstant bleibt, und
(b) erzeugen eines Signals für die den Ofen benutzende Person, damit diese die Speise auf ihre zweite Seite umwendet, sobald der im wesentlichen konstant bleibende Feuchtigkeitszustand festgestellt ist.
2. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die zeitabhängige Feuchtigkeit die absolute Feuchtigkeit ist.
3. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1 oder 2, gekennzeichnet durch die weiteren Schritte:
(a) erfassen der Zeitspanne, über welche die Türe des Mikrowellenherdes geöffnet ist und die Mikrowellenenergiequelle während des Umwendens der Speise auf ihre zweite Seite außer Betrieb ist, und
(b) nachstellen der Garzeit für die Speise, sobald diese Zeitspanne einen vorbestimmten Wert überschreitet.
4. Verfahren nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 3, gekennzeichnet durch die Verwendung eines Mikroprozessors.
5. Verfahren nach dem Ansprüchen 3 und 4, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der Schritt der Einstellung der Garzeit der Speise über ein in dem Mikroprozessor gespeichertes Programm ausgeführt wird.
EP78100792A 1977-08-30 1978-08-30 Verfahren zum Kochen von nicht-flüssigen Nahrungsmitteln in einem Mikrowellenofen Expired EP0000958B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US829077 1977-08-30
US05/829,077 US4166137A (en) 1977-08-30 1977-08-30 Method of determining the optimum time to turn meats in a microwave oven

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0000958A1 EP0000958A1 (de) 1979-03-07
EP0000958B1 true EP0000958B1 (de) 1981-05-13

Family

ID=25253460

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP78100792A Expired EP0000958B1 (de) 1977-08-30 1978-08-30 Verfahren zum Kochen von nicht-flüssigen Nahrungsmitteln in einem Mikrowellenofen

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US4166137A (de)
EP (1) EP0000958B1 (de)
AU (1) AU517122B2 (de)
CA (1) CA1094647A (de)
DE (1) DE2860700D1 (de)

Families Citing this family (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4345145A (en) * 1980-05-19 1982-08-17 General Electric Company User programmable control system for toaster oven appliance
US4547642A (en) * 1983-01-03 1985-10-15 General Electric Company Combination microwave and thermal self-cleaning oven with an automatic venting arrangement
US4496817A (en) * 1983-07-07 1985-01-29 General Electric Company Automatic fire detection for a microwave oven
US4590349A (en) * 1984-05-07 1986-05-20 James River-Dixie/Northern, Inc. Microwave cooking carton for browning and crisping food on two sides
JPS62135398U (de) * 1986-02-19 1987-08-26
JPH05332550A (ja) * 1992-05-29 1993-12-14 Toshiba Corp 加熱調理器
KR100205929B1 (ko) * 1997-06-19 1999-07-01 전주범 전자렌지의 캐비티램프 제어방법
CN110326979B (zh) * 2019-05-24 2021-01-08 广州国为食品有限公司 利用具备加湿功能的食材热处理装置热处理食材的方法

Family Cites Families (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1090798B (de) * 1958-10-14 1960-10-13 Siemens Elektrogeraete Gmbh Hochfrequenz-Strahlungsherd
GB1169166A (en) * 1966-01-03 1969-10-29 Microtherm Ltd Improvements in or relating to Heating Apparatus
US3654417A (en) * 1970-10-30 1972-04-04 Litton Precision Prod Inc Microwave oven including air flow system
SE361998B (de) * 1972-02-14 1973-11-19 Husqvarna Vapenfabriks Ab
US4011428A (en) * 1975-03-24 1977-03-08 Essex International, Inc. Microwave oven timer and control circuit
US4097707A (en) * 1975-05-20 1978-06-27 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Apparatus for controlling heating time utilizing humidity sensing
US4080564A (en) * 1975-10-02 1978-03-21 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Humidity sensitive resistor device
AU498357B2 (en) * 1976-02-17 1979-03-08 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Heating control apparatus

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU3930878A (en) 1980-03-06
EP0000958A1 (de) 1979-03-07
CA1094647A (en) 1981-01-27
AU517122B2 (en) 1981-07-09
DE2860700D1 (en) 1981-08-20
US4166137A (en) 1979-08-28

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