EP0688147A1 - Verfahren zur Regelung eines Mikrowellenofens, Mikrowellenofen und seine Anwendung für Kochen oder Wärmung von Essen gemäz der Verfahren - Google Patents

Verfahren zur Regelung eines Mikrowellenofens, Mikrowellenofen und seine Anwendung für Kochen oder Wärmung von Essen gemäz der Verfahren Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0688147A1
EP0688147A1 EP95107196A EP95107196A EP0688147A1 EP 0688147 A1 EP0688147 A1 EP 0688147A1 EP 95107196 A EP95107196 A EP 95107196A EP 95107196 A EP95107196 A EP 95107196A EP 0688147 A1 EP0688147 A1 EP 0688147A1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
food
microwave
oven
information
weight
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.)
Granted
Application number
EP95107196A
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP0688147B1 (de
Inventor
Mats Gunnar C/O Whirlpool It. S.R.L. Idebro
Britta V.M. C/O Whirlpool It. S.R.L. Sandman
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Whirlpool Corp
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Whirlpool Europe BV
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Publication of EP0688147A1 publication Critical patent/EP0688147A1/de
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Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
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    • 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
    • H05B6/647—Aspects related to microwave heating combined with other heating techniques
    • H05B6/6482—Aspects related to microwave heating combined with other heating techniques combined with radiant heating, e.g. infrared heating
    • 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
    • H05B6/66—Circuits
    • H05B6/68—Circuits for monitoring or control
    • 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
    • H05B6/6408—Supports or covers specially adapted for use in microwave heating apparatus
    • H05B6/6411—Supports or covers specially adapted for use in microwave heating apparatus the supports being rotated

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a method for controlling a procedure for cooking or heating food in a microwave oven by using the microwave radiation source of the oven and a microwave-activable bottom heater in the form of a receptacle, a plate or a carrier on which the food is placed, which act as separate heat sources for the food and are controllable via the control unit of the oven.
  • the invention further concerns a microwave oven for implementing the method, as well as the use of the microwave oven for cooking or heating food of different sorts by automatically-controlled procedures.
  • the microwave radiation source and the associated microwave-feed system generate a microwave distribution in the oven cavity that brings about so-called volume heating of the food.
  • the microwave oven may comprise an additional source of heat for the food in the form of a microwave-activable, so-called crisp or browning plate.
  • a crisp plate may consist of an aluminium plate which has small thermal mass and good thermal conductivity and on whose underside is provided a microwave-absorbing layer.
  • SE Patent Specification 9003104-8 discloses such a crisp plate.
  • a browning plate has greater thermal mass and may consist of a plate of ceramics or glass provided with a microwave-absorbing layer. In general, both the crisp plate and the browning plate are arranged to rotate during cooking or heating.
  • the microwave oven may have yet another source of heat in the form of a so-called grill element or an equivalent IR-radiation element, which usually is arranged in the ceiling of the cavity (see, for instance, SE Patent Specification 9201786-2).
  • a microwave oven equipped with these three types of heat sources basically has access to a volume heater, a bottom heater and a top heater, in which case the heat emission from the two former is controlled by regulating the microwave feed to the cavity, and the latter is controlled directly as regards activation time and power level.
  • the three heat sources In order to optimise the heating or cooking of a specific type of food, the three heat sources have to be used in an appropriate manner, i.e. be activated at adjusted power levels for a suitable period of the cooking or heating procedure.
  • the problem is that the activation times and power levels for different sorts of food vary considerably. For the average user, this is much too complicated, and he therefore is usually not given the opportunity to control the cooking or heating procedure in this fashion.
  • Microwave ovens are instead so constructed that there is only one power balance, determined by the manufacturer, between the different sources of heat.
  • the power consumption of apparatus with single-phase connection is restricted, which among other things means that the microwave radiation source and the grill element cannot be activated at the same time.
  • One object of the invention is, therefore, to provide a microwave oven which does not suffer from any of the drawbacks mentioned above, enables advantageous utilisation of the heat sources, and at the same time is more user-friendly.
  • the microwave oven becomes more useful in general, so that it may serve to cook or heat also such food and dishes as today should be heated in conventional ovens, e.g. in order not to lose their crispiness.
  • this object is achieved by a method which is of the type mentioned by way of introduction and which is characterised by the steps of
  • the weight information is automatically supplied by a weight sensor disposed adjacent to the receptacle, plate or carrier, or manually by the user via the control panel of the oven.
  • the method according to the invention drastically facilitates handling of the microwave oven, since the user merely has to supply information on the food category, possibly also on the weight, for instance via the control panel of the oven.
  • the oven may then be started automatically or by operating a starter button.
  • the oven selects an appropriate program in accordance with the food category and monitors the cooking or heating procedure fully automatically.
  • the user need not, as is the case in conventional ovens, select any power settings and cooking times. To put it simply, the user merely indicates what he puts in the oven, for instance deep-frozen ready-cooked chicken parts, and what he wishes to take out of the oven, for instance heated chicken parts having a crispy surface.
  • the oven indicates when the dish is ready.
  • food category or food-category information is here meant information corresponding to a specially-designed cooking or heating program for a specific type of food, such as potato products, pizza and chicken, and the state of the food put in the oven, such as fresh or deep-frozen raw products, and deep-frozen semi-processed products.
  • the food-category information can be supplied by inputting e.g. a numerical value indicating the type of food and its state, or by inputting a first value indicating the type of food and a second value indicating its initial state.
  • the food-category information is inputted via a control button or a keyset where each key corresponds to a certain food category, or via two control buttons or keysets each corresponding to a specific type of food and a specific initial state.
  • a microwave oven comprises a cavity, a microwave radiation source for feeding microwaves to the cavity, a microwave-activable bottom heater in the form of a receptacle, a plate or a carrier on which food is placed for heating or cooking, a control unit for controlling the bottom heater as well as the feeding of microwaves to the cavity, the oven being characterised in that it has means for supplying the control unit with information on the food category involved, as well as means for supplying the control unit with information on the weight of the food, and that the microprocessor of the control unit is programmed to implement the following functions:
  • the microwave oven is provided with a top heater, for instance a grill element arranged in the ceiling of the cavity, which is controlled by the program selected.
  • a weight sensor is disposed adjacent to the receptacle, plate or carrier and adapted to automatically supply the information on the weight of the food.
  • the control panel of the oven has means for manually supplying information on the weight of the food.
  • the design of the inventive microwave oven is based on the insight that the average user mostly employs the oven for cooking or heating certain kinds of food, e.g. deep-frozen ready-cooked dishes or bread and potato products, that this food can be divided into food categories on the basis of the type of food and its initial state, and that the combined information on the food category and the weight of the food makes it possible to adapt a program which is determined by the food category and is automatically implemented by the oven. Furthermore, it has been found that optimal utilisation of the heat sources available in a modern oven, i.e. the microwave field in the cavity, the bottom-heating crisp plate and the top-heating grill element, may improve cooking results and make it possible to use the oven for a broader range of food or dishes, the user-friendliness of the oven being maintained or even improved.
  • the use of a microwave oven which has a rotary crisp plate arranged in the oven cavity, as well as a grill element arranged in the ceiling of the cavity, is distinguished by the fact that the cooking or heating of food is performed automatically according to preprogrammed cooking or heating programs that can be selected on the basis of information on the weight of the food as well as food-category information based on the type of food and its initial state, which is supplied to the oven.
  • the microwave oven illustrated in Fig. 1 has an external casing 1, and an oven door 2 for closing the cavity 3, in which a crisp plate 4 is arranged.
  • the crisp plate 4 is made of sheet aluminium of small thermal mass and its underside is provided with a microwave-absorbing layer of rubber-borne ferrite.
  • the ferrite material employed has a Curie point at which ceases the layer's energy absorption from the microwaves, which means that the temperature of the upper side of the crisp plate that comes into contact with the food stabilises in a temperature range of 130-230°C.
  • the crisp plate is adapted to rotate during the cooking or heating procedure.
  • SE Patent Specification 9003104-8 as well as the applicant's microwave ovens of type designations VIP20 and VIP27, illustrates a more detailed construction of the crisp plate as well as its rotary mechanism.
  • the microwaves are fed to the cavity 3 through one or more feed openings (not shown) which communicate with the microwave radiation source 20 (normally a magnetron) of the oven (see Fig. 2) via waveguides.
  • the magnetron, the associated waveguide system, the power unit 19 for operating the magnetron, and the control unit 15 are disposed behind the control panel 5.
  • the microwave-feed system use is made of an upper and a lower feed opening, which are provided in the right-hand lateral wall of the cavity, whereas the remainder of the feed system is designed to feed polarised microwaves through these openings.
  • SE Patent Specification 9003012-3 for more detailed information on the construction of the microwave-feed system, reference is made to SE Patent Specification 9003012-3, as well as to the applicant's microwave ovens mentioned in the foregoing.
  • a grill element (not shown) is arranged in the ceiling of the cavity, e.g. in the manner described in SE Patent Specification 9201786-2.
  • the grill element may be a so-called "grill tube", a quartz tube or a halogen-radiation source. Instances of concrete designs are found in the applicant's microwave oven of type designation VIP20.
  • the control panel 5 has a display 6 which, controlled by the control unit 15, represents, among other things, symbols or plain-text messages for selected programs, and the remaining cooking or heating time, i.e. verifies the user's selections made via the control panel as well as provides other information on how the cooking or heating proceeds.
  • the control button 7 is used for selecting heating through the feeding of microwaves to the cavity.
  • the button 8 is used for activating the grill element of the oven, and the desired time is set by the knob 9.
  • the buttons 10 and 11 are provided for, respectively, starting and switching off the oven.
  • the keyset 12 serves to input the food-category information and, hence, to select a preprogrammed cooking or heating program.
  • the buttons may, from top to bottom, concern the heating of deep-frozen pizza, the heating of deep-frozen pie, the heating of deep-frozen potato products, such as chips, and the heating of deep-frozen chicken parts.
  • the operation of a button entails simultaneous input of complete food-category information, i.e. information on the type of food and its initial state (e.g. deep-frozen).
  • buttons are divided into two sets, in which case the information on the type of food is inputted via one set and the information on the initial state of the food is inputted via the other set.
  • only one food category is used, which means that only one button is required.
  • All the buttons, as well as the knob and the display, are in communication with the control unit 15.
  • On the upper side of the oven there are provided ventilation holes 13 communicating with the evacuation channel (not shown) of the cavity that is provided in the space between the ceiling of the cavity and the external casing 1.
  • the oven has a flex 14 with a plug.
  • the block diagram of Fig. 2 shows the control unit 15 and the microprocessor and its associated program memory 16.
  • the user information is inputted to the control unit via the block 17, which represents the control buttons and the knob described above.
  • the control unit controls the display 6.
  • the control unit 15 controls the microwave radiation source 20, and hence the feeding of microwaves to the cavity 3.
  • the control unit 15 controls the grill element 22, and hence the IR radiation fed to the cavity 3.
  • the weight information is automatically supplied to the control unit by a weight sensor 23 (indicated by dashed lines).
  • the weight sensor 23 is disposed adjacent to the crisp plate 3 and senses the weight of the food placed on the plate.
  • the weight sensor may be of the design described in SE Patent Specification 9300291-3.
  • the flow chart illustrating a preprogrammed cooking or heating program comprises three successive time periods T1, T2 and T3.
  • the feeding of microwaves and, hence, the crisp plate as well as the grill element are activated at power levels determined by the food category.
  • the power levels for, respectively, the microwaves and the grill element during the associated periods are designated, respectively, PM1, PM2 and PM3 and PG1, PG2 and PG3. These power levels are optimised for each food category and may, in a further development of the oven, vary during the time periods. Also the constants k1, k2 and k3 are optimised for each food category.
  • the supplied microwave power may be distributed between different feed openings to enable energy to be distributed between bottom heat from the crisp plate and microwave heating of the interior of the food. Such distribution can be achieved by using a microwave-feed system of the type described in SE Patent Specification 9302302-6.
  • the temperature of the ventilating air may be sensed by a temperature sensor arranged in the evacuation channel of the cavity.
  • compensatory corrections are made of the constants selected through the food category and used for calculating the expected duration of the time periods of the program.
  • One thus eliminates any effect of the oven being heated even at the start.
  • Another conceivable further development would be to supply the control unit with information on the temperature of the crisp plate as a further control parameter.
  • fuzzy logic decisions Any modifications derived therefrom are but measures of convenience to be regarded as encompassed by the scope of the appended claims.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Electric Ovens (AREA)
  • Control Of High-Frequency Heating Circuits (AREA)
EP95107196A 1994-06-13 1995-05-12 Verfahren zur Regelung eines Mikrowellenofens, Mikrowellenofen und seine Anwendung für Kochen oder Wärmung von Essen gemäss dem Verfahren Expired - Lifetime EP0688147B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
SE9402062A SE502883C2 (sv) 1994-06-13 1994-06-13 Styrförfarande för en mikrovågsugn, mikrovågsugn och dess användning för tillagning/uppvärmning av en matvara enligt styrförfarandet
SE9402062 1994-06-13

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0688147A1 true EP0688147A1 (de) 1995-12-20
EP0688147B1 EP0688147B1 (de) 2002-03-27

Family

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP95107196A Expired - Lifetime EP0688147B1 (de) 1994-06-13 1995-05-12 Verfahren zur Regelung eines Mikrowellenofens, Mikrowellenofen und seine Anwendung für Kochen oder Wärmung von Essen gemäss dem Verfahren

Country Status (7)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0688147B1 (de)
JP (1) JPH07332678A (de)
KR (1) KR100339949B1 (de)
CN (1) CN1093242C (de)
CA (1) CA2145931A1 (de)
DE (1) DE69525990T2 (de)
SE (1) SE502883C2 (de)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1997000596A1 (en) * 1995-06-15 1997-01-03 Aktiebolaget Electrolux An oven for the preparation of food
EP0792083A2 (de) * 1996-02-23 1997-08-27 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Verfahren zum Steuern einer Mikrowellenofen zum Vermeiden das kleine Speiseportionen übergar werden
EP1767860A1 (de) * 2005-09-21 2007-03-28 Whirlpool Corporation Verfahren zum Betrieb eines Ofens mit Heizsystem, Mikrowellensystem und Dampfsystem
EP4203613A1 (de) * 2021-12-22 2023-06-28 Whirlpool Corporation Abstimmbare mit nanodrähten gemischte schnelle heizplatte

Families Citing this family (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
TW410260B (en) * 1997-10-30 2000-11-01 Toshiba Corp Microwave oven
US6166362A (en) * 1999-01-14 2000-12-26 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Automatic cooking control method for a microwave oven
CN100432542C (zh) * 2004-11-26 2008-11-12 乐金电子(天津)电器有限公司 具有加热器的烹饪用具烹调控制方法
CN102649496A (zh) * 2011-02-23 2012-08-29 李文庆 一种食品与厨房家电的新型结合
CN102261680A (zh) * 2011-05-27 2011-11-30 关义清 微波炉控制装置
CN102929310A (zh) * 2012-11-13 2013-02-13 苏州华美电器有限公司 电加热功率自动控制系统及其控制方法
CN105222185B (zh) * 2015-09-25 2017-09-19 广东美的厨房电器制造有限公司 微波炉的控制方法
EP3707962A4 (de) * 2017-11-06 2021-12-08 Brava Home, Inc. Spektrale leistungsdichtekonfiguration bei einem kochgerät
CN108826382B (zh) * 2018-03-27 2020-11-13 嘉兴鼎尚信息科技有限公司 一种自动调节的微波炉控制系统
CN109253475B (zh) * 2018-09-27 2020-07-03 广东美的厨房电器制造有限公司 控制方法、烹饪设备和计算机可读存储介质
CN112996161B (zh) * 2019-12-13 2022-08-23 青岛海尔电冰箱有限公司 用于加热装置的控制方法及加热装置

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0359976A1 (de) * 1988-09-02 1990-03-28 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Automatische Heizvorrichtung mit Gewichtsmesswertgeber
EP0454143A2 (de) * 1990-04-26 1991-10-30 Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Mit einem Mikrocomputer betriebener Mikrowellenofen gemäss Kochprogrammen, die in einem Datenspeicher gespeichert sind
EP0478053A1 (de) * 1990-09-21 1992-04-01 Whirlpool Europe B.V. Mikrowellenofen, eine Methode zur Anregung einer Ofenkavität, und eine Wellenleiteranordnung zur Ausführung der Methode
EP0478082A1 (de) * 1990-09-28 1992-04-01 Whirlpool Europe B.V. Mikrowellenofen mit Bräunungsgerät
EP0529644A2 (de) * 1991-08-30 1993-03-03 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Kochgerät
EP0573750A2 (de) * 1992-06-10 1993-12-15 Whirlpool Europe B.V. Mikrowellenofen
EP0608797A1 (de) * 1993-01-29 1994-08-03 Whirlpool Europe B.V. Mikrowellenofen

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0359976A1 (de) * 1988-09-02 1990-03-28 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Automatische Heizvorrichtung mit Gewichtsmesswertgeber
EP0454143A2 (de) * 1990-04-26 1991-10-30 Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Mit einem Mikrocomputer betriebener Mikrowellenofen gemäss Kochprogrammen, die in einem Datenspeicher gespeichert sind
EP0478053A1 (de) * 1990-09-21 1992-04-01 Whirlpool Europe B.V. Mikrowellenofen, eine Methode zur Anregung einer Ofenkavität, und eine Wellenleiteranordnung zur Ausführung der Methode
EP0478082A1 (de) * 1990-09-28 1992-04-01 Whirlpool Europe B.V. Mikrowellenofen mit Bräunungsgerät
EP0529644A2 (de) * 1991-08-30 1993-03-03 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Kochgerät
EP0573750A2 (de) * 1992-06-10 1993-12-15 Whirlpool Europe B.V. Mikrowellenofen
EP0608797A1 (de) * 1993-01-29 1994-08-03 Whirlpool Europe B.V. Mikrowellenofen

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1997000596A1 (en) * 1995-06-15 1997-01-03 Aktiebolaget Electrolux An oven for the preparation of food
EP0792083A2 (de) * 1996-02-23 1997-08-27 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Verfahren zum Steuern einer Mikrowellenofen zum Vermeiden das kleine Speiseportionen übergar werden
EP0792083A3 (de) * 1996-02-23 1998-01-28 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Verfahren zum Steuern einer Mikrowellenofen zum Vermeiden das kleine Speiseportionen übergar werden
EP1767860A1 (de) * 2005-09-21 2007-03-28 Whirlpool Corporation Verfahren zum Betrieb eines Ofens mit Heizsystem, Mikrowellensystem und Dampfsystem
EP4203613A1 (de) * 2021-12-22 2023-06-28 Whirlpool Corporation Abstimmbare mit nanodrähten gemischte schnelle heizplatte

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69525990D1 (de) 2002-05-02
KR100339949B1 (ko) 2002-10-31
DE69525990T2 (de) 2002-10-02
JPH07332678A (ja) 1995-12-22
CA2145931A1 (en) 1995-12-14
EP0688147B1 (de) 2002-03-27
CN1122892A (zh) 1996-05-22
KR960003503A (ko) 1996-01-26
SE9402062L (sv) 1995-12-14
SE9402062D0 (sv) 1994-06-13
CN1093242C (zh) 2002-10-23
SE502883C2 (sv) 1996-02-12

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