JP2007010190A - Heating cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a heating cooker capable of improving flavor and texture of a cooked material while keeping and securing ease of cooking operation by comprising a means for controlling heating cooking of high speed and high efficiency while surely realizing optimal heating atmosphere to cooked food and preventing excessive energy consumption. <P>SOLUTION: This heating cooker can secure the optimal heating cooking condition while saving energy without excess load, and easily execute heating cooking of high speed and high quality by controlling the operation of a water supply pump of a steam generating means supplying and mixing the steam to a cooking chamber 3. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a cooking device that circulates a gas at a required temperature in a cooking chamber containing food and performs cooking processing of food such as thawing and steaming.

Conventionally, this type of cooking device has a high temperature in a cooking chamber containing cooking items such as an electric heater or a gas burner as a heat source, cooking by radiant heating from a heat source such as an oven or a roaster, or a convection oven. Heat cooking that forms a circulating air current and heats cooked food is well known and used. Recently, steam is added and supplied to the hot airflow circulating in the cooking chamber, and the oven uses the advantages of high-speed heating due to the condensation heat transfer effect of water vapor on the food surface and the control of the outflow of vitamins, minerals and delicious ingredients. Cooking is also known, and it is also practically used as a cooking device for business use and home use. Regarding the operation control in the method of adding and supplying water vapor, the cooking chamber is equipped with various sensors such as a pressure sensor, a flow sensor, a humidity sensor, and a temperature sensor, and each adjuster linked to this ( For example, various configurations have been proposed, such as one that simplifies this and represents operation control by using only a wall temperature sensor provided on the inner wall of the cooking chamber (for example, see Patent Literature 2). .
JP 11-89722 A JP 2003-5015 A

  However, in the conventional configuration, when steam is generated and mixed to be thawed in a humidified state or cooked in an atmosphere of superheated steam, various types of baking, steaming, stewing, cooking, boiling, etc., depending on the selection of temperature conditions Although cooking operations are possible, the optimum heating conditions that differ depending on the type of ingredients and cooked foods that are to be heated are not necessarily satisfied by simply mixing water vapor, but the inherent flavor and texture required for cooked foods There was a problem that there was a case where it was damaged. In other words, excessive mixing of water vapor results in excessive moisture in the food, or conversely, oxygen may remain in the airflow due to insufficient water vapor, causing oxidation reaction to cause bitterness or deterioration of ingredients. It could easily occur. In addition, heat transfer by superheated steam is fast and highly efficient. However, in the situation where surplus steam is generated, there is a lot of waste in terms of preheating time and the heating energy required for it, and it is not necessarily fast and energy efficient. It did not become satisfying sex.

  The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and is a means for controlling so as to perform high-speed and high-efficiency cooking while suppressing excessive energy consumption while reliably realizing an optimal heating atmosphere for cooked foods. It aims at providing the heating cooker which can improve the flavor and food texture of a cooking thing, maintaining and ensuring the simplicity of cooking operation.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, a heating cooker according to the present invention includes a cooking chamber for storing food, a blowing unit that circulates and circulates an airflow in the cooking chamber, a heating unit for the airflow, and the airflow. A steam generation means for supplying and mixing steam, a feed water pump, and an operation control means for controlling the operation of the feed water pump are provided.

  As a result, optimal steam mixing conditions that differ for each food can be reliably controlled, and there is no excessive steam generation or overheating energy consumption, and optimal cooking is achieved without compromising the flavor and texture of cooked food. It can be done.

  The heating cooker of the present invention can realize the optimum conditions for each cooked food reliably and with energy saving by controlling the operation of the feed water pump, suppresses oxidation, is healthy, and has flavor and food. Optimal cooking can be easily realized without impairing the feeling.

  1st invention is a heating cooker, the cooking chamber which accommodates food, the ventilation means to circulate and distribute | circulate an air current in the said cooking chamber, the heating means of the said air current, and the steam generation means to supply and mix water vapor | steam in the said air current And an operation control means for controlling the operation of the feed water pump, it is possible to reliably control optimal steam mixing conditions that differ from food to food, and to generate excess steam and consume excessive heat. In addition, optimal cooking can be realized with energy saving without impairing the flavor and texture of the cooked food.

  In particular, in the cooking device of the first invention, the second invention is used for adjusting the atmosphere including the water vapor generated from the food by controlling the OFF time during which the water supply pump does not operate, thereby supplying excessive water vapor. This makes it possible to perform cooking operations at high speed and energy saving.

  In a third aspect of the invention, in particular, in the cooking device of the first aspect, the operation for controlling the OFF time during which the water supply pump does not operate is controlled so that the operation is varied at least once during the cooking process. A series of processes such as thawing, preheating, cooking, and finishing that take advantage of the advantages of the first heating process with low oxygen and high humidity and the second heating process with constant low oxygen and low humidity are more optimal. Fast and energy saving.

  In particular, the fourth aspect of the present invention is the heating cooker according to the first aspect of the present invention, which controls the ON time during which the water supply pump operates, and is used for adjusting the atmosphere including the water vapor generated from the food. This makes it possible to perform cooking operations at high speed and energy saving.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in particular, in the cooking device of the first aspect, the operation for controlling the ON time during which the feed water pump operates is varied at least once during the cooking process, thereby reducing the oxygen in a short time. A series of processes such as thawing, preheating, cooking, and finishing that take advantage of the advantages of the first heating worker with the effect of high humidity and the second heating process with constant low oxygen and low humidity are more optimal and It can be implemented at high speed and energy saving.

  In particular, in the cooking device of the first invention, the sixth invention controls the output to the feed water pump to control the atmosphere including the steam generated from the food to control the excessive steam supply. In addition, energy-saving and high-speed cooking operations are possible.

  In the seventh aspect of the invention, in particular, in the heating cooker of the first aspect, the operation for controlling the output to the feed water pump can be controlled so that the operation can be varied at least once during the cooking process. A series of processes such as thawing, preheating, cooking, and finishing that take advantage of the advantages of the first heating worker with the effect of high humidity and the second heating process with constant low oxygen and low humidity are more optimal and It can be implemented at high speed and energy saving.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a heating cooker according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 2 and 6 are explanatory diagrams of its operation steps, and FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 7 are explanatory diagrams of its characteristics. It is shown.

  In FIG. 1, the heating cooker 1 has a cooking chamber 3 having a door 2 for taking in and out food, and a stand 4 on which the food is placed is arranged in the cooking chamber 3. An air flow circulation path 7 is formed by a bypass-like flow path by connecting an exhaust opening 5 opened on the lower side wall of the cooking chamber 3 and an air supply opening 6 opened on the upper side wall, and a heater is provided in the inside thereof. 8. A circulation fan 9 and steam generation means (hereinafter referred to as a steam generator 10) provided with a heater are provided. A water channel is configured in the steam generator 10 so that water is supplied from a water supply tank 12 via a pump 11. Reference numeral 13 denotes a filter made of a porous non-woven fabric, which is bent so as to block the entire width of the air flow circulation path 7 and is arranged at a downstream position of the circulation fan 9. An exhaust valve 14 is arranged to communicate with the outside air in response to the internal pressure of the cooking chamber 3. Reference numeral 15 denotes an operation unit including a whole control means including various control menus for selecting and operating a cooking process according to food, and 16 denotes an operation by detecting the temperature of the circulating airflow sent from the air supply port 6. It is a temperature sensor connected to transmit a signal to the unit 15. Reference numeral 17 denotes a zirconia type oxygen sensor for detecting the oxygen concentration of the airflow in the cooking chamber 3, and is connected so that this detection signal is also transmitted to the operation unit 15. In addition, an open / close valve 19 that opens and closes the flow path in accordance with a control signal from the operation unit 15 is provided in the middle of the air flow circulation path 7 from the open air through 18 outside air intake ports. The operation unit 15 includes various buttons and a display unit for selecting the type of cooking, setting an arbitrary cooking temperature and operating time, and further selecting and setting the presence or absence of steam mixing in the cooking process. It has been.

  The operation and action of the cooking device configured as described above will be described below.

  First, in normal cooking, first, the door 2 is opened, food is placed on the stand 4 in the cooking chamber 3, and the door 2 is closed. Next, cooking conditions are set by the operation unit 15, and heating cooking is started. During cooking operation, the heater 8 is energized to generate heat and the circulation fan 9 is operated to convert the air in the cooking chamber 3 sucked from the exhaust port 5 into a high-temperature airflow in the airflow circulation path 7. The flow of returning to the cooking chamber 3 from the mouth 6 and heating the food is formed. Meanwhile, the temperature of the airflow supplied from the air supply port 6 is detected by the temperature sensor 16 and is controlled by controlling the heat generation of the heater 8 via the operation unit 15, and the oil and fat mixed in the circulating airflow is also controlled. The scattered matter is captured and removed by the filter 13 installed in the airflow circulation path 7. In addition, when steam is mixed with the circulating air flow and circulated as so-called superheated steam, the water pumped up from the water supply tank 12 by the pump 11 is heated by the built-in heater in the steam generator 10 and evaporated to be ejected as steam. And mix in the circulating airflow. The steam-containing airflow is heated and heated by the heater 8 while circulating in the path, and is converted into superheated steam to exhibit specific heat transfer and cooking effects. Here, the operation of the pump is controlled in order to change the amount of water pumped from the water supply tank 12 by the pump 11. Thereby, the amount of water vapor generated and supplied by the water vapor generator 10 is different, and the situation in which the gas in the cooking chamber 3 is replaced with the oxygen-containing atmosphere present at the beginning is different. The operating conditions of the pump are cooking conditions previously input to the operation unit 15. Alternatively, the cooking condition may be based on the condition in which the oxygen concentration in the airflow flowing through the cooking chamber 3 is detected by the oxygen sensor 17.

  Here, the case where grilling using raw fish as food is performed will be described in more detail with reference to the operation process diagram shown in FIG. 2 and the characteristic diagram of FIG.

  A raw fish in a thawed state is placed on the stand 4 in the cooking chamber 3 (denoted as “entry” in FIG. 2, and in the same manner, the notation in FIGS. 2 and 3 is shown in parentheses). When the start of heating cooking (ON) is selected and operated, the circulation fan 9 operates to generate an airflow that circulates and flows through the airflow circulation unit 7 and the cooking chamber 3. At the same time, the temperature sensor 16 detects and monitors the temperature of the airflow sent from the air supply port 6, and the set temperature (when set by the operation unit 15 or when using a predetermined temperature value recorded and stored in advance) If there is a shortage, the heater 8 is energized as appropriate to raise the temperature. At the same time, the pump 11 also operates to supply water to the steam generator 10 to generate water vapor therefrom. Each unit operates for a set time while performing such an operation. When this operation (steam heating) is completed (OFF), the cooked food is taken out (shipping).

  The operation control of the pump 10 is, for example, ON for 1 second and OFF for 5 seconds in one operation. Alternatively, the OFF time is set to 10 seconds and 20 seconds.

  The operation and effect when such an operation is performed will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 shows the water supply amount when the OFF time of the water supply pump is changed to 5 seconds and 10 seconds. From FIG. 3, it was confirmed that the amount of water supply was fluctuating due to fluctuations in the OFF time. FIG. 4 shows the oxygen concentration due to fluctuations in the amount of water supply when the OFF time of the water supply pump is changed to 5 seconds, 10 seconds, and 20 seconds. From FIG. 4, it was confirmed that the oxygen concentration changed due to the fluctuation of the water supply amount.

  FIG. 5 shows a result when raw saury is used as a raw fish and grilled. In the operation of baking, the inside of the cooking chamber 3 was set at 300 ° C. for 12 minutes. The water supply amount was 19 g / min with an OFF time of 5 seconds.

  First, the oxygen concentration change in the cooking chamber when the cooking operation was performed in a dry atmosphere without supplying water vapor was as shown by the dotted line (A). In other words, it was confirmed that the oxygen concentration in the cooking chamber 3 also decreased due to the generation of water vapor from the food.

  On the other hand, the amount of water supply is 19 g / min when the food is not put in the cooking chamber 3 and turned on for 1 second in one operation and turned off for 5 seconds, and the oxygen concentration change in that case is (C) Street. As a result, when the OFF time is 5 seconds, that is, when the water supply amount is 19 g / min, the oxygen concentration is reduced to 1%.

  Conventionally, in order to lower the initial oxygen concentration, an operation of supplying a large amount of water supply or an operation of supplying a large amount only in the initial stage has been performed. However, when the actual cooking is performed, it is clear that the interaction (A) and (B) appears, and as shown by the chart in FIG. 2 and the solid line (C) in FIG. And as the chart of FIG. 2 shows, it became a result which can ensure the low oxygen in a cooking chamber by not combining the water supply amount excessively but combining the water vapor | steam by water supply, and the water vapor | steam generate | occur | produced from a to-be-cooked object.

  In this way, a small amount of water injection, that is, a small amount of water evaporation energy supply, did not oxidize fish oil, and it was possible to carry out grilled fish with good health and flavor and texture without excessive time extension. Note that this effect is not limited to raw fish, and is the same for cooking and processing various foods and reheating cooked foods. It is possible to provide a heating cooker that can perform superheated steam cooking and realize a simple and effective taste and texture effect and energy saving time saving effect.

  Alternatively, by setting the OFF time constant and changing the ON time to 2 seconds or 4 seconds, the water supply amount is changed and the operation is repeated, so that the oxygen concentration in the cooking chamber satisfies the desired condition. Can be maintained.

  Further, by prescribing to change the output of the pump, it is possible to change the supply amount of water and repeat the operation to maintain the desired oxygen concentration in the cooking chamber.

  Conventionally, this type of heating cooker can also be used in a heating device that uses an electric heater, a gas burner, or the like as a heat source, and cooks by radiant heating from a heat source such as an oven or a roaster.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 6 shows an operation example when semi-dried horse mackerel is used as a food, and FIG. 7 shows a characteristic diagram thereof.

  In the case of this foodstuff, there is little water vapor | steam produced | generated by heating temperature rising, and it was difficult to maintain a low oxygen concentration inside a cooking chamber only by fluctuation | variation of the initial water supply amount like the said Embodiment 1. FIG.

  For this reason, the operation of changing the amount of water supply during cooking was performed. However, when cooking was actually performed, it became clear that the above interaction (A) and (B) appeared, and the chart in FIG. As shown by the solid line (D) in FIG. 7, it was possible to ensure low oxygen in the cooking chamber in combination with the water vapor from the water supply and the water vapor generated from the cooking without excessive water supply.

  Further, in the latter half of the process, a process for heating the food in a dry state (dry air heating) is added to perform oxidation while drying the surface of the food to increase the flavor. That is, the opening / closing valve 19 is released at a timing indicated by a Δ mark in FIG. 6, the outside air is introduced into the air flow circulation path 7 from the outside air inlet 18, and the air flow containing water vapor is passed through the exhaust valve 14. A replacement operation of discharging outside is performed so that the oxygen concentration of the airflow in the cooking chamber 3 is about 20%.

  By continuing cooking in this state, the surface of the food can be dried and oxidized, and finished into a cooked food that emphasizes the texture and flavor of dried fish. Of course, here too, the superheated steam cooking conditions that are sufficiently controlled and maintained are ensured in a simple and energy-saving manner in the heating cooking portion in the previous stage, and the usability and the effects are excellent.

  Note that the “dry air heating” used here is not necessarily limited to use at the end of the cooking process. For example, it is used for pretreatment of cooking, or “steam heating” and “dry air heating” depending on the food. "Can be used alternately and effectively, and can be freely set and controlled by the operation unit 15.

  Also, to vary the amount of water supply during cooking, change the pump ON time. And it can carry out by making it change in the middle. In addition, the output of the pump is changed to optimize the water supply amount and change it during cooking. And it can carry out by making it change in the middle.

  As described above, the heating cooker according to the present invention can easily and reliably control the oxygen atmosphere or steam mixed atmosphere in the cooking chamber, and can cook without deterioration in quality at high speed and energy saving. As described above, the present invention can be applied to household cooking appliances and the like that want to realize various cooking operations with a single unit.

Side surface sectional drawing of the heating cooker in Embodiment 1, 2 of this invention Explanatory drawing of operation process in Embodiment 1 of this invention Characteristic explanatory drawing in Embodiment 1 of the present invention The figure which shows the change of the oxygen concentration by the fluctuation | variation of the water supply amount in Embodiment 1 of this invention. The figure which shows the baked cooking result in Embodiment 1 of this invention Explanatory drawing of the operation process of the heating cooker in Embodiment 2 of the present invention Characteristics explanatory diagram in Embodiment 2 of the present invention

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Heating cooker 2 Door 3 Cooking room 4 Stand 5 Exhaust port 6 Air supply port 7 Air flow circulation path 8 Heater 9 Circulation fan 10 Water vapor generator 11 Water supply pump 12 Water supply tank 13 Filter 14 Exhaust valve 15 Operation part 16 Temperature sensor 17 Oxygen Sensor 18 Outside air inlet 19 On-off valve

Claims (7)

A cooking chamber for storing food; a blowing unit for circulating and circulating an air flow in the cooking chamber; a heating unit for the air flow; a steam generating unit for supplying and mixing water vapor in the air stream; and a feed pump; A heating cooker comprising operation control means for controlling operation. The cooking device according to claim 1, further comprising operation control means for controlling an OFF time during which the water supply pump does not operate. 2. The cooking device according to claim 1, further comprising operation control means that enables the operation of controlling the OFF time during which the water supply pump is not operated to be varied during the cooking process. The cooking device according to claim 1, further comprising operation control means for controlling an ON time during which the feed water pump operates. The cooking device according to claim 1, further comprising an operation control unit that enables selection of changing an operation for controlling an ON time during which the water supply pump is not operated during a cooking process. The cooking device according to claim 1, further comprising operation control means for controlling an output to the feed pump. The cooking device according to claim 1, further comprising an operation control unit that enables selection of changing an operation for controlling an output to the feed water pump during a cooking process.