JP2010127545A - Cooking device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To shorten cooking time, and to reduce electric power consumption in a cooking process without applying an adverse effect on cooking performance. <P>SOLUTION: The cooking device includes a body of a cooking container 1, a heating chamber 2 heating food, a heating means for heating an interior of the heating chamber 2, a control means 30 for controlling the heating means, a temperature detecting means 32 for detecting the temperature in the heating chamber 2, a food detecting means 31 for detecting presence or absence of food in the heating chamber 2, a steam generating means 51 for supplying steam to the heating chamber 2, and an exhaust port 12 provided in a shell of the body and exhausting the air in the heating chamber 2. An upper exhaust hole 22 and a lower exhaust hole 23 communicating from the heating chamber 2 to the exhaust port 12 are provided in both of an upper sidewall surface and a lower sidewall surface of the heating chamber, the opening area of the upper exhaust hole 22 is provided larger than the opening area of the lower exhaust hole 23, an exhaust opening and closing means 24 is provided in the upper exhaust hole 22, and the lower exhaust hole 23 is constantly opened. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a cooking device such as a microwave oven provided with heating means for heating food and control means for controlling the heating means.

  Conventionally, in a microwave oven that is this type of heating cooker, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1, in order to discharge steam generated in the heating chamber during cooking to the outside, in the vicinity of the outlet opening of the exhaust passage The one with a damper that can be freely opened and closed has been proposed.

  The microwave oven described above opens the exhaust passage with a damper during microwave heating to discharge the steam in the heating chamber to the outside, and closes the exhaust passage with the damper during oven heating in which hot air is circulated in the heating chamber. The detection element provided in the road makes it easy to detect the amount of water vapor generated from the food.

  Further, as shown in Patent Document 2, an exhaust port opening / closing structure is proposed in which an exhaust port opening / closing member drilled in an oven frame is configured by a heat-deformed coil spring made of a shape memory alloy or bimetal.

  The exhaust port opening / closing structure is configured such that the opening / closing member is configured by a heat deformation coil, so that the exhaust port is automatically closed while the heater is hot during preheating, and the temperature inside the oven exceeds a certain temperature. When the heater stops, the exhaust port opens.

  In addition, as shown in Patent Document 3, in a heating cooker that cooks food using range heating and steam, the air in the heating chamber is released by opening the exhaust passage connected to the heating chamber with a damper during range heating. The steam generated from the object to be heated is exhausted to the outside. In the case of steam heating, even when the exhaust passage is closed by the damper, a surplus quantity of steam is provided below the heating chamber. There has been proposed a structure that allows discharge from the discharge port to the outside.

  According to this structure, by filling the heating chamber with steam during range heating, the oxygen concentration in the heating chamber is reduced, the introduction of air from the outside is prevented, and the vitamin in the heated object is destroyed by oxygen. In addition, when heating the oven, even when the exhaust passage is closed by a damper when using superheated steam, it is easy to supply steam into the heating chamber by discharging air from the discharge port. Is.

  Furthermore, as shown in Patent Document 4, in a cooking device provided with steam supply means and exhaust means, an air supply side shutter that opens and closes an air supply opening on both side walls of the heating chamber and an exhaust side that opens and closes the exhaust opening Provided with a shutter to restrict the flow rate of steam so that air can be exhausted from the air supply port even when the exhaust passage is closed by the exhaust side shutter when using superheated steam, and the steam supply means and exhaust means There has also been proposed a structure in which the temperature unevenness in the heating chamber is reduced by stirring the air and the heating unevenness is reduced.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 62-14503 JP-A-61-184335 JP 2007-247916 A JP 2005-226872 A

  In the above-described conventional cooking device such as a microwave oven, it has been difficult to improve cooking performance by increasing exhaust performance and to improve energy saving performance by reducing power consumption.

  For example, in the case where an exhaust hole is provided in the heating chamber to discharge steam generated from food during cooking, high-temperature air in the heating chamber is discharged to the outside together with the steam, and the air temperature in the heating chamber is unlikely to rise. Therefore, a large amount of electric power is required to raise the temperature in the heating chamber.

  In general, the exhaust hole is provided on the upper wall surface of the heating chamber in order to improve the exhaust performance. However, by increasing the exhaust performance, the discharge amount of high-temperature air in the heating chamber also increases. By discharging to the outside, low-temperature air may remain in the heating chamber, and it is difficult to reduce the amount of power required to maintain the temperature in the heating chamber.

  In addition, in a cooking device that has an exhaust hole in the lower wall surface of the heating chamber so that steam can be accumulated in the heating chamber so that low-oxygen cooking is possible, it is difficult for steam to be exhausted from the heating chamber. Moisture that adheres to the food or the heating chamber wall surface, the surface of the food may get wet, the color of the baking may be difficult, or the cooking performance may deteriorate.

  In addition, in a cooking device having a structure in which the exhaust hole is opened and closed by a damper, since the heating chamber is sealed when the exhaust hole is closed, air in the heating chamber is not exhausted, and steam or hot air is supplied to the heating chamber. While becoming difficult, the vapor | steam supplied in the heating chamber stays above a heating chamber, and becomes difficult to act on foodstuffs.

  Further, when the heating chamber is sealed and steam is supplied to the heating chamber in a state where no food is stored in the heating chamber, the steam may condense on the wall surface of the heating chamber, and rust or the like may be generated in the heating chamber.

  Further, if the exhaust port is opened immediately after the end of cooking and the air or steam in the heating chamber is exhausted, the food stored in the heating chamber is cooled and the warm cooking state cannot be maintained.

  Further, the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 includes a damper that can be opened and closed in the vicinity of the outlet opening of the exhaust passage, and opens the exhaust passage by the damper during microwave heating, and closes the exhaust passage during oven heating. Therefore, when steam is to be given to the object to be heated during microwave heating, the steam is discharged and a sufficient amount of steam is not given to the object to be heated. The cooking performance may deteriorate due to adhesion.

  In addition, what is shown in Patent Document 2 is a configuration in which the open / close member is configured by a heat deformation coil or the like, and the exhaust port opens and closes in conjunction with the heater temperature, and the exhaust port opens and closes in conjunction with the temperature in the heating chamber. It is difficult to control the exhaust port to close when the heating chamber is hot and open the exhaust port when the temperature is low. For example, when steam is generated from food while the heating chamber remains at a low temperature, such as microwave oven heating, the steam in the heating chamber cannot be discharged and condensation may occur, resulting in reduced cooking performance. In addition, since the exhaust port is opened when the temperature in the heating chamber is high, if steam is supplied into the heating chamber when the temperature of the heating chamber is high, the steam is discharged from the exhaust port to the outside and hardly acts on food, and cooking. Performance may be reduced.

  In addition, since there is no exhaust hole in the lower wall surface of the heating chamber, the inside of the heating chamber is sealed and not exhausted, and air in the heating chamber does not circulate in the heating chamber, so that it is difficult to supply steam into the heating chamber. .

  Moreover, although what is shown in patent document 3 is equipped with the structure which exhausts the air in a heating chamber outside, in order to provide an exhaust passage outside a heating chamber and to provide a damper which opens and closes it in this exhaust passage, The exhaust system using the exhaust passage and the damper sometimes becomes large.

  Moreover, since the volume of a heating chamber will become small with respect to the volume of the whole heating cooker when an exhaust apparatus enlarges, it might become a heating cooker with inconvenient usability.

  Moreover, since the heat capacity of a heating cooker increases because a heating cooker enlarges, the electric energy required in order to heat the air in a heating chamber increases, and energy-saving performance may fall.

  Furthermore, in Patent Document 4, the steam supplied into the heating chamber can be quickly discharged from the heating chamber, but the exhaust means is composed of an air supply passage and an exhaust air passage, and the exhaust means. The energy saving performance may decrease due to the increase in size.

  In addition, the height of the air supply port and the exhaust port is the same, and it is difficult to control the air behavior in the heating chamber with only one shutter, because the air supply from which the air is supplied and to which the air is exhausted cannot be determined. In order to control air and exhaust separately, an air supply side shutter and an exhaust side shutter are required.

  Thus, there is no conventional cooking device that can improve the cooking performance and improve the energy saving performance at low cost.

  The present invention solves at least one of the above.

The present invention is made to solve the above-mentioned problems. In claim 1, the main body of the heating cooker, the heating chamber for heating the food, the heating means for heating the heating chamber, and the heating means Control means for controlling the temperature, temperature detection means for detecting the temperature in the heating chamber, food detection means for detecting the presence or absence of food in the heating chamber, steam generation means for supplying steam to the heating chamber, and the main body An exhaust port that is provided in the outer shell and exhausts the air in the heating chamber,
An upper exhaust hole and a lower exhaust hole communicating from the heating chamber to the exhaust port are provided on both the upper wall surface and the lower wall surface of the heating chamber, and the opening area of the upper exhaust hole is larger than the opening area of the lower exhaust hole, The upper exhaust hole is provided with exhaust opening / closing means, and the lower exhaust port is always open.

  In Claim 2, before putting food into the heating chamber, the temperature of the heating chamber is raised by the heating means and then put into the heating chamber to cook the food before cooking the food. When the heating means is driven and the food detection means detects that no food is stored in the heating chamber, the upper exhaust hole is closed by the exhaust opening / closing means.

  In the cooking of claim 3, comprising steam generating means for supplying steam to the heating chamber, wherein steam is supplied into the heating chamber by the steam generating means to lower the oxygen concentration in the room and cook the food. After detecting that the food is stored in the heating chamber by the food detection means, the steam generation means is driven, the upper exhaust hole is closed by the exhaust opening / closing means, and after a predetermined time has passed, the exhaust opening / closing means The upper exhaust hole is opened.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, when the heating means is stopped after cooking the food, and the food detection means detects that no food is stored in the heating chamber, the exhaust opening / closing means causes the upper exhaust hole to Is to release.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the upper exhaust hole is closed by the exhaust opening / closing means, so that it is possible to heat the hot air without escaping in the heating chamber, and the conventional exhaust hole is provided on the upper side of the heating chamber. Energy-saving performance can be improved compared to other cooking devices.

  In addition, when the upper exhaust hole on the upper side of the heating chamber is closed, exhausting from the lower exhaust hole on the lower side of the heating chamber causes the hot air in the heating chamber to be exhausted from the low temperature air while remaining. The amount of power required for holding can be reduced.

  In addition, by opening the upper exhaust hole with the exhaust opening and closing means, it is possible to discharge the steam in the heating chamber to the outside as necessary, and the steam discharge compared to the conventional cooking device that performs low oxygen cooking Efficiency increases, condensation in the heating chamber and food can be reduced, and cooking performance can be improved.

  Further, since the opening area of the upper exhaust hole is larger than the opening area of the lower exhaust hole, and the upper exhaust hole is disposed above the lower exhaust hole, the upper exhaust hole has priority in exhausting from the heating chamber to the outside. The temperature holding effect and the exhaust performance by the exhaust opening / closing means are enhanced.

  Further, since the opening area of the upper exhaust hole is larger than that of the lower exhaust hole and is disposed above the heating chamber, the exhaust is exhausted from the lower exhaust hole only when the upper exhaust hole is closed, otherwise Since the exhaust is mainly exhausted from the upper exhaust hole, the exhaust direction is limited, and the flow of air in the heating chamber can be controlled by only one exhaust opening / closing means without providing shutters for both intake and exhaust.

  Furthermore, since the opening area of the upper exhaust hole is larger than that of the lower exhaust hole, it is possible to efficiently exhaust the air and steam in the heating chamber without providing a suction device that forcibly exhausts the steam. Compared to a conventional cooking device provided with a steam suction device or an intake / exhaust passage, the same function can be realized at a low cost with a small number of parts, and the volume of the entire cooking device does not increase.

  Moreover, since it is not necessary to increase the heat capacity of the heating cooker, the amount of electric power required to heat the heating chamber can be reduced, and the energy saving performance can be improved.

  According to claim 2, when the heating chamber is preheated without placing food in the heating chamber before cooking, the low temperature air in the heating chamber is exhausted, and the high temperature air is not exhausted and remains in the heating chamber. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the preheating time as compared with the conventional cooking device, reduce the amount of power used during preheating, and improve the energy saving performance.

  In addition, when steam is generated from food with the heating chamber kept at a low temperature, such as in the case of range heating, the steam can be discharged to the outside by opening the exhaust opening and closing means, so cooking that occurs when steam condenses on the food Performance degradation can be prevented.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the upper exhaust hole on the upper side of the heating chamber is closed by the exhaust opening / closing means, and the lower exhaust hole on the lower side of the heating chamber is always open. The oxygen is exhausted from the lower exhaust hole and the heating chamber can be brought into a low oxygen state in a short time, and the energy consumption can be improved by reducing the amount of power used until the low oxygen state is reached.

  In addition, after food is stored, it maintains a low oxygen state for a certain period of time, so it can be cooked under low oxygen conditions around the food, and it can be cooked to prevent food oxidation and protect nutrients. is there.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the upper exhaust hole is closed and the temperature in the heating chamber is maintained until the food is taken out from the heating chamber, the food can be kept warm and the power consumption can be reduced. .

  In addition, after the food is taken out, the upper exhaust hole is opened by the exhaust opening / closing means and the steam in the heating chamber is discharged to the outside, so that condensation of steam and generation of rust in the heating chamber can be prevented.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11 by taking as an example a household electric steam microwave oven provided with a hot air heater and a steam generating means as heating means.

  The present invention can also be applied to commercial cooking appliances such as a steam convection oven and other heating cooking appliances such as a gas oven as long as the heating means, the steam generation means, and the control means are provided.

  FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the cooking device of the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the embodiment. FIG. 3 shows a control block diagram of the heating cooker.

  The heating cooker 1 of the present embodiment has a structure in which a heating chamber 2 and a machine room 3 provided below and behind the heating chamber 2 are covered with a cabinet 11, and food is placed in the heating chamber 2. In this way, cooking is performed.

  An upper opening door 4 is provided in front of the heating chamber 2, and food is taken into and out of the heating chamber 2 by opening and closing the door 4. The door 4 may be sideways.

  The machine room 3 houses a control means 30 for controlling the heating means and the air blowing means, which will be described later, and other heating means.

  A flat heater 33 is provided on the upper surface of the heating chamber 2, a hot air heater 34 is provided on the rear surface, and a magnetron 54 is provided on the lower side, and these constitute a heating means.

  The flat heater 33 installed on the upper surface of the heating chamber 2 is a heater that generates heat over the entire surface, and is a heating means that heats the food from above by radiant heating.

  The hot air heater 34 installed on the back surface of the heating chamber 2 is provided with air blowing means composed of a hot air fan 35 and a hot air motor 36 in the vicinity, and the hot air fan 35 uses the air heated by the hot air heater 34 as hot air. By feeding into 2, the food is heated by forced convection heating.

  The hot air fan 35 and the hot air motor 36 generate an air flow in the heating chamber 2 to stir the air in the heating chamber 2.

  The magnetron 54 installed below the heating chamber 2 generates microwaves and heats the food by irradiating the heating chamber 2 through the rotating antenna 55. Since the microwave distribution in the heating chamber 2 can be controlled by rotating the rotating antenna 55, the rotating chamber 55 is not provided in the heating chamber 2, and the table plate 21 is provided on the lower surface of the heating chamber 2.

  The heating cooker 1 is also provided with steam generating means 51. Water stored in the tank 53 is supplied to the steam generating means 51 by a pump 52 and heated to generate steam, and hot air is blown by a hot air fan 35. It is possible to supply steam into the heating chamber 2 together.

  The door 4 in front of the heating chamber 2 is provided with setting means 41, and the user can instruct the cooking device 1 with the cooking menu, cooking temperature, and method by operating the setting means 41.

  Further, a temperature detection means 32 such as a thermistor or an infrared sensor is provided above the back surface of the heating chamber 2 so that the temperature inside the heating chamber 2 can be measured.

  In addition, food detection means 31 is provided on the right side surface of the heating chamber 2. The food detection means 31 shown in the figure is an open / close detection sensor using a mechanical switch that detects the opening / closing of the door 4, and can detect the presence / absence of food in and out by detecting the opening / closing of the door 4. The food detection means 31 is not limited to the open / close detection sensor, and may be a weight sensor that detects the weight of the food, an ultrasonic sensor that detects the position of the food, or an infrared light receiving sensor that detects the presence of the food.

  A table plate 21 is arranged below the heating chamber 2 and a shelf 20 is arranged on the side surface. When food is cooked, food is placed on the table plate 21 or a square plate (not shown) on the shelf 20. Z)) and food is placed on the square dish and cooked.

  In addition, when food is placed on the table plate 21 and cooking is performed, the presence or absence of food can be detected by providing a weight sensor under the table plate 21. When a square dish is installed on the shelf 20, the presence or absence of food can be detected by providing a sensor for detecting the square dish.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the control means 30 disposed in the machine room 3 receives inputs from the setting means 41, the temperature detection means 32, and the food detection means 31, and heats the hot air heater 34, the flat heater 33, the magnetron 54, and the like. Control means, air blowing means such as hot air fan 35 and hot air motor 36, steam generating means 51, exhaust opening / closing means 24, and the like.

  In the present embodiment, an upper exhaust hole 22 for exhausting air from the heating chamber 2 is provided on the upper wall surface of the heating chamber 2, and a lower exhaust hole 23 is provided on the lower side surface.

  The hole diameter of the upper exhaust hole 22 is about φ4, and 140 to 150 are arranged, and the hole diameter of the lower exhaust hole 23 is about φ4, and 14 to 15 are arranged. . For example, the lower exhaust hole 23 has a shape in which 14 holes are arranged as shown in FIG.

  Further, in this embodiment, as can be seen from the number of holes of the upper exhaust hole 22 and the lower exhaust hole 23 described above, the opening area of the upper exhaust hole 22 is made larger than the opening area of the lower exhaust hole 23 so that the inside of the heating chamber 2 This air is exhausted from the upper exhaust hole 22 more than the lower exhaust hole 23.

  Specifically, as described above, the upper exhaust hole 22 is provided with 140 to 150 holes having a diameter of about φ4, so that the opening area thereof is about 1700 square millimeters, and the lower exhaust hole 23 has a diameter of about φ4. 14 to 15 are provided so that the opening area is about 170 square millimeters. That is, the opening area of the upper exhaust hole 22 is set to about 10 times the opening area of the lower exhaust hole 23.

  Note that if the opening area of the upper exhaust hole 22 is smaller than the above-described area, it is difficult to discharge the steam in the heating chamber 2, and conversely if it is larger than the above area, opening / closing by the exhaust opening / closing means 24 becomes difficult. Area is desirable.

  Further, if the opening area of the lower exhaust hole 23 is smaller than the above area, it becomes difficult to take in the outside air into the heating chamber 2 or discharge the steam in the heating chamber 2, and conversely if it is larger than the above area, the heating chamber. The hot air in 2 will be discharged more than necessary, and the above-mentioned area is desirable.

  Further, the upper exhaust hole 22 and the lower exhaust hole 23 are not particularly limited as long as they communicate with the exhaust port 12 described later. However, foreign matters from the heating chamber 2 and microwave leakage are prevented. In order to achieve this, a very large hole is not suitable, and it is appropriate to arrange the holes of φ3 to 4 side by side. Further, the hole shape is not limited to a round hole, but it is most easy to process, and a round hole is desirable in consideration of strength when arranged side by side.

  The upper exhaust hole 22 may be anywhere above the uppermost shelf 20 placed in the heating chamber 2, and is arranged on the top surface that is the highest surface of the upper wall surface in the heating chamber 2 in the drawing. Thus, all the steam and high-temperature air that tends to stay above the heating chamber 2 can be exhausted.

  Further, the lower exhaust hole 23 is disposed below the wall surface of the heating chamber 2 and has a structure for exhausting low-temperature air in the heating chamber 2. In order to make it difficult to exhaust high-temperature air, the position of the lower exhaust hole 23 is preferably low, and may be anywhere below the shelf 20 on which food is placed.

  An exhaust port 12 is provided on the upper rear surface of the cooking device 1 so as to communicate with the outside. The air exhausted from the inside of the heating chamber 2 through the upper exhaust hole 22 is exhausted to the outside through the exhaust port 12 as it is. The air exhausted from the heating chamber 2 through the lower exhaust hole 23 passes through the exhaust duct 37 provided outside the lower exhaust hole 23 and is exhausted together with the air exhausted from the upper exhaust hole 22. It is exhausted from the mouth 12 to the outside of the heating cooker 1.

  The exhaust port 12 is provided on the rear upper surface of the main body 1 and has a structure in which steam and high-temperature air in the heating chamber 2 are easily exhausted to the outside by natural convection. Further, by arranging the exhaust port 12 above the upper exhaust hole 22, the exhaust from the upper exhaust hole 22 and the lower exhaust hole 23 can be exhausted without using a blowing means.

  An exhaust duct 37 is configured to cover the lower exhaust hole 23. The exhaust duct 37 can exhaust the exhaust of the lower exhaust hole 23 as it is through the machine chamber 3 and exhaust it from the exhaust port 12, but prevents the steam exhausted from the heating chamber 2 from condensing into the machine chamber 3. It is desirable to install it.

  An exhaust opening / closing means 24 is installed in the upper exhaust hole 22, and the open / close state of the upper exhaust hole 22 can be switched from open to closed by being controlled by the control means 30. In the present embodiment, the exhaust opening / closing means 24 has a structure that rotates with one side contacting the upper exhaust hole 22 as a rotation axis, and the open / close state of the upper exhaust hole 22 is opened and closed by controlling the rotation angle. There are two stages. However, depending on the structure of the exhaust opening / closing means 24, the open / close state can be switched steplessly by changing the exhaust path of the upper exhaust hole 22, and the structure is not limited.

  Further, since the upper exhaust hole 22 has a larger opening area than the lower exhaust hole 23 and is disposed above the lower exhaust hole 23, the exhaust from the heating chamber 2 is more from the upper exhaust hole 22 than the lower exhaust hole 23. It is a structure that exhausts a lot. Therefore, when the upper exhaust hole 22 is closed, it is exhausted from the lower exhaust hole 23, but the exhaust amount is not so large, and the steam and high-temperature air in the heating chamber 2 are easily held. When the upper exhaust hole 22 is opened, more air and steam are exhausted from the upper exhaust hole 22 and the lower exhaust hole 23, and the steam and high-temperature air in the heating chamber 2 are easily released to the outside.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the upper exhaust hole 22 is opened by the exhaust opening / closing means 24, the exhaust from the heating chamber 2 is exhausted from the exhaust port 12 through the upper exhaust hole 22 and the lower exhaust hole 23. When the upper exhaust hole 22 is closed by the exhaust opening / closing means 24, the exhaust from the heating chamber 2 is exhausted only from the lower exhaust hole 23.

  Therefore, the preheating time can be shortened by closing the upper exhaust hole 22 by the exhaust opening / closing means 24 during preheating when no food is present in the heating chamber 2.

  Further, when the steam is supplied into the heating chamber 2, the steam can be easily applied to the food by closing the upper exhaust hole 22 by the exhaust opening / closing means 24.

  Further, by supplying steam by closing the upper exhaust hole 22 by the exhaust opening / closing means 24 during cooking, oxygen in the heating chamber 2 is exhausted from the lower exhaust hole 23 and the oxygen concentration in the heating chamber 2 is lowered. , It will allow food to be dried and cook with protection against nutrients that are vulnerable to oxidation. Further, steam leakage from the gap between the heating chamber and the door can be reduced.

  In addition, by cooking by opening the upper exhaust hole 22 by the exhaust opening / closing means 24 during cooking, excess steam generated during cooking can be exhausted to the outside, and the food surface can be baked to be baked.

  In addition, by opening the upper exhaust hole 22 with the exhaust opening / closing means 24 after cooking is completed, it is possible to quickly exhaust the steam and high-temperature air in the heating chamber 2 and cool the heating chamber 2 in a short time. is there.

  When cooking is performed using the heating cooker of the present embodiment described above, the presence or absence of food in the heating chamber 2 is detected by the food detection means 31, and the state of the exhaust opening / closing means 24 is controlled by the control means 30. Furthermore, cooking by shortening the cooking time and reducing the amount of power used is possible.

  Hereinafter, a general cooking method when cooking using the cooking device of the present embodiment will be described along the control flowchart.

  FIG. 4 shows a control flowchart during preheating.

  At the time of preheating, the door 4 in front of the heating chamber 2 is closed first, the cooking temperature and cooking time are set by the setting means 41, preheating is instructed to the heating cooker 1, and preheating is started.

  When preheating is started, the presence or absence of food in the heating chamber 2 is first detected by the food detection means 31. When it is determined that there is no food in the heating chamber 2, the upper exhaust hole 22 is closed by the exhaust opening / closing means 24, and based on the setting of the setting means 41, the control means 30 causes the hot air heater 34 and the flat heater 33 as heating means. The hot air fan 35 and the hot air motor 36, which are blowing means, are driven to preheat the heating chamber 2 so that the temperature in the heating chamber 2 detected by the temperature detecting means 32 becomes the set temperature.

  When the detected temperature in the heating chamber 2 reaches the set temperature, preheating is terminated and the user is notified of the end of preheating. In this embodiment, the notification of the end of preheating is performed by a display (not shown) provided on the door 4 or a buzzer sound on the control means 30, but the type and method of the notification means are not limited.

  Here, when the food is not in the heating chamber 2, exhaust from the heating chamber 2 is exhausted from the lower exhaust hole 23 by closing the upper exhaust hole 22 by the exhaust opening / closing means 24. The high-temperature air is not exhausted to the outside, and the low-temperature air below the heating chamber 2 is exhausted to the outside. Therefore, the rising speed of the air temperature in the heating chamber 2 is increased, the preheating time is shortened, and the amount of power required for preheating is reduced. Can be reduced.

  Further, since the low temperature air in the heating chamber 2 is discharged to the outside from the lower exhaust hole 23 and the air flow in the heating chamber 2 is promoted, both the upper exhaust hole 22 and the lower exhaust hole 23 are closed and the heating chamber is closed. Compared with the case where preheating is performed with 2 being a sealed space, excess steam in the heating chamber 2 can be discharged to the outside, and leakage of hot air from the gap between the door 4 and the heating cooker 1 can be prevented. . Further, since the high-temperature air tends to stay above the heating chamber 2, relatively low-temperature air is positively discharged from the lower exhaust hole 23 on the lower side of the heating chamber 2, and the air temperature in the heating chamber 2 is increased. Tends to rise.

  FIG. 5 shows the difference in temperature change in the heating chamber 2 during preheating. As can be seen from FIG. 5, by closing the upper exhaust hole 22 during preheating, it can be seen that the rising speed of the air temperature in the heating chamber 2 is increased and the cooking temperature is reached quickly. That is, since the high-temperature air expands in volume and decreases in density and flows toward the upper side of the heating chamber 2, ΔT is compared with a case where the upper exhaust hole 22 is opened by closing the upper exhaust hole 22 during preheating. Only the preheating time is shortened, and the time and amount of power required for preheating can be reduced.

  FIG. 6 shows a control flowchart during cooking.

  At the time of cooking, after setting the cooking conditions by the setting means 41 and preheating as necessary, the setting means 41 starts cooking with the door 4 opened and the food stored in the heating chamber 2. Instruct.

  First, the food detection means 31 detects the presence or absence of food in the heating chamber 2, and if there is no food in the heating chamber 2, the user is warned that no food is stored and ends cooking. The cooking is performed only when food is present in the heating chamber 2.

  When food is present in the heating chamber 2, after confirming the presence of the food, check the setting conditions and menus instructed by the user by the setting means 41, and cook without applying steam (to make the surface crisp) Judge whether it is cooking, pottery, boiled food, normal warming) or steaming cooking (steamed food, food that wants to prevent drying, steam warming).

  In the case of cooking without applying steam, the upper exhaust hole 23 is opened by the exhaust opening / closing means 24, and the heating means and the blowing means are driven to perform cooking. In the case of cooking that gives steam, the upper exhaust hole 22 is closed by the exhaust opening / closing means 24, and the heating means, the blowing means, and the steam generating means are driven to perform cooking.

  Therefore, in cooking such as cooking in a range where steam is not applied to the food, the upper exhaust hole 22 is opened by the exhaust opening / closing means 24, and the air in the heating chamber 2 is discharged from both the upper exhaust hole 22 and the lower exhaust hole 23. Therefore, the steam generated from the food can be efficiently discharged to the outside through the two exhaust holes 22 and 23, and condensation on the surface of the food or the wall surface of the heating chamber 2 can be prevented.

  In addition, in the case of cooking for giving steam to food, the upper exhaust hole 22 is closed by the exhaust opening / closing means 24, so that the steam supplied into the heating chamber 2 tends to stay, and the staying steam flows from the upper to the lower exhaust hole. Since it flows toward 23, it becomes easy for steam to act on food. Therefore, since the effect of supplying steam is maximized with the minimum amount of steam, the amount of power and water used by the steam generating means 51 can be reduced, and the energy saving performance can be improved.

  Further, since the low-temperature air in the heating chamber 2 is discharged to the outside from the lower exhaust hole 23, steam is easily supplied into the heating chamber 2 more smoothly than in the case where there is no lower exhaust hole 23. In addition, condensation on the wall surface of the heating chamber 2 can be reduced, and steam leakage from the gap between the door 4 and the main body can be prevented, and condensation on an unexpected place can be prevented.

  Further, when the set time has elapsed and the end of cooking is determined, the heating means, the blowing means, and the steam generating means are stopped, and the user is notified of the end of cooking. The end of cooking is notified to the user by a display (not shown) provided on the door 4 or a buzzer sound on the control means 30. Thereafter, when the food in the heating chamber 2 is taken out and it is confirmed by the food detection means 31 that there is no food in the heating chamber 2, the upper exhaust hole 22 is opened by the exhaust opening / closing means 24, and the heating chamber is heated during cooking. Vapor trapped in 2 is discharged to the outside. Therefore, it is possible to prevent dew condensation and rust generation in the heating chamber 2.

  In addition, depending on the menu, there is a menu that can be cooked better by steaming the food during cooking and then baking the surface of the food. In the case of such a menu, the upper exhaust hole 22 is closed using the exhaust control means 24 only while it is desired to give steam to the food. When it is no longer necessary to give steam to the food, the upper exhaust hole 22 is opened by the exhaust control means 24. Control to open is also possible, and by performing control according to the cooking content, it is easier to use and better cooking is possible.

  As described above, when the food detection unit 31 detects the presence of food in the heating chamber 2, the exhaust opening / closing unit 24 is appropriately controlled according to the cooking content of the menu set by the setting unit 41. Further, when the food detection means 31 detects that no food is present in the heating chamber 2, the upper exhaust hole 22 is closed by the exhaust opening / closing means 24, assuming that the heating means is driven and preheating is performed. When the heating means is stopped, it is regarded as “after cooking” and the upper exhaust hole 22 is opened.

  FIG. 7 shows the transition of the air temperature in the heating chamber 2 from the preheating at the time of heating the steam oven to the end of the cooking and the control process of the exhaust opening / closing means 24.

  As shown in FIG. 7, when it is detected that no food is present in the heating chamber 2 before cooking, the upper exhaust hole 22 is closed by the exhaust opening / closing means 24 and the heating means is driven. While driving the heating means and the steam generating means, the exhaust opening / closing means 24 closes the upper exhaust hole 22 to prevent the steam from leaking from the inside of the heating chamber 2 so that the steam acts on the food. After the food is taken out, it is detected that there is no food in the heating chamber 2, and control is performed to open the upper exhaust hole 22 by the exhaust opening / closing means 24.

  By performing the control as described above, the time and power consumption during preheating when no food is contained in the heating chamber 2 are reduced, and when food is contained in the heating chamber 2, steam is sufficiently applied to the food. It is possible to prevent the vapor from condensing on the wall surface of the heating chamber 2 or other unintended parts after the heating.

  Further, in the cooking device of the present embodiment, even when the upper exhaust hole 22 is closed by the exhaust opening / closing means 24, the lower exhaust hole 23 is always open, so that the steam from the opening of the door 4 and other gaps can be removed. Leakage can be prevented.

  In addition, since the upper exhaust hole 22 is not opened by the exhaust opening / closing means 24 immediately after the end of cooking, the product waits with the upper exhaust hole 22 closed while food is stored in the heating chamber 2. The temperature is maintained until the cooked food is taken out. After the food is taken out, the steam in the heating chamber 2 can be quickly discharged to the outside.

  FIG. 8 shows the transition of the air temperature in the heating chamber 2 from the preheating at the time of oven heating without using steam to the end of heating cooking and the control process of the exhaust opening / closing means 24.

  As shown in FIG. 8, in the case of cooking without steaming the food, the food is generated from the food by opening the upper exhaust hole 22 by the exhaust opening / closing means 24 while the food is stored in the heating chamber 2 and heated. Since the steam to be discharged is quickly discharged to the outside of the heating chamber 2, it is possible to prevent the condensation of the steam in the heating chamber 2 or the food surface and to finish the food surface by drying.

  FIG. 9 shows the transition of the air temperature in the heating chamber 2 and the control process of the exhaust opening / closing means 24 from the start of heating at the time of steam range heating to the end of cooking.

  As shown in FIG. 9, during cooking, while the heating means and the steam generation means are driven, the upper exhaust hole 22 is closed by the exhaust opening / closing means 24 to prevent the steam from leaking from the heating chamber 2 and steam is applied to the food. After the food is taken out from the heating chamber 2 after cooking, it is detected that there is no food in the heating chamber 2, and the upper exhaust hole 22 is opened by the exhaust opening / closing means 24, and the steam in the heating chamber 2 is opened. To the outside.

  Therefore, compared with the conventional cooking device which cooks with the upper exhaust hole 22 open, the amount of steam that acts on the food during cooking can be increased, and the cooking time can be shortened to prevent the temperature of the food from decreasing. .

  FIG. 10 shows the transition of the air temperature in the heating chamber 2 and the control process of the exhaust opening / closing means 24 from the start of heating during the range heating without using steam to the end of cooking.

  As shown in FIG. 10, during cooking, the upper exhaust hole 22 is opened by the exhaust opening / closing means 24, and steam generated from the food is quickly discharged to the outside of the heating chamber 2. Steam condensation can be prevented.

  FIG. 11 shows the transition of the air temperature in the heating chamber 2 from the start of heating at the time of cooking to perform low oxygen cooking of grilled vegetables and the like, the transition of the oxygen concentration in the heating chamber, the exhaust opening / closing means 24 A control process is shown.

  First, preheating is performed. At the time of preheating, the air in the heating chamber 2 is heated by closing the upper exhaust hole 22 by the exhaust opening / closing means 24 and driving the heating means. Since the upper exhaust hole 22 is closed by the exhaust opening / closing means 24, the high temperature air from the heating chamber 2 can be prevented from leaking and preheating can be performed in a short time. Here, since the high-temperature air tends to stay above the heating chamber 2, the air in the heating chamber 2 is difficult to be exhausted from the lower exhaust hole 23 on the lower side of the heating chamber 2. Opening does not affect energy saving performance.

  Further, when the air or water vapor in the heating chamber 2 expands and the pressure in the heating chamber 2 increases, the air in the heating chamber 2 is exhausted from the lower exhaust hole 23. In this case also, the lower exhaust hole From 23, air having a relatively low temperature is discharged.

  After completion of preheating, the user is notified of the end of preheating and the food is stored. Notification of the end of preheating is given by a built-in buzzer or indicator. Here, when performing low oxygen cooking, it is desirable to place the food on a square plate and place it on the shelf 20 in order to perform cooking at a location with as low an oxygen concentration as possible.

  After the food is stored in the heating chamber 2, heating cooking is started. When storage of food is detected by the food detection means 31, steam is generated by the steam generation means 51 while the oven is heated by the hot air heater 34, the hot air fan 35, the hot air motor 36, etc., and the steam is supplied into the heating chamber 2. To do.

  Here, when the steam generating means 51 is driven, the upper exhaust hole 22 is closed by the exhaust opening / closing means 24, and the steam supplied to the heating chamber 2 stays from above the heating chamber 2 without being discharged. The air in the heating chamber 2 is pushed out into the steam from above and exhausted from the lower exhaust hole 23.

  Therefore, the steam is filled in the heating chamber 2 above the lower exhaust hole 23, and air containing oxygen in the heating chamber 2 is exhausted from the lower exhaust hole 23, thereby reducing the oxygen concentration in the heating chamber 2. To do. Here, in the conventional cooking device having no lower exhaust hole 23, the air containing oxygen in the heating chamber 2 remains in the heating chamber 2 without being discharged, so that the oxygen concentration in the heating chamber 2 is unlikely to decrease. However, in the heating cooker according to the present embodiment, the oxygen concentration in the heating chamber 2 can be reduced by discharging oxygen from the lower exhaust hole 23.

  Moreover, since the oxygen concentration in the surroundings of food is low by reducing the oxygen concentration in the heating chamber 2 and performing cooking, the food is prevented from being oxidized, and nutrient components that are vulnerable to oxidation are retained. Therefore, compared with the conventional cooking device, the heat cooking which hold | maintained the nutrient component is possible.

  Further, by exhausting from the lower exhaust hole 23, the steam filled in the heating chamber 2 is smoothly discharged from the lower exhaust hole 23 and the exhaust port 12 without leaking outside from an unintended portion.

  Thereafter, the steam generating means 51 is driven, and after a predetermined time has elapsed, the steam generating means 51 is stopped and grill cooking by the flat heater 33 is started.

  Here, the upper exhaust hole 22 is opened by the exhaust opening / closing means 24 simultaneously with the stop of the steam generating means 51. Since the steam in the heating chamber 2 has a lighter specific gravity than air, the steam is exhausted from the upper exhaust hole 22 by natural convection. Similarly, the steam generated from the food is exhausted from the upper exhaust hole 22.

  Since the steam in the heating chamber 2 is discharged to the outside and is heated by the flat heater 33, the steam can be baked while drying the food surface without condensing the steam on the food surface, and the food surface is burnt. You can cook with

  In the present embodiment, the cooking of grilled vegetables is described in which the surface is dried and burnt to finish, but for steamed dishes and the like that are moistened by applying steam, the steam generating means 51 with the upper exhaust hole 22 closed. It is of course possible to change the sequence according to the food to be cooked, such as supplying steam by heating and cooking.

  After the cooking is finished, the heating means is stopped and the cooking is finished. At this time, since the upper exhaust hole 22 is opened by the exhaust opening / closing means 24, the steam and high-temperature air in the heating chamber 2 are exhausted to the outside of the heating cooker through the upper exhaust hole 22 and the exhaust port 12, and the heating chamber Cool down 2 quickly.

  Through the above-mentioned processes, it is possible to solve the problems such as the occurrence of dew condensation on the food surface seen in conventional low-oxygen cooking, which makes it difficult to be baked, and the heat from the heating chamber 2 does not deteriorate the cooking performance. It is possible to perform low oxygen cooking with improved energy saving performance by suppressing leakage.

  Therefore, as in the present embodiment, it is difficult in the past to use a cooking device that includes the exhaust opening / closing means 24, the upper exhaust hole 22, and the lower exhaust hole 23 and has an upper exhaust hole opening area larger than the lower exhaust hole opening area. It is possible to improve both cooking performance and energy saving performance.

1 is an exploded perspective view of a heating cooker according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is side surface sectional drawing of the heating cooker. It is the same control block diagram. It is the control sequence during the preheating. It is a figure which shows the difference of the heating chamber temperature change at the time of the preheating. It is the control sequence during the heating cooking. It is an air temperature change in a heating chamber at the time of performing the same steam oven cooking, and a control process figure. It is an air temperature change in a heating chamber when performing the oven cooking, and a control process figure. It is an air temperature change in a heating chamber at the time of performing the same steam range cooking, and a control process figure. It is the air temperature change in a heating chamber when performing the same range cooking, and a control process. It is the air temperature change in a heating chamber at the time of performing the low oxygen cooking, and a control process.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Heating cooker 2 Heating chamber 11 Cabinet 21 Table plate 22 Upper exhaust hole 23 Lower exhaust hole 24 Exhaust opening / closing means 30 Control means 31 Food detection means 32 Temperature detection means 33 Planar heater 34 Hot air heater 35 Hot air fan 37 Exhaust duct 41 Setting means 51 Steam generating means 54 Magnetron 55 Rotating antenna

Claims (4)

A main body of the heating cooker, a heating chamber for heating the food, a heating means for heating the heating chamber, a control means for controlling the heating means, a temperature detection means for detecting the temperature in the heating chamber, and the heating Food detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of food in the room, steam generating means for supplying steam to the heating chamber, and an exhaust port provided in the outer shell of the main body for exhausting air in the heating chamber,
An upper exhaust hole and a lower exhaust hole communicating from the heating chamber to the exhaust port are provided on both the upper wall surface and the lower wall surface of the heating chamber, and the opening area of the upper exhaust hole is larger than the opening area of the lower exhaust hole, A cooking device according to claim 1, wherein the upper exhaust hole is provided with an exhaust opening / closing means, and the lower exhaust port is always opened.   Before putting the food into the heating chamber, the heating means raises the temperature in the heating chamber and then puts the food in the heating chamber, and in cooking for cooking the food, the heating means is driven before cooking the food. 2. The cooking device according to claim 1, wherein when the food detection unit detects that no food is stored in the heating chamber, the upper exhaust hole is closed by the exhaust opening / closing unit.   Steam cooking means for supplying steam to the heating chamber; in cooking for cooking food by supplying steam into the heating chamber by the steam generation means to lower the oxygen concentration in the room, the food detection means After detecting that food has been stored in the heating chamber, the steam generating means is driven, the upper exhaust hole is closed by the exhaust opening / closing means, and the upper exhaust hole is opened by the exhaust opening / closing means after a predetermined time has elapsed. The cooking device according to claim 1, wherein the cooking device is opened.   When the heating means is stopped after cooking the food, and the food detecting means detects that no food is stored in the heating chamber, the exhaust opening / closing means opens the upper exhaust hole. The cooking device according to claim 1, wherein the cooking device is a cooking device.

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