JP2017153408A - Fermenter - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fermenter which, while suppressing increases in the number of components and cost, can detect the presence of water in a water storage part.SOLUTION: A fermenter comprises: a fermentation chamber in which a material to be fermented is housed; a steam generator that generates steam so as to humidify the fermentation chamber; and a control part. The steam generator includes: a heat storage case; a steam heater that heats the heat storage case; a steam temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the heat storage case; a water storage case in which water supplied to the heat storage case is stored; and a plunger pump that supplies the water in the water storage case to the heat storage case heated by the steam heater. The steam is generated by allowing the water from the plunger pump to come into contact with the heat storage case and evaporate. The control part detects the presence of the water in the water storage case based on a change in temperature of the heat storage case when operating the plunger pump.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

  The present invention relates to a fermenter for fermenting an object to be fermented such as bread dough.

  A main heater for heating the fermentation chamber, an evaporating dish housed in the fermentation chamber, and a humidifying heater for heating the evaporating dish, warming the fermentation chamber with the main heater, and water contained in the evaporating dish Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-228688 discloses a household fermenter that ferments food such as bread dough accommodated in the fermentation chamber by evaporating the sucrose with heat from the humidifying heater and humidifying the fermentation chamber.

Utility Model Registration No. 3170536

  The above-mentioned domestic fermenter is configured to heat an evaporating dish in which water is stored in an evaporating dish with a humidifying heater, and steam into the fermentation chamber by turning on (operating) and off (stopping) the humidifying heater. The supply amount is adjusted.

  On the other hand, instead of the steam generator configured as described above, a heat storage unit, a heating unit for heating the heat storage unit, a water storage unit for storing water supplied to the heat storage unit, and a water storage unit for storing water in the water storage unit It is conceivable to use, for the fermenter, a steam generator that is configured to generate steam when the water from the water supply section touches the heat storage section and evaporates.

  In the steam generator having such a configuration, when there is no water in the water storage section, water cannot be supplied to the heat storage section, and therefore steam cannot be generated. Therefore, it is desirable to notify the user when there is no water in the water storage section.

  Therefore, it is conceivable to provide a dedicated detection means such as a water level sensor for detecting the presence or absence of water in the reservoir. However, in this case, there are concerns about an increase in the number of parts and cost.

  This invention is made | formed in view of this subject, and it aims at providing the fermenter which can detect the presence or absence of the water in a water storage part, suppressing the increase in a number of parts and cost.

  The fermenter which concerns on the 1st aspect of this invention is provided with the fermentation chamber in which to-be-fermented material is accommodated, the steam generator which generates the vapor | steam for humidifying the said fermentation chamber, and a control part. Here, the steam generator includes a heat storage unit, a heating unit that heats the heat storage unit, a temperature detection unit for detecting the temperature of the heat storage unit, and a water storage that stores water supplied to the heat storage unit And a water supply unit that supplies water from the water storage unit to the heat storage unit heated by the heating unit, and water from the water supply unit touches the heat storage unit and evaporates to generate steam. . The said control part detects the presence or absence of the water in the said water storage part based on the temperature change of the said heat storage part when the said water supply part is operated.

  According to said structure, when a water supply part operate | moves in the state in which there exists water in a water storage part, since water is supplied to a thermal storage part, heat is taken away by the water to evaporate and the temperature of a thermal storage part falls. On the other hand, when the water supply unit operates in a state where there is no water in the water storage unit, water is not supplied to the heat storage unit, so heat is not taken and the temperature of the heat storage unit does not decrease. Therefore, the presence or absence of water in the water storage unit can be detected by watching the temperature change of the heat storage unit when the water supply unit is operated. In this configuration, since the temperature detection unit is used to detect the temperature of the heat storage unit for detecting the presence or absence of water in the water storage unit, a dedicated detection means for detecting the presence or absence of water in the water storage unit is provided in the water storage unit. The increase in the number of parts and cost can be suppressed.

  In the fermenter which concerns on this aspect, the structure further equipped with an alerting | reporting part may be taken. In this case, when the amount of decrease in the temperature of the heat storage unit is smaller than the threshold value, the control unit causes the notification unit to notify that the water storage unit has no water.

  According to said structure, a user can be notified that water was lost in the water storage part.

  In the case of the above configuration, the control unit intermittently operates the water supply unit, and when the operation of the water supply unit in which the amount of decrease in the temperature of the heat storage unit is smaller than a threshold value continues for a predetermined number of times, It can be set as the structure which makes the said alerting | reporting part perform the alerting | reporting for notifying that there is no water in the said water storage part.

  When it is set as such a structure, by operating the said water supply part intermittently, water can be supplied little by little to a thermal storage part, and steam can be supplied little by little from a steam generator to a fermentation chamber. . Thereby, the humidity in a fermentation chamber can be controlled finely and it can prevent that a fermentation chamber becomes excessively humid.

  In this way, when the water supply unit is operated intermittently, there is some water even though there is water in the water storage unit due to air mixed into the water supply path by the water supply unit. It is possible that water cannot be supplied to the heat storage section in a single water supply operation. In said structure, since the alerting | reporting part will not perform if the operation | movement of the water supply part where the fall amount of the temperature of a thermal storage part becomes smaller than a threshold value does not continue predetermined times, it is temporarily in a thermal storage part by the above causes. Even if water supply cannot be performed, it is possible to prevent erroneous notification.

  A fermenter according to a second aspect of the present invention detects a humidity in the fermentation chamber, a fermentation chamber in which a fermentation object is stored, a steam generator for generating steam for humidifying the fermentation chamber, and the fermentation chamber. A humidity detector and a controller. Here, the steam generator includes a heat storage unit, a heating unit that heats the heat storage unit, a water storage unit that stores water supplied to the heat storage unit, and water in the water storage unit that is heated by the heating unit. A water supply unit that supplies the heat storage unit, and water from the water supply unit touches the heat storage unit and evaporates to generate steam. The said control part detects the presence or absence of the water in the said water storage part based on the humidity change in the said fermentation chamber when the said water supply part is operated.

  According to said structure, when a water supply part operate | moves in the state in which there exists water in a water storage part, since water is supplied to a thermal storage part, vapor | steam is supplied from a steam generator into a fermentation chamber, and the humidity in a fermentation chamber increases. To do. On the other hand, when the water supply unit operates with no water in the water storage unit, water is not supplied to the heat storage unit, so that no steam is supplied from the steam generator into the fermentation chamber, and the humidity in the fermentation chamber does not increase. Therefore, the presence or absence of water in the water storage unit can be detected by observing the humidity change in the fermentation chamber when the water supply unit is operated. In this configuration, a humidity detection unit for detecting the humidity in the fermentation chamber is used for detecting the presence or absence of water in the water storage unit, so a dedicated detection means for detecting the presence or absence of water in the water storage unit is provided in the water storage unit. It is not necessary to provide it, and the increase in the number of parts and cost can be suppressed.

  In the fermenter which concerns on this aspect, the structure further equipped with an alerting | reporting part may be taken. In this case, the said control part makes the said alerting | reporting part perform the alerting | reporting for notifying that there is no water in the said water storage part, when the increase amount of the humidity in the said fermentation chamber is smaller than a threshold value.

  According to said structure, a user can be notified that water was lost in the water storage part.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the fermenter which can detect the presence or absence of the water in a water storage part can be provided, suppressing the increase in a number of parts and cost.

  The effects and significance of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of embodiments. However, the following embodiment is merely an example when the present invention is implemented, and the present invention is not limited to what is described in the following embodiment.

Fig.1 (a) is a front perspective view of the fermenter based on Embodiment, FIG.1 (b) is a front view of the operation panel based on Embodiment. Fig.2 (a) is front sectional drawing which cut | disconnected the fermenter based on embodiment in the slightly back position of a door, FIG.2 (b) is the right side of a housing | casing which concerns on embodiment. It is side surface sectional drawing cut | disconnected in the vicinity position of the surface. FIG. 3A is a front perspective view of the heating / humidifying unit according to the embodiment, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional perspective view of the heating / humidifying unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the heating / humidifying unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 5A is a perspective view of the state in which the upper housing is turned over according to the embodiment, and FIG. 5B is a plan view of the lower housing according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the steam generator according to the embodiment. FIG. 7A is a perspective view of the upper lid turned upside down according to the embodiment, and FIG. 7B shows the steam generator attached to the upper housing according to the embodiment as an attachment boss. It is sectional drawing of the principal part cut | disconnected in the position of the insertion recessed part. 8 (a) and 8 (b) are cross-sectional perspective views of a main part obtained by cutting the steam generator attached to the upper housing according to the embodiment at the position where the steam heater is disposed and the position where the steam temperature sensor is disposed, respectively. FIG. Fig.9 (a) is a block diagram which shows the structure of the control system of the fermenter based on Embodiment, FIG.9 (b) is a figure which shows an example of the data table based on Embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the control process of the fermentation operation by the control unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a control process of the fermentation operation by the control unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the control operation of the plunger pump according to the embodiment. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the control operation of the plunger pump according to the embodiment. Fig.14 (a) is a figure which shows the operation | movement of a plunger pump when the water supply is normally performed to the thermal storage case, and the temperature of a thermal storage case based on Embodiment, FIG.14 (b) is implementation It is a figure which shows the operation | movement of a plunger pump when the water supply to a thermal storage case becomes impossible, and the temperature of a thermal storage case based on this form, FIG.14 (c) is a figure to the thermal storage case which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the operation | movement of a plunger pump when the water supply is restarted, and the temperature of a thermal storage case. FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the control operation of the plunger pump according to the first modification.

  Hereinafter, the fermenter which is one Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated with reference to drawings.

  FIG. 1A is a front perspective view of the fermenter 1, and FIG. 1B is a front view of the operation panel 31. 2A is a front cross-sectional view of the fermenter 1 cut at a position slightly behind the door 20, and FIG. 2B is a side view of the fermenter 1 cut at a position near the right side surface of the housing 10. It is sectional drawing. FIG. 3A is a front perspective view of the heating / humidifying unit 40, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional perspective view of the heating / humidifying unit 40. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the heating / humidifying unit 40. FIG. 5A is a perspective view of the upper housing 210 in an inverted state, and FIG. 5B is a plan view of the lower housing 220.

  The fermenter 1 is provided with a substantially rectangular parallelepiped casing 10 that forms an appearance. The front surface of the housing 10 is open, and a door 20 and a front panel 30 are attached to the front surface. Legs 11 are provided at four corners on the bottom surface of the housing 10. A heating / humidifying unit 40 is disposed at the bottom of the housing 10. A space above the heating / humidifying unit 40 in the housing 10 is a fermentation chamber 50. The heating / humidifying unit 40 includes an indoor heater and a steam generator, which will be described later, and performs heating and humidification in the fermentation chamber 50.

  In the fermentation chamber 50, food (a material to be fermented) to be fermented, such as crushed bread dough, is accommodated when the fermentation operation is performed. For example, a net shelf (not shown) is installed in the fermentation chamber 50, and a tray in which food is placed is placed on the net shelf. In addition, in the fermenter 1 of this Embodiment, the capacity | capacitance of the fermentation chamber 50 is about 50L. Although the capacity | capacitance of the fermentation chamber 50 is not restrict | limited to such a capacity | capacitance, it is desirable to set it as 100 L or less so that the fermenter 1 becomes easy to install in a household or a small kitchen.

  The door 20 covers the inlet 51 on the front surface of the fermentation chamber 50. The door 20 has a right end portion rotatably supported by an upper hinge 12 and a lower hinge 13 provided above and below the right end portion of the housing 10 and opens to the right side. The door 20 is formed with a slightly horizontally long window portion 21, and a transparent glass plate 22 is attached to the window portion 21.

  The front panel 30 covers the front of the heating / humidifying unit 40. The front panel 30 is provided with an operation panel 31 for a user to operate the fermenter 1. A water storage case 32 that can be taken in and out of the front panel 30 is provided at the right end of the front panel 30.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, the operation panel 31 includes a power button 100, a course setting unit 110, a temperature setting unit 120, a humidity setting unit 130, a time setting unit 140, a start button 150, A water supply notification unit 160 is provided.

  The power button 100 is an operation button for turning on and off the fermenter 1.

  The course setting unit 110 includes a bread bread button 111 for selecting a bread bread course, a sweet bread button 112 for selecting a sweet bread course, and a French bread button 113 for selecting a French bread course. Above the bread button 111, there is provided a bread bread notifying unit 114 for notifying that the bread bread course has been selected by lighting. Above the confectionery bread button 112, there is provided a confectionery bread notification unit 115 for notifying that the confectionery bread course has been selected by lighting. Above the French bread button 113, a French bread notifying unit 116 that notifies that the French bread course has been selected by lighting is provided. The bread bread notifying unit 114, the sweet bun notifying unit 115, and the French bread notifying unit 116 are configured by LEDs, for example.

  The temperature setting unit 120 includes a temperature setting button 121 and a temperature display unit 122. The temperature setting button 121 includes an up button 121a for raising the temperature and a down button 121b for lowering the temperature, and is operated when the user manually sets the temperature in the fermentation chamber 50. The temperature display unit 122 displays the set temperature in the fermentation chamber 50 in the operation course selected by the operation to the course setting unit 110 or the set temperature in the fermentation chamber 50 set by the operation to the temperature setting button 121. To do. The temperature display unit 122 is configured by, for example, a double-digit 7-segment LED or a liquid crystal panel.

  The humidity setting unit 130 includes a humidity setting button 131 and a humidity display unit 132. The humidity setting button 131 includes an up button 131a for increasing humidity and a down button 131b for decreasing humidity. The humidity setting button 131 is operated when the user manually sets the humidity in the fermentation chamber 50. The humidity display unit 132 displays the set humidity in the fermentation chamber 50 in the operation course selected by the operation on the course setting unit 110 or the set humidity in the fermentation chamber 50 set by the operation on the humidity setting button 131. To do. The humidity display unit 132 is configured by, for example, a double-digit 7-segment LED or a liquid crystal panel.

  Time setting unit 140 includes a time setting button 141 and a time display unit 142. The time setting button 141 includes an up button 141a for increasing time and a down button 141b for decreasing time, and is operated when the user manually sets the operation time. The time display unit 142 displays the fermentation time in the operation course selected by the operation to the course setting unit 110 or the fermentation time set by the operation to the time setting button 141. The time display unit 142 is configured by, for example, a double-digit 7-segment LED or a liquid crystal panel.

  The start button 150 is an operation button for starting a countdown of fermentation time.

  The water supply alerting | reporting part 160 is for alert | reporting to a user that the water supply to the water storage case 32 was needed, for example, is comprised by LED.

  As shown in FIG. 2B, a holding member 33 that holds the water storage case 32 is disposed in the front panel 30. The water storage case 32 is provided with guide shafts 32 a on the left and right side surfaces, and these guide shafts 32 a are inserted into guide grooves 33 a formed in the left and right sides of the holding member 33 and extending in the front-rear direction. The water storage case 32 can be moved forward by being guided by the guide groove 33a to the position where the guide shaft 32a abuts on the tip of the guide groove 33a (see the broken line in FIG. 2B). When the fermentation operation is performed, the water storage case 32 is drawn out in front of the front panel 30, and water is put into the water storage case 32.

  A temperature sensor 61 and a humidity sensor 62 are arranged in the upper part of the fermentation chamber 50. For example, as shown in FIG. 2A, a temperature sensor 61 and a humidity sensor 62 are attached to the inside upper part of the right side surface of the housing 10. The temperature sensor 61 detects the temperature in the fermentation chamber 50, and the humidity sensor 62 detects the humidity in the fermentation chamber 50.

  The heating / humidification unit 40 includes a housing 200, an indoor heater 300, a steam generator 400, and a water supply device 500.

  The housing 200 includes an upper housing 210, a lower housing 220, and a lower cover 230. The upper housing 210, the lower housing 220, and the lower cover 230 are formed of a metal material such as an aluminum plate or an iron plate.

  The upper housing 210 has a rectangular flat box shape, and the bottom surface is opened. The top surface of the upper housing 210 is the bottom surface of the fermentation chamber 50. The top surface of the upper housing 210 has a mounting portion 210a for mounting the steam generator 400 at the center thereof. A rectangular attachment opening 211 is formed in the attachment part 210 a, and circular boss holes 212 are formed at four locations around the attachment opening 211. On each side surface of the upper housing 210, insertion pieces 213 are formed at two locations on the lower end.

  The lower housing 220 includes a housing body 221 and two legs 222. The housing body 221 has a rectangular flat box shape, and the top surface is open. A rectangular opening 223 is formed on the bottom surface of the housing main body 221 slightly to the right of the center. In order to attach the lower cover 230, two notches 224 are formed on the right edge of the opening 223, and a screw hole 225 is formed near the left edge of the opening 223 on the bottom surface of the housing body 221. Yes. In addition, screw holes 226 for attaching the water supply device 500 are formed in two places on the bottom surface of the housing main body 221. Further, slit-like insertion holes 227 corresponding to the insertion pieces 213 of the upper housing 210 are formed at two positions on each of the four ends of the bottom surface of the housing body 221.

  The leg portion 222 extends downward from the left and right end portions of the housing main body portion 221, and the lower end portion thereof is bent inward at a substantially right angle.

  The lower cover 230 has a rectangular flat box shape whose plane size is slightly larger than the opening 223, and the top surface is opened. Locking pieces 231 corresponding to the notches 224 of the housing body 221 are formed in the lower cover 230 at two locations on the upper end portion of the right side surface, and screws are passed through the upper end portion of the left side surface. A mounting piece 232 having an insertion hole 232a is formed. An entrance / exit 233 is formed on the right side surface of the lower cover 230. The entrance / exit 233 has a circular shape, and the upper part thereof is cut out to the upper end of the right side surface of the lower cover 230.

  The upper housing 210 is fitted into the housing body 221 from above. At this time, the insertion piece 213 of the upper housing 210 passes through the insertion hole 227 and protrudes to the lower side of the housing main body 221 (see FIG. 3A). When the protruding insertion piece 213 is deformed, it cannot be removed from the insertion hole 227, whereby the upper housing 210 and the lower housing 220 are coupled. Further, the lower cover 230 locks the locking piece 231 with the notch 224, aligns the insertion hole 232a with the screw hole 225, and stops the mounting piece 232 in the screw hole 225 with a screw (not shown). The housing body 221 is attached to the opening 223 so as not to be moved downward. Further, the leg portion 222 is fixed to the bottom surface of the housing 10. A space in which the lower cover 230 and the water supply device 500 are arranged is formed between the housing main body 221 and the bottom surface of the housing 10 by the legs 222.

  The indoor heater 300 is a rectangular planar heater having a size slightly smaller than the size of the top surface of the upper housing 210, and is attached to the back side of the top surface of the upper housing 210. In the indoor heater 300, an opening 301 is formed in a portion corresponding to the attachment opening 211 and the four boss holes 212 in order to avoid interference with the steam generator 400. The indoor heater 300 can be, for example, an aluminum foil heater formed by wiring a cord heater on one surface of an aluminum plate. The wiring from the indoor heater 300 is led out of the housing 200 through a through hole (not shown) provided in the housing main body 221 of the lower housing 220.

  The steam generator 400 and the water feeder 500 constitute a steam generator ST together with the water storage case 32. The steam generator ST supplies steam into the fermentation chamber 50 and humidifies the interior of the fermentation chamber 50.

  The steam generator 400 is fixed to a mounting portion 210 a on the top surface of the upper housing 210. In the steam generator 400, an upper lid 470 having two discharge ports 471 is disposed on the top surface of the upper housing 210, and a generator main body 400 a that is a main part of the steam generator 400 is accommodated inside the housing 200. . The lower cover 230 is attached to the lower housing 220 after the steam generator 400 is attached to the upper housing 210 and covers the lower part of the steam generator 400. The detailed configuration of the steam generator 400 will be described later.

  The water feeder 500 includes a plunger pump 510, a suction hose 520, a discharge hose 530, and a pump fixture 540. The plunger pump 510 is a pump that sucks and discharges water by reciprocating the plunger. The plunger pump 510 sends the water stored in the water storage case 32 to the steam generator 400. The suction hose 520 and the discharge hose 530 are flexible hoses formed of heat-resistant vinyl chloride or the like.

  One end of the suction hose 520 is connected to the suction port of the plunger pump 510, and the other end is connected to the water storage case 32. When the water storage case 32 is housed inside the front panel 30, the suction hose 520 is in a meandering state. When the water storage case 32 is pulled out to the front of the front panel 30, the suction hose 520 extends by the amount that the water storage case 32 is pulled out.

  Discharge hose 530 has one end connected to the discharge port of plunger pump 510 and the other end connected to water supply pipe 440 of steam generator 400. The discharge hose 530 is inserted into the housing 200 from the entrance / exit 233. The discharge hose 530 is passed through a ring-shaped rubber bush 240, and the rubber bush 240 is attached to the entrance / exit 233.

  A pump fixture 540 is fixed to the plunger pump 510. Two insertion holes 541 through which screws are passed are formed in the pump fixture 540 at positions corresponding to the two screw holes 226 of the housing body 221. The plunger pump 510 is fixed to the outer bottom surface of the lower housing 220 (housing main body 221) by aligning the insertion hole 541 with the screw hole 226 and stopping the pump fixture 540 with the screw (not shown). Is done.

  In the heating / humidifying unit 40, the generator main body 400 a including the indoor heater 300 and the steam heater 420 of the steam generator 400 is accommodated in the metal housing 200. For this reason, even if a heating abnormality occurs in the indoor heater 300 or the steam heater 420 due to a failure or the like, the influence thereof hardly reaches the outside of the heating / humidification unit 40.

  FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the steam generator 400. FIG. 7A is a perspective view of the top cover 470 turned upside down, and FIG. 7B is a cut view of the steam generator 400 attached to the upper housing 210 at the positions of the mounting boss 474 and the insertion recess 418. It is sectional drawing of the principal part. 8 (a) and 8 (b) are cross-sectional perspective views of main parts obtained by cutting the steam generator 400 attached to the upper housing 210 at the arrangement position of the steam heater 420 and the arrangement position of the steam temperature sensor 430, respectively. is there.

  A detailed configuration of the steam generator 400 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The steam generator 400 includes a heat storage case 410, a steam heater 420, a steam temperature sensor 430, a water supply pipe 440, a case cover 450, a heat insulating packing 460, and an upper lid 470 that constitute the generator body 400 a.

  The heat storage case 410 is formed of a metal material such as aluminum die casting, has a rectangular parallelepiped box shape, and includes a case main body 411 and a flange portion 412 having a rectangular annular shape formed on the upper portion of the case main body 411. The case body 411 has an open top, and an annular step 413 for placing the case cover 450 is formed in the opening. The interior of the case body 411 is a steam generation chamber 414. On the bottom surface of the steam generation chamber 414, a rib 415 extending in the front-rear direction (direction intersecting the insertion direction of the steam heater 420) is formed on the right side (side surface on which the steam heater 420 is inserted) slightly from the center. Has been. In the case body 411, a heater insertion hole 416 and a sensor insertion hole 417 are formed below the steam generation chamber 414 so as to be arranged in the front-rear direction. The heater insertion hole 416 extends from the right side surface of the case body 411 toward the left side surface. The sensor insertion hole 417 extends from the right side surface of the case main body 411 toward the center. The flange portion 412 has circular insertion recesses 418 at four corners. An insertion hole 418a through which a screw is passed is formed at the bottom of the insertion recess 418.

  The steam heater 420 is formed in an I-shaped rod shape and is inserted into the heater insertion hole 416. Steam heater 420 is a ceramic heater, for example, and heats heat storage case 410. The steam heater 420 may be formed in a U-shaped bar shape. In the present embodiment, the capacity of the steam heater 420 can be set to 100 W, for example. The steam temperature sensor 430 is inserted into the sensor insertion hole 417. The steam temperature sensor 430 includes a sensor body 431 and a heat-resistant tube 432 that covers the sensor body 431, and detects the temperature of the heat storage case 410. Similar to the discharge hose 530, the wiring from the steam heater 420 and the wiring from the steam temperature sensor 430 are passed through the rubber bush 240 and drawn out of the housing 200 through the inlet / outlet 233.

  The water supply pipe 440 is attached to a water supply port 419 formed on the right side surface of the case main body 411 and has a water supply nozzle 441 extending in the left-right direction in the steam generation chamber 414. The tip of the water supply nozzle 441, that is, the water discharge port is located in the vicinity of the left side surface of the case body 411. A discharge hose 530 of the water feeder 500 is connected to an end of the water supply pipe 440 exposed to the outside of the case body 411.

  The case cover 450 is configured by overlapping three plates, a lower plate 451, an intermediate plate 452, and an upper plate 453, in this order from the bottom. The lower plate 451 has a steam inlet 451a, the middle plate 452 has a steam passage 452a extending in the left-right direction, and the steam outlet 453a is formed in the upper plate 453. Yes. The case cover 450 is mounted on the step portion 413 of the case body 411 and covers the top surface opening of the case body 411.

  The heat insulating packing 460 has substantially the same outer shape as the flange portion 412 of the heat storage case 410, and is formed of a heat insulating material such as silicon rubber. The heat insulating packing 460 is formed with an opening 461 having substantially the same shape as the mounting opening 211 of the upper housing 210 at the center, and boss holes having the same shape as the boss holes 212 of the upper housing 210 at the four corners. 462 is formed.

  The upper lid 470 has substantially the same outer shape as that of the flange portion 412 and the heat insulating packing 460. The upper lid 470 has long round discharge ports 471 at two locations on the left and right. In addition, an annular rib 472 having substantially the same outer diameter as the inner diameter of the mounting opening 211 of the upper housing 210 and the opening 461 of the heat insulating packing 460 is formed on the rear surface of the upper lid 470 and two discharge ports 471 are formed. Two ribs 473 extending in the front-rear direction are formed at a position between them. An inner portion of the upper lid 470 from the annular rib 472 has a shape protruding slightly upward, and this inner portion forms a steam outlet chamber 475. Furthermore, cylindrical mounting bosses 474 are formed at the four corners on the back surface of the upper lid 470. The mounting boss 474 is formed with a screw hole 474a in which a female screw is cut.

  When the steam generator 400 is attached to the upper housing 210, first, the upper lid 470, the annular rib 472 and the four attachment bosses 474 are inserted into the attachment opening 211 and the four boss holes 212, respectively. The upper housing 210 is attached to the surface, that is, the inner bottom surface of the fermentation chamber 50. The annular rib 472 and the mounting boss 474 protrude below the upper housing 210. Next, the generator main body portion is arranged such that the annular rib 472 is inserted into the opening 461 of the heat insulating packing 460 and the mounting boss 474 is received in the insertion recess 418 of the flange portion 412 through the boss hole 462 of the heat insulating packing 460. 400 a is attached to the back surface of the upper housing 210, that is, the outer bottom surface of the fermentation chamber 50. As a result, the upper housing 210 is sandwiched between the upper lid 470 and the generator main body 400a. Then, the flange portion 412 is fixed to the mounting boss 474 by the screw 480 passed through the insertion hole 418 a of the insertion recess 418. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 7B, the steam generator 400 is firmly fixed to the upper housing 210, that is, the bottom surface of the fermentation chamber 50.

  The generator main body 400a is configured such that the heat storage case 410 is attached to the back surface of the upper housing 210, which is the outer bottom surface of the fermentation chamber 50, via the heat insulating packing 460, so that the heat generated by the heat storage case 410 is the fermentation chamber 50. It is hard to be transmitted to the bottom of the. For this reason, the temperature of the fermentation chamber 50 is not easily affected by the heat generated by the steam generator 400.

  During the fermentation operation, the indoor heater 300 operates. Heat generated from the indoor heater 300 is propagated into the fermentation chamber 50 through the upper housing 210 which is the bottom surface of the fermentation chamber 50, and the inside of the fermentation chamber 50 is heated. Since heat is emitted from almost the entire bottom surface of the fermentation chamber 50 by the indoor heater 300, the interior of the fermentation chamber 50 can be uniformly heated.

  Further, during the fermentation operation, the steam generator ST operates. That is, after the steam heater 420 is operated and the heat storage case 410 is heated by the heat generated from the steam heater 420, the plunger pump 510 is intermittently operated, and water is intermittently introduced into the heated steam generation chamber 414. Supplied. At this time, the temperature of the heat storage case 410 is set to a temperature of about 120 ° C. to 140 ° C. so that the heat generated by the heat storage case 410 does not easily affect the temperature in the fermentation chamber 50. In addition, the amount of water supplied by one on operation in the intermittent operation of the plunger pump 510 is small, for example, about 0.05 cc so that the amount of steam supplied into the fermentation chamber 50 can be finely adjusted. It is taken as a quantity.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, the water flowing through the discharge hose 530 by the operation of the plunger pump 510 is discharged from the water supply nozzle 441 toward the right side surface of the steam generation chamber 414 (case body 411). As shown by the dotted arrow, it bounces on the right side surface and reaches the bottom surface of the steam generation chamber 414. The water that has reached the bottom surface flows in the direction of the ribs 415 and is heated and evaporated on the bottom surface while reaching the ribs 415. The water reaching the rib 415 is also dammed up by the rib 415 and evaporates upstream from the rib 415. In this way, steam is generated in the steam generation chamber 414.

  The steam generated in the steam generation chamber 414 reaches the inlet 451a of the case cover 450 as shown by a solid arrow, and is discharged into the outlet chamber 475 through the conduction path 452a and the outlet 453a. The steam discharged into the outlet chamber 475 passes between the left and right ribs 473 in the outlet chamber 475 and the upper surface of the case cover 450 and travels toward the left and right discharge ports 471. In this way, steam is discharged into the fermentation chamber 50 from the two discharge ports 471, and the interior of the fermentation chamber 50 is humidified by the discharged steam.

  Here, the steam heater 420 is likely to have a higher temperature on the distal end side than on the proximal end side. For this reason, in the steam generation chamber 414, the bottom surface region on the right side surface where the tip end side of the steam heater 420 is positioned below the temperature tends to be high. In the present embodiment, the water supply nozzle 441 allows water to drop to the bottom surface region on the right side surface of the steam generation chamber 414 that is likely to be hot, so that the water easily evaporates and the steam is generated in the steam generation chamber 414. It can be generated effectively. Further, the rib 415 provided on the bottom surface of the steam generation chamber 414 can prevent water from flowing to the bottom surface region on the left side surface of the steam generation chamber 414 that is unlikely to become high temperature, so that steam can be generated more effectively. it can. In addition, if it is set as the structure which supplies water from the left side surface side of the steam generation chamber 414 (case main body 411), the water supply nozzle 441 becomes unnecessary. However, by using the water supply nozzle 441, the water supply pipe 440 can be arranged on the same right side as the side surface into which the steam heater 420 is inserted, so the discharge hose 530 connected to the water supply pipe 440 and the steam heater 420 wiring Can be easily taken out of the housing 200 through the same entrance / exit 233.

  Furthermore, when the water discharged from the water supply nozzle 441 touches the bottom surface of the steam generation chamber 414, the water boils to generate boiling water, and the generated boiling water may jump up to the upper portion of the steam generation chamber 414. In the present embodiment, the top surface of the case body 411 is covered with the case cover 450, and a bent steam passage is formed in the case cover 450 by the introduction port 451a, the conduction path 452a, and the outlet port 453a. The steam is discharged from the steam generation chamber 414 through. For this reason, boiling water does not easily pass through the steam passage, and thus the boiling water can be prevented from being discharged from the steam generation chamber 414.

  Further, an outlet chamber 475 is formed between the steam generation chamber 414 and the discharge port 471, and the outlet port 453 a that is an inlet of the steam to the outlet chamber 475 is a discharge port in the vertical direction that is the opening direction of the discharge port 471. It is provided so as not to overlap with 471. For this reason, even if boiling water leaks from the steam generation chamber 414 to the outlet chamber 475, the leaked boiling water does not immediately reach the discharge port 471, and the boiling water is discharged into the fermentation chamber 50. Can be prevented. In addition, there is a possibility that foreign matter that has entered the fermentation chamber 50 may enter the discharge port 471. In such a case, the foreign matter that has entered can be retained in the outlet chamber 475, and the foreign matter reaches the outlet port 453a. Hateful. Thereby, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the steam generation chamber 414 through the discharge port 471 and the outlet port 453a.

  Further, the outlet chamber 475 is provided with a rib 473 between the outlet 453a and the outlet 471, and boiling water and foreign matter can be stopped by the rib 473, so that the boiling water is further discharged to the outlet 471. The foreign matter is less likely to enter the steam generation chamber 414.

  FIG. 9A is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the fermenter 1.

  The fermenter 1 includes a control unit 701, a storage unit 702, a load driving unit 703, and a sound generator 704.

  The control unit 701 includes a CPU and the like, and the storage unit 702 includes a RAM, a ROM, and the like. The storage unit 702 stores a program for performing a fermentation operation, a data table of operation conditions used for the fermentation operation, and the like. In accordance with the program stored in the storage unit 702, the control unit 701 is a bread button 111, a sweet bread button 112, a French bread button 113, a temperature setting button 121, a humidity setting button 131, a time setting button 141, a start button 150, and a temperature sensor 61. Based on inputs from the humidity sensor 62, the steam temperature sensor 430, etc., the bread bread notification unit 114, the sweet bun notification unit 115, the French bread notification unit 116, the temperature display unit 122, the humidity display unit 132, the time display unit 142, and the water supply notification The control signal for controlling each load of the unit 160, the indoor heater 300, the steam heater 420, the plunger pump 510, the sound generator 704 and the like is output to the load driving unit 703. The load drive unit 703 includes a drive circuit corresponding to each load, and drives each load according to a control signal from the control unit 701.

  The sound generator 704 is provided inside the front panel 30 and outputs a notification sound such as a buzzer sound for notifying that a completion notification melody or water needs to be supplied.

  In the storage unit 702, set values of temperature, humidity, and time corresponding to three driving courses of a bread bread course, a sweet bread course, and a French bread course are stored in the data table 702a. An example of the data table 702a is shown in FIG.

  The fermenter 1 according to the present embodiment includes, as an automatic operation course, a bread course for fermenting bread dough, a sweet bread course for fermenting bread dough such as sweet bread and roll bread, French bread, and similar bread. Fermentation operation of French bread course for fermenting bread dough is prepared. These driving courses can be selected with the bread bread button 111, the sweet bread button 112 and the French bread button 113 on the operation panel 31. By selecting a desired driving course, the user can appropriately set bread dough such as bread, confectionery bread, and French bread without manually setting fermentation conditions of temperature, humidity, and time according to the dough. Can be fermented under various fermentation conditions. In addition, in the fermenter 1 of this Embodiment, the user can also set fermentation conditions manually, and can also ferment doughs other than the above-mentioned bread dough on the set fermentation conditions.

  10 and 11 are flowcharts showing the control process of the fermentation operation by the control unit 701. FIG.

  When the power button 100 is pressed and the fermenter 1 is turned on, the control process of the fermentation operation is started by the control unit 701.

  The control unit 701 determines whether or not any of the bread course, the sweet bread course, or the French bread course has been selected by the bread button 111, the sweet bread button 112, or the French bread button 113 (S101). In addition, the control unit 701 determines whether or not the fermentation conditions of temperature, humidity, and time are manually set by the temperature setting button 121, the humidity setting button 131, and the time setting button 141 (S102). When the bread dough to be fermented is bread bread, sweet bread or French bread dough, the user selects an operation course according to the bread dough. On the other hand, the user manually sets the fermentation conditions when fermenting bread dough other than white bread, sweet bread or French bread.

  When any driving course is selected (S101: YES), the control unit 701 reads the temperature, humidity, and time of the selected driving course from the data table 702a (S103). Then, the control unit 701 displays the read temperature, humidity, and time on the temperature display unit 122, the humidity display unit 132, and the time display unit 142, respectively (S104). Moreover, the control part 701 lights the alerting | reporting part corresponding to the selected driving course among the bread bread alerting | reporting part 114, the sweet bun alerting | reporting part 115, and the French bread alerting | reporting part 116, and alert | reports a driving course (S104).

  On the other hand, when the temperature, humidity, and time are manually set (S102: YES), the control unit 701 sets the temperature, humidity, and time corresponding to the setting operation to the temperature display unit 122, the humidity display unit 132, and the time, respectively. It is displayed on the display unit 142 (S105). Specifically, the control unit 701 increases or decreases the temperature displayed on the temperature display unit 122 by a predetermined temperature (for example, 5 ° C.) each time the up button 121a or the down button 121b of the temperature setting button 121 is pressed. I will let you. The control unit 701 increases or decreases the humidity displayed on the humidity display unit 132 by a predetermined humidity (for example, 5%) each time the up button 131a or the down button 131b of the humidity setting button 131 is pressed. . Further, the control unit 701 increases or decreases the time displayed on the time display unit 142 by a predetermined time (for example, 1 minute) each time the up button 141a or the down button 141b of the time setting button 141 is pressed. .

  Next, the control unit 701 determines whether or not the current temperature and humidity detected by the temperature sensor 61 and the humidity sensor 62 are higher than the temperature and humidity set values set automatically or manually (S106). . The temperature suitable for fermentation such as bread dough set in the fermenter 1 is about 30 ° C. to 40 ° C., and is not a very high temperature. For this reason, when the time when the door 20 is opened after the previous fermentation operation is short, the temperature and humidity in the fermentation chamber 50 are sufficient from the end of the previous fermentation operation to the start of the current fermentation operation. It is relatively easy to cause no drop.

  When both the current temperature and humidity are equal to or lower than the respective set values (S106: NO), the control unit 701 starts the operation of the indoor heater 300 and the steam generator ST (S107). That is, in the steam generator ST, the control unit 701 operates the plunger pump 510 when the temperature of the heat storage case 410 reaches a set temperature (for example, 140 ° C.) after operating the steam heater 420 as described above. Operate intermittently. The control unit 701 maintains the temperature of the heat storage case 410 at the set temperature by performing PID control for adjusting the output of the steam heater 420 based on the temperature detected by the steam temperature sensor 430 during the fermentation operation.

  As described above, the set temperature of the heat storage case 410 is set to a relatively low temperature of about 120 ° C. to 140 ° C. so that the temperature in the fermentation chamber 50 is not easily affected. It is easily affected by the ambient temperature of 1 and changes in ambient temperature. Therefore, in the present embodiment, by performing PID control, the temperature of the heat storage case 410 can be accurately maintained at the set temperature even when the ambient temperature or a change in the ambient temperature is received.

  Thus, the fermenter 1 enters a preheating / humidifying operation (hereinafter simply referred to as “preheating operation”), and before the dough or the like is put into the fermentation chamber 50, the interior of the fermentation chamber 50 is heated and humidified.

  On the other hand, when at least one of the current temperature and humidity is greater than the set value (S106: YES), the control unit 701 is displayed on the temperature display unit 122 when the current temperature is greater than the set value. The temperature is flashed and when the current humidity is higher than the set value, the humidity displayed on the humidity display unit 132 is flashed (S108). Thereafter, when the temperature and / or humidity exceeding the set value becomes equal to or lower than the set value (S109: YES), the control unit 701 stops the temperature and / or humidity blinking display (S110). Then, the control unit 701 starts the operation of the indoor heater 300 and the steam generator ST (S107).

  When the preheating operation is started, the control unit 701 erases the time displayed on the time display unit 142 to notify that the preheating operation has been started, and instead of displaying the set values of temperature and humidity, the current temperature And the humidity are displayed on the temperature display unit 122 and the humidity display unit 132 (S111). For example, the time display unit 142 displays a horizontal bar (“-”) instead of the time display by numbers. In order to notify that the preheating operation has been started, instead of deleting the time on the time display unit 142, a notification unit such as an LED for notifying the preheating operation is provided, and the notification unit is turned on. May be taken.

  During the preheating operation, the control unit 701 determines whether both the temperature and humidity in the fermentation chamber 50 have reached the set values (S112). When both the temperature and the humidity reach the respective set values (S112: YES), the control unit 701 displays the time set value again on the time display unit 142 to inform the end of the preheating operation (S113). . And the control part 701 starts the maintenance control which maintains the temperature and humidity in the fermentation chamber 50 at each setting value (S114). That is, the control unit 701 stops the operation of the indoor heater 300 when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 61 exceeds the set value, and operates the indoor heater 300 when the detected temperature falls below the set value. In addition, the control unit 701 stops the operation (intermittent operation) of the plunger pump 510 when the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 62 exceeds the set value, and when the detected humidity falls below the set value, Start the operation (intermittent operation). Note that the steam heater 420 is maintained at the set temperature even when the plunger pump 510 is stopped.

  Next, the control unit 701 determines whether or not the start button 150 has been pressed (S115). When the user knows that the preheating operation has ended, the user puts bread dough or the like into the fermentation chamber 50 and then presses the start button 150.

  When the start button 150 is pressed (S115: YES), the control unit 701 starts counting down the set time (S116). During the countdown, the control unit 701 reduces the time displayed on the time display unit 142. After starting the countdown, the control unit 701 determines whether the countdown is completed (S117). When the countdown is completed (S117: YES), the control unit 701 ends the maintenance control of the indoor heater 300 and the steam generator ST, and stops these operations (S118). Then, in order to notify the end of the fermentation operation, the control unit 701 causes the sound generator 704 to output a completion notification melody (S119). Then, when predetermined time passes, the control part 701 will interrupt | block the power supply to the fermenter 1 (S120). In addition, when performing a fermentation operation continuously, a user selects an operation course again or sets a fermentation condition manually before a power supply is interrupted.

  Next, a specific control operation of the plunger pump 510 when supplying water to the heat storage case 410 during the fermentation operation will be described.

  12 and 13 are flowcharts showing the control operation of the plunger pump 510.

  With reference to FIGS. 12 and 13, the control unit 701 determines whether or not the current humidity H in the fermentation chamber 50 is lower than the set humidity Hs (S201), and the current temperature T of the heat storage case 410 reaches the set temperature Ts. It is determined whether or not (S202). When the current humidity H is lower than the set humidity Hs and the current temperature T has reached the set temperature Ts (S201: YES → S202: YES), the control unit 701 moves from the load driving unit 703 to the plunger pump 510. The drive pulse is output, and the plunger pump 510 is operated for a half stroke (S203). As a result, the water stored in the water storage case 32 and the water in the water supply path (consisting of the suction hose 520, the discharge hose 530 and the water supply nozzle 441) up to the heat storage case 410 are sent to the heat storage case 410 side by a certain amount of water supply. It is done. In the present embodiment, the amount of water supplied per operation (half-stroke operation) of the plunger pump 510, that is, the amount of water supplied into the heat storage case 410 is set to about 0.05 cc. Therefore, in the present embodiment, an amount of water of about 0.05 cc is supplied into the heat storage case 410 at one time.

  Next, the control unit 701 determines whether or not the waterless flag is set (S204). The waterless flag is a flag used for determining whether or not water supply to the heat storage case 410 is possible (whether or not there is water in the water storage case 32), and water supply to the heat storage case 410 becomes impossible. It is set when it is determined that the water storage case 32 has run out of water.

  When the no water flag is not set (S204: NO), the control unit 701 determines whether or not the first time t1 has elapsed since the drive pulse was output and until the first time t1 has elapsed. Then, it is monitored whether or not the temperature drop amount D (Ts−T) from the set temperature Ts exceeds a predetermined threshold value Ds (S205, S207).

  FIG. 14A is a diagram illustrating the operation of the plunger pump 510 and the temperature of the heat storage case 410 when water is normally supplied to the heat storage case 410.

  As shown in FIG. 14A, when the water supply for one time is supplied into the heat storage case 410 (steam generation chamber 414) by the operation of the plunger pump 510, the water evaporates in the heat storage case 410. Then, heat is taken away due to this evaporation, and the temperature of the heat storage case 410 is lowered. Since the heat storage case 410 continues to be heated by the steam heater 420, the temperature of the heat storage case 410 increases as the water evaporation stops, and eventually returns to the set temperature Ts.

  The threshold value Ds can be set to a value smaller by a predetermined amount than the maximum temperature decrease amount D when water is normally supplied into the heat storage case 410 by performing a test or the like in advance. Further, the first time t1 can be set to a longer time than when all the water in the heat storage case 410 is evaporated and the temperature returns to the set temperature Ts. As in the present embodiment, when the capacity of the steam heater 420 is 100 W and the amount of water supplied per time is about 0.05 cc, the first time t1 can be set to 4 seconds, for example.

  When the temperature drop amount D exceeds the threshold value Ds until the first time t1 has elapsed (S205: YES), the control unit 701 sets a water presence flag that is a flag indicating that water has been normally supplied ( S206).

  When the first time t1 has elapsed (S207: YES), if the water presence flag is set (S208: YES), the control unit 701 returns to the process of S201. If the current humidity H in the fermentation chamber 50 is lower than the set humidity Hs (S201: YES), the current temperature T of the heat storage case 410 has returned to the set temperature Ts as described above (S202: YES). The unit 701 again operates the plunger pump 510 by a half stroke (S203).

  In this way, when water is normally supplied into the heat storage case 410, the processes of S201 to S208 are repeated, and the water supply operation as shown in FIG. 14A is performed at a cycle of the first time t1. The intermittent operation of the jar pump 510 is performed. Water is supplied little by little (for example, 0.05 cc each) into the heat storage case 410, and steam is generated little by little from the steam generator 400 and supplied into the fermentation chamber 50.

  When the current humidity H in the fermentation chamber 50 reaches the set humidity Hs (S201: NO), the process does not proceed to S203. For this reason, the intermittent operation of the plunger pump 510 is stopped until the current humidity H becomes lower than the set humidity Hs.

  Now, when the water in the water storage case 32 is insufficient, the water in the water storage case 32 disappears during the fermentation operation, and even if the plunger pump 510 operates, the water cannot be supplied into the heat storage case 410. Can happen.

  FIG. 14B is a diagram showing the operation of the plunger pump 510 and the temperature of the heat storage case 410 when water supply to the heat storage case 410 becomes impossible.

  As shown in FIG. 14B, even if the plunger pump 510 is operated, if water is not supplied into the heat storage case 410, heat is not taken away by the water, so the temperature of the heat storage case 410 does not decrease. For this reason, the temperature drop amount D does not exceed the threshold value Ds, and the first time t1 elapses without the water presence flag being set (S205: NO → S207: YES). In this case, in S208, the control unit 701 determines that the water presence flag is not set (S208: NO). Based on this determination, the control unit 701 increments the number N1 of water supply (hereinafter referred to as “water supply abnormality number N1”) (S209), and the water supply abnormality number N1 after the increment reaches the predetermined number Ns. It is determined whether or not (S210). As the predetermined number of times Ns is set to a larger number, the time until it is detected that there is no water in the water storage case 32 becomes longer, and as the predetermined number of times Ns is set to a smaller number, it can be erroneously detected that there is no water. Since the performance increases, it is determined in consideration of these points. For example, the predetermined number Ns can be set to about 3 to 5 times.

  If the water supply abnormality number N1 has not reached the predetermined number Ns (S210: NO), the control unit 701 returns to the process of S201.

  If there is water in the water storage case 32, but normal temporary water supply is not possible due to air mixing into the water supply path, the water supply immediately returns to a normal state. In this case, it is determined in S205 that the temperature decrease amount D has exceeded the threshold value Ds, and the water-containing flag is set again in S206. At this time, the water supply abnormality frequency N1 is returned to zero.

  On the other hand, when the inability to supply water is not temporary, that is, when there is no water in the water storage case 32, the water supply abnormality number N1 reaches the predetermined number Ns (S210: YES). In this case, the control unit 701 turns on the water supply notification unit 160 and outputs a buzzer sound from the sound generator 704 (S211). As a result, the user is informed that it is necessary to supply water to the water storage case 32.

  Thereafter, the control unit 701 sets the no water flag (S212), returns the water supply abnormality frequency N1 to 0 (S213), and returns to the process of S201.

  If the waterless flag is set in S212, it is determined that the waterless flag is set in S204 after the plunger pump 510 is operated for a half stroke in S203 (S204: YES). In this case, the control unit 701 determines whether or not the second time t2 has elapsed since the drive pulse was output to the plunger pump 510, and the temperature decrease amount D is a threshold value until the second time t2 has elapsed. It is monitored whether or not Ds has been exceeded (S214, S216). The second time t2 is shorter than the first time t1. For example, if the first time t1 is 4 seconds, the second time t2 can be half that of 2 seconds.

  Water is supplied to the water storage case 32 by a user who notices lighting of the water supply notification unit 160 and a buzzer sound. However, at this time, there is often no water in the water supply path to the heat storage case 410. Further, the amount of water supplied by one operation of the plunger pump 510 is considerably smaller than the volume of the water supply path. For this reason, even if the plunger pump 510 operates, there is a possibility that water is not immediately supplied into the heat storage case 410.

  When water is not supplied into the heat storage case 410, the temperature drop amount D does not exceed the threshold value Ds, so the second time t2 elapses without the waterless flag being reset (S214: NO → S216: YES). .

  If the waterless flag has not been reset when the second time t2 has elapsed (S217: NO), the control unit 701 increments the number of operations N2 of the plunger pump 510 since the waterless flag is set ( S218), it is determined whether or not the number of operations N2 after the increment has reached a predetermined limit number Nr (S219). The limit number Nr is set in order to prevent the plunger pump 510 from operating for a long time without water being supplied to the water storage case 32. For example, the limit number Nr can be set to about 50 times.

  If the number of operations N2 has not reached the limit number Nr (S219: NO), the control unit 701 returns to the process of S201. At this time, no steam is generated from the steam generator 400, the current humidity H in the fermentation chamber 50 remains lower than the set humidity Hs (S201: YES), and the current temperature T of the heat storage case 410 is Since the set temperature Ts remains unchanged (S202: YES), the control unit 701 again operates the plunger pump 510 by a half stroke (S203).

  In this manner, when water is not normally supplied into the heat storage case 410, the processes of S201 to S204 and S214 to S219 are repeated, and the water supply operation is performed at the second time t2 as shown in FIG. The intermittent operation of the plunger pump 510 performed in a cycle is performed. By switching to such intermittent operation, the operation interval of the plunger pump 510 is shortened, so that the water replenished to the water storage case 32 is quickly sent toward the heat storage case 410 in the water supply path. Eventually, the water replenished in the water storage case 32 is supplied into the heat storage case 410.

  FIG. 14C is a diagram illustrating the operation of the plunger pump 510 and the temperature of the heat storage case 410 when water supply to the heat storage case 410 is resumed.

  As shown in FIG. 14 (c), when water is supplied to the heat storage case 410 by the operation of the plunger pump 510, the temperature of the heat storage case 410 decreases, so that the second time t <b> 2 elapses. The temperature drop amount D exceeds the threshold value Ds (S214: YES). Thereby, the control unit 701 resets the waterless flag (S215).

  Then, after the second time t2 has elapsed, the control unit 701 determines that the waterless flag has been reset (S217: YES), turns off the water supply notification unit 160 (S220), and returns to the process of S201. . Next, after the plunger pump 510 has operated for a half stroke in S203, it is determined in S204 that the waterless flag is not set (S204: NO), and thereafter, the processing of S201 to S208 is repeated. It becomes like this. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 14C, the intermittent operation of the plunger pump 510 in which the water supply operation is performed at the cycle of the first time t1 is performed again.

  In the case where water is not replenished in the water storage case 32, water is not supplied to the heat storage case 410 even if the plunger pump 510 is intermittently operated for a long period of the second time t2. Thus, when the number of operations N2 reaches the limit number Nr without resetting the waterless flag in S217 (S219: YES), the control unit 701 ends a series of control processes of the plunger pump 510. Thereby, the intermittent operation of the plunger pump 510 stops.

<Effect of Embodiment>
According to the present embodiment, the following operational effects can be achieved.

  (1) By supplying water intermittently (intermittently) into the heat storage case 410, water can be supplied little by little into the heat storage case 410, and steam is supplied little by little from the steam generator 400 into the fermentation chamber 50. can do. Thereby, the humidity in the fermentation chamber 50 can be finely controlled, and the inside of the fermentation chamber 50 can be prevented from becoming excessively humid.

  (2) Since intermittent water supply is performed at a cycle (period of the first time t1) in which the water supply into the next heat storage case 410 is performed after evaporation of the water supplied into the heat storage case 410 has subsided. The water supplied into the heat storage case 410 with one water supply can be sufficiently evaporated each time, and stable steam can be supplied into the fermentation chamber 50.

  (3) Period in which water is supplied into the next heat storage case 410 after the temperature of the heat storage case 410 that has decreased due to evaporation of the supplied water returns to the temperature before the decrease (period of the first time t1). Since the water is intermittently supplied, the water supplied into the heat storage case 410 can be sufficiently evaporated each time, and a stable supply of steam to the fermentation chamber 50 can be achieved. Can be done. Moreover, even if the set temperature Ts of the heat storage case 410 is set to be low so that the temperature in the fermentation chamber 50 is not easily affected, water is supplied in a state where the temperature of the heat storage case 410 is equal to or lower than the boiling point of water. Can be avoided.

  (4) Since the plunger pump 510 is used as a pump for supplying water to the heat storage case 410, by adjusting the number of strokes of the plunger pump 510, the amount of water supplied into the heat storage case 410 per time can be reduced. It can be adjusted easily. Thereby, the generation amount of steam per one time from the steam generator 400 can be easily adjusted.

  (5) By detecting a change in the temperature in the heat storage case 410, it is detected that the water in the water storage case 32 has disappeared and that the water has been replenished in the water storage case 32. That is, since the steam temperature sensor 430 for detecting the temperature of the heat storage case 410 is used for detecting the presence or absence of water in the water storage case 32, a dedicated water level sensor or the like for detecting the presence or absence of water in the water storage case 32 is used. It is not necessary to use detection means, and the increase in the number of parts and cost can be suppressed.

  (6) When it is detected that there is no water in the water storage case 32, the water supply notification unit 160 is turned on and a buzzer sound is output from the sound generator 704, so there is no water in the water storage case 32. This can be notified to the user.

  (7) Since it is detected that the water supply notification unit 160 is turned on, that is, the notification that there is no water in the water storage case 32 until it is detected that water has been replenished in the water storage case 32, Is easy to notice.

  (8) The temperature of the heat storage case 410 does not decrease properly. The number of operations of the plunger pump 510 (number of abnormal water supply N1) reaches the predetermined number of times Ns so that a notification is made to notify that there is no water in the water storage case 32. As a result, when the temperature does not fall temporarily temporarily because water is not temporarily supplied into the heat storage case 410 due to air mixing into the water supply path, etc., It is possible to prevent a notification that there is no water in the water storage case 32 from being performed.

  (9) After the notification that there is no water in the water storage case 32 is performed, the intermittent operation of the plunger pump 510 having a shorter cycle than before is performed, so that there is no water in the water supply path. In addition, the water replenished in the water storage case 32 can quickly reach the heat storage case 410. Thereby, it is possible to shorten the time from when water is supplied into the water storage case 32 until steam is generated.

  (10) When it is detected that water has been normally supplied into the heat storage case 410, the plunger pump 510 is immediately returned to the intermittent operation in the original cycle, so that the amount of steam generated from the steam generator 400 is inappropriate. Can be prevented.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and the like, and various modifications can be made to the embodiments of the present invention in addition to the above. is there.

<Modification 1>
In the above-described embodiment, it is detected that there is no water in the water storage case 32 by detecting that the temperature of the heat storage case 410 does not decrease properly even when the plunger pump 510 is operated. On the other hand, in this modified example, it is detected that there is no water in the water storage case 32 by detecting that the humidity in the fermentation chamber 50 does not rise properly even if the plunger pump 510 is operated.

  FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing a control operation of the plunger pump 510 according to the first modification.

  Referring to FIG. 15, control unit 701 determines that current humidity H in fermentation chamber 50 is lower than set humidity Hs, and current temperature T of heat storage case 410 has reached set temperature Ts (S301: YES). (S302: YES), the plunger pump 510 is operated by a half stroke (S303).

  Next, the control unit 701 determines whether or not the waterless flag is set (S304). When the no water flag is not set (S304: NO), the control unit 701, when the first time t1 has elapsed from the output of the drive pulse (S305: YES), increases the humidity C in the past predetermined period. It is determined whether or not exceeds a predetermined threshold Cs (S306). When there is water in the water storage case 32 and water is normally supplied into the heat storage case 410, the amount of increase in humidity C exceeds a predetermined threshold Cs (S306: YES). In this case, the control unit 701 returns to the process of S301. In this manner, when water is normally supplied into the heat storage case 410, the processing of S301 to S306 is repeated, and the intermittent operation of the plunger pump 510 in which the water supply operation is performed at the period of the first time t1 is performed. .

  When the water in the water storage case 32 runs out and water is not normally supplied into the heat storage case 410, the humidity increase amount C does not exceed the threshold value Cs (S306: NO). In this case, after setting the no water flag (S307), the control unit 701 turns on the water supply notification unit 160 and outputs a buzzer sound from the sound generator 704 (S308). Thereafter, the control unit 701 returns to the process of S301.

  If the waterless flag is set in S307, it is determined that the waterless flag is set in S304 after the plunger pump 510 is operated for a half stroke in S303 (S304: YES). In this case, when the second time t2 has elapsed since the drive pulse was output to the plunger pump 510 (S309), the control unit 701 determines whether or not the humidity increase amount C has exceeded a predetermined threshold Cs (S310). ). If the plunger pump 510 is not operated a certain number of times after the user replenishes the water in the water storage case 32, the water is not supplied into the heat storage case 410 and the humidity in the fermentation chamber 50 does not increase. For this reason, the amount of increase in humidity C does not exceed the predetermined threshold Cs (S310: NO), and during that time, the processing of S301 to S304, S309, and S310 is repeated, and the water supply operation is performed at a cycle of the second time t2. The pump 510 is intermittently operated.

  When water is supplied into the heat storage case 410, steam is generated from the steam generator 400, and thus the humidity increase amount C exceeds a predetermined threshold value Cs (S310: YES). In this case, the control unit 701 resets the no water flag (S311), turns off the water supply notification unit 160 (S312), and returns to the process of S301. Thereafter, since it is determined in S304 that the waterless flag is not set (S304: NO), the processes of S301 to S306 are repeated again. Thereby, the intermittent operation of the plunger pump 510 in which the water supply operation is performed at the period of the first time t1 is performed again.

  According to the configuration of this modified example, it is detected that the water in the water storage case 32 has disappeared by detecting the change in humidity in the fermentation chamber 50 and that the water has been replenished in the water storage case 32. I have to. That is, since the humidity sensor 62 for detecting the humidity in the fermentation chamber 50 is used for detecting the presence or absence of water in the water storage case 32, a dedicated water level sensor or the like for detecting the presence or absence of water in the water storage case 32 is used. It is not necessary to use detection means, and the increase in the number of parts and cost can be suppressed.

<Other changes>
For example, in the above embodiment, as soon as the water storage case 32 runs out of water and the water supply notification unit 160 is turned on, the plunger pump 510 is intermittently operated in which the water supply operation is performed at the period of the second time t2. It was broken. However, when the water supply restart button is provided on the operation panel 31 and the water supply restart button is pressed after the water supply notification unit 160 is turned on, the intermittent operation is performed at the period of the second time t2, until then. The intermittent operation may be stopped. Further, a detection switch for detecting that the water storage case 32 is housed in the front panel 30 is provided, and after the water supply notification unit 160 is lit, the water storage case 32 once pulled out by the detection switch is connected to the front panel 30. When it is detected that the battery is housed inside the vehicle, the intermittent operation is performed in the period of the second time t2, and the intermittent operation may be stopped until then.

  Furthermore, in the said embodiment, when the water supply abnormality frequency | count N1 reaches the predetermined frequency Ns, the alerting | reporting by the water supply alerting | reporting part 160 grade | etc., Is performed. By the way, when a long period is vacant from the previous fermentation operation, when the fermentation operation is started, water in the water supply path such as the discharge hose 530 spontaneously evaporates even if there is water in the water storage case 32. May be lost. Therefore, in order to deal with such a situation, when the water-containing flag is not set after the plunger pump 510 is first operated after the fermentation operation is started, the predetermined number Ns is set during the fermentation operation. In this case, the predetermined number of times Ns may be increased when the water flag is not set. For example, if the predetermined number Ns in the latter case is about 3 to 5 times, the predetermined number Ns in the former case can be set to about 10.

  Alternatively, the predetermined number Ns is not changed as described above, and immediately after the start of the fermentation operation, even if the water supply abnormality number N1 reaches the predetermined number Ns, the notification by the water supply notification unit 160 or the like is not immediately performed. Good. In this case, when intermittent operation of the plunger pump 510 at the second time t2 is performed for a predetermined period (predetermined number of operations), water supply notification is given when water is not supplied into the heat storage case 410 and the waterless flag is not reset. The notification by the unit 160 or the like may be performed.

  Furthermore, in view of the fact that water is likely to run out in the water supply path immediately after the start of the fermentation operation, when the water is first supplied into the heat storage case 410 after the start of the fermentation operation, the second is performed only for a predetermined period (a predetermined number of operations). The plunger pump 510 may be intermittently operated at the time t2.

  Further, in the above embodiment, when the number of operations N2 of the plunger pump 510 after the no water flag is set reaches the limit number Nr, the control unit 701 ends the series of control processes of the plunger pump 510. I let you. However, when the elapsed time after the no water flag is set reaches a predetermined time limit (for example, a time of about 2 minutes to 5 minutes), the control unit 701 performs a series of control processes of the plunger pump 510. You may make it complete | finish.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the plunger pump 510 is operated by a half stroke for one water supply. However, the number of strokes of the plunger pump 510 can be changed as appropriate according to the amount of water supply desired. That is, the plunger pump 510 may be operated by one stroke or a plurality of strokes per time.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the plunger pump 510 is used for the water supply device 500. However, a water supply pump other than the plunger pump 510 may be used.

  Furthermore, in the said embodiment, the water storage case 32 was provided in the position of the front panel 30 so that extraction | drawer was possible. However, the water storage case 32 may be provided at any position as long as the user can supply water.

  In addition, the embodiment of the present invention can be variously modified as appropriate within the scope of the technical idea shown in the claims.

32 Water storage case (water storage part)
50 Fermentation room
62 Humidity sensor (humidity detector)
400 Steam generator 410 Heat storage case (heat storage part)
420 Steam heater (heating unit)
430 Steam temperature sensor (temperature detector)
500 Water supply 510 Plunger pump (water supply part)
701 control unit
ST Steam generator

Claims (5)

A fermentation chamber in which the material to be fermented is stored;
A steam generator for generating steam for humidifying the fermentation chamber;
A control unit,
The steam generator includes a heat storage unit, a heating unit that heats the heat storage unit, a temperature detection unit for detecting the temperature of the heat storage unit, and a water storage unit that stores water supplied to the heat storage unit, A water supply unit that supplies water in the water storage unit to the heat storage unit heated by the heating unit, and water from the water supply unit touches the heat storage unit and evaporates to generate steam,
The control unit detects the presence or absence of water in the water storage unit based on a temperature change of the heat storage unit when the water supply unit is operated.
Fermenter characterized by that. In the fermenter of Claim 1,
Further comprising a notification unit,
The control unit causes the notification unit to perform notification to notify that there is no water in the water storage unit when the amount of decrease in the temperature of the heat storage unit is smaller than a threshold value.
Fermenter characterized by that. The fermenter according to claim 2,
The control unit operates the water supply unit intermittently, and the water storage unit has no water when the operation of the water supply unit continues for a predetermined number of times when the temperature decrease amount of the heat storage unit becomes smaller than a threshold value. To notify the notification unit to notify
Fermenter characterized by that. A fermentation chamber in which the material to be fermented is stored;
A steam generator for generating steam for humidifying the fermentation chamber;
A humidity detector for detecting the humidity in the fermentation chamber;
A control unit,
The steam generator includes a heat storage unit, a heating unit that heats the heat storage unit, a water storage unit that stores water supplied to the heat storage unit, and the heat storage unit that heats water in the water storage unit by the heating unit. A water supply unit that supplies water to the unit, and water from the water supply unit touches the heat storage unit and evaporates to generate steam,
The control unit detects the presence or absence of water in the water storage unit based on a humidity change in the fermentation chamber when the water supply unit is operated.
Fermenter characterized by that. In the fermenter of Claim 4,
Further comprising a notification unit,
The control unit causes the notification unit to perform notification for notifying that there is no water in the water storage unit when the amount of increase in humidity in the fermentation chamber is smaller than a threshold value.
Fermenter characterized by that.

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