JP2019195497A - Cooking tool - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a cooking tool capable of indicating a level of pressure in a container and easily determining the timing to open a lid.SOLUTION: A cooking tool comprises: a container which has an opening on a top surface and stores a content; a main body for storing the container; a lid body for covering the opening of the container; a heating device for heating the container; a pressure reduction device for reducing pressure in the container; a control device for controlling the heating device and the pressure reduction device, performing temperature raising control for heating the container to raise the temperature in the container to a set temperature, and performing low temperature boiling maintenance control for reducing the pressure in the container to a set pressure indicating saturation vapor pressure at the set temperature to boil the content; and reporting means for reporting a state in the container. The reporting means gradually reports the level of the pressure in the container in the temperature raising control and the low temperature boiling maintenance control.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a heating cooker that cooks food by decompression and temperature control.

  Conventionally, in a heating cooker, it is known that the contents inside the container can be heated by vacuuming and boiling at a low temperature of less than 100 ° C. to stir the contents and cook the whole uniformly. Yes. In such a heating cooker, the temperature rise of the contents can be promoted by the heat of condensation of the generated steam, and the cooking time can be shortened.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a rice cooker as a heating cooker that performs cooking by decompressing the inside of a pan using a decompression pump. When the inside of the pan is decompressed, the rice cooker displays a decompressed state indicating that the inside of the pan is decompressed, and suppresses the user from opening the lid carelessly.

JP2011-87998A

  By the way, when a heating cooker is a rice cooker, in a rice cooker, normally, a lid | cover is not opened and closed until rice and water are thrown into a pot and a switch is pressed and rice cooking is complete | finished. That is, the timing when the user opens the lid of the rice cooker is almost after the end of the rice cooking. Therefore, when rice cooking is finished and the inside of the pan is in a depressurized state, it is necessary to wait until the inside of the pan becomes normal pressure, or to perform the work of forcibly returning the pressure in the pan to normal pressure. To indicate to the user, it is sufficient to indicate that the pan is in a reduced pressure state.

  On the other hand, in a cooking device that combines reduced pressure and temperature control to cook various ingredients such as meat and vegetables at a lower pressure, it is suitable according to the amount and type of ingredients put into the pan by the user. Different pressure, temperature and maintenance time. Further, accordingly, the time required for forcibly returning the pressure in the pan to normal pressure, the temperature of the pan, and the state of the steam are different.

  In such a heating cooker, it is difficult to determine the timing for opening the lid, and it is difficult to determine the temperature of the steam and water droplets when the lid is opened, simply by indicating whether or not the inside of the pan is in a reduced pressure state. Therefore, when the user opens the lid, the high-temperature steam may unexpectedly come out and the user may be surprised. In addition, when displaying the pressure in the pan, it may be possible to display the magnitude of the pressure as a numerical value, but even in that case, for the general user, how much the displayed pressure value is. It is difficult to judge.

  This invention is made | formed in view of said subject, Comprising: While showing the height of the pressure in a container, it aims at providing the cooking device which can judge easily the timing which opens a lid | cover. To do.

  The cooking device of the present invention has an opening on the upper surface, a container for storing contents, a main body for storing the container, a lid for covering the opening of the container, and heating for heating the container. A device, a decompression device for decompressing the inside of the container, a heating control for controlling the heating device and the decompression device, heating the container to a set temperature, and maintaining the set temperature, A controller for performing low-temperature boiling maintenance control for reducing the inside of the container to a set pressure indicating a saturated vapor pressure at the set temperature and boiling the contents; and a notification means for informing the state in the container; The notification means notifies stepwise the height of the pressure in the container during the temperature rise control and the low temperature boiling maintenance control.

  As described above, according to the heating cooker of the present invention, the level of pressure in the container can be increased by informing stepwise the pressure level in the container during temperature rise control and low temperature boiling maintenance control. In addition, the timing for opening the lid can be easily determined.

It is a schematic cross section which shows an example of a structure of the heating cooker which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is the schematic for demonstrating the display by the operation display apparatus of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows an example of a structure of the control apparatus of FIG. It is a functional block diagram which shows an example of a structure of the control apparatus of FIG. It is the schematic which shows the example of a display of the temperature display part of FIG. It is the schematic which shows the example of a display of the pressure display part of FIG.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
Hereinafter, the cooking device according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the heating cooker 100 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the heating cooker 100 includes a main body 1 and an outer lid 2 that is engaged with the main body 1 so as to be freely opened and closed.

[Configuration of the heating cooker 100]
A container cover 3 is provided inside the main body 1. In the container cover 3, a pan-like container 4 having a bottomed cylindrical shape with an upper surface opened is detachably stored. In the container 4, contents such as ingredients to be heated are accommodated. A heating device 5 is provided on the outer wall of the container cover 3. The heating device 5 is, for example, a heating coil 5a swirled in a spiral shape on the container cover 3, and induction-heats the container 4 with a magnetic field generated when a high-frequency current is supplied. The heating operation of the heating device 5 is controlled by the control device 50. The heating device 5 is not limited to this example, and a heater or the like that generates heat when current is supplied may be used.

  A through hole is formed in the center of the bottom surface of the container cover 3, and the temperature sensor 6 is disposed in the through hole. The temperature sensor 6 is supported from below by a compression spring 7 and is disposed so as to contact the bottom of the container 4. The temperature sensor 6 measures the temperature of the container 4.

  The container 4 is provided with a handle portion 8. The handle portion 8 is locked on a holding portion (not shown) provided on the container cover 3. Thereby, the container 4 is held in the main body 1. Around the upper surface opening of the container 4, a flange portion 4a extending outward is formed.

  Connected to the outer lid 2 is an inner lid 9 that is a lid that covers the upper surface opening of the container 4. On the peripheral edge of the inner lid 9, a lid packing 10 that is a sealing material is provided. When the outer lid 2 is closed, the lid packing 10 can obtain a sealing property between the flange 4 a and the inner wall of the container 4 and the inner lid 9.

  The inner lid 9 is provided with an inner lid ventilation hole 16 penetrating therethrough. The outer lid 2 is connected between the outer lid vent holes 17a to 17c that open to the outer surface, and the inner lid vent hole 16 and the outer lid vent holes 17a to 17c. Tubes 18a to 18c are formed. The communication pipes 18 a to 18 c are formed in a hollow shape, and a path packing 19 for hermetically connecting to the inner lid vent hole 16 is disposed at the end on the inner lid vent hole 16 side.

  A pressure reducing pump 20 that is a pressure reducing device and a path switching valve 21 are disposed in the communication pipe 18a. The decompression pump 20 sucks the air in the container 4 through the inner lid vent hole 16, and discharges the sucked air to the outside through the communication pipe 18a and the outer lid vent hole 17a. To do. The driving of the vacuum pump 20 is controlled by the control device 50. The path switching valve 21 is provided closer to the inner lid vent hole 16 than the decompression pump 20, and is connected to the intake port of the decompression pump 20 and the outer lid vent hole 17c. The path switching valve 21 communicates the decompression pump 20 with the outer lid vent hole 17 c or the inner lid vent hole 16 based on the control of the control device 50.

  An open / close valve 22 is disposed in the communication pipe 18b. The on-off valve 22 opens and closes the flow path from the inner lid vent hole 16 to the outer lid vent hole 17b of the communication pipe 18b. The opening / closing operation of the opening / closing valve 22 is controlled by the control device 50.

  The outer lid vent hole 17a is preferably disposed on the side or bottom surface of the outer lid 2. This is to prevent moisture and foreign matter from entering the decompression pump 20 and to suppress failure. Further, the outer lid vent holes 17a to 17c are arranged as exhaust holes for exhausting the air in the container 4 to the outside. However, such exhaust holes are not limited to this. You may arrange | position in a bottom part etc.

  A steam hole 11 is formed in the inner lid 9. A steam discharge valve 12 is disposed in the steam hole 11. The steam discharge valve 12 seals or closes the inside of the container 4. When the inner lid vent hole 16 is closed by the path switching valve 21 and the on-off valve 22, the contents in the container 4 are heated to generate steam, and when the pressure in the container 4 exceeds 1 atm, The discharge valve 12 opens. Moreover, when the inside of the container 4 becomes a low pressure, the steam discharge valve 12 is closed by its own weight.

  A cartridge 13 is disposed downstream of the steam discharge valve 12. The cartridge 13 includes a steam discharge port 14. The steam discharge port 14 discharges the steam in the container 4 through the steam discharge valve 12 when the steam discharge valve 12 is opened. The cartridge 13 is provided with a cartridge packing 15 for sealing the vapor discharge path.

  The inner lid 9 is provided with a sensor hole 23 therethrough. A lid sensor 24 and a lid sensor packing 25 are disposed on the outer lid 2. The lid sensor 24 measures the temperature or pressure in the container 4 through the sensor hole 23. The lid sensor packing 25 is provided to seal the sensor hole 23 and the outer lid 2.

(Operation display device 26)
The main body 1 is provided with an operation display device 26 as a notification means. The operation display device 26 performs input of a cooking mode selection operation by the user, and displays an operation state and the like. The operation display device 26 is provided with various buttons as an operation unit, LEDs (Light Emitting Diode), LCDs (Liquid Crystal Display), and the like as display units. The operation display device 26 is not limited to being installed on the main body 1, and may be installed on the outer lid 2, for example. Various functions such as operation and display on the operation display device 26 may be realized by an external device such as a smartphone.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining display by the operation display device 26 of FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the operation display device 26 is provided with a display area 27, and the display area 27 is provided with a temperature display section 27a, a pressure display section 27b, and a boiling display section 27c.

  The temperature display unit 27 a displays the temperature state in the container 4 that changes as the container 4 is heated by the heating device 5. The temperature display unit 27a includes a plurality of LEDs, and displays the temperature state in the container 4 in a stepwise manner, for example, by turning on or off the plurality of LEDs. In this example, the temperature display unit 27a is configured by three LEDs, and displays the temperature in the container 4 in four stages from normal temperature to 100 ° C.

  For example, in the temperature display portion 27a, a state in which all three LEDs are turned off indicates that the temperature in the container 4 is about room temperature. Moreover, the state in which all three LEDs are lit indicates that the temperature in the container 4 is about 100 ° C.

  The pressure display part 27b displays the height of the pressure in the container 4 that changes as the decompression pump 20 is driven. The pressure display unit 27b includes a plurality of LEDs, and displays the height of the pressure in the container 4 in a stepwise manner, for example, by turning on or off the plurality of LEDs. In this example, the pressure display unit 27b is composed of three LEDs, and displays the pressure in the container 4 in four stages from atmospheric pressure to vacuum. Here, “vacuum” is determined by the performance of the decompression pump 20 and is, for example, less than 0.2 atm.

  For example, in the pressure display portion 27b, a state in which all three LEDs are turned off indicates that the pressure in the container 4 is about atmospheric pressure. Moreover, the state in which all three LEDs are lit indicates that the pressure in the container 4 is about a vacuum (less than 0.2 atm).

  The boiling display part 27c displays whether the contents in the container 4 are boiling. The boiling display part 27c is comprised by LED, for example, and displays the boiling state of the content by lighting or light extinction of LED. For example, in the boiling display part 27c, the state where the LED is lit indicates that the contents are boiling. Moreover, the state in which the LED is turned off indicates that the contents are not boiling.

(Control device 50)
The cooking device 100 in FIG. 1 includes a control device 50. The control device 50 controls the heating cooker 100 as a whole. In particular, in the first embodiment, the control device 50 controls display on the operation display device 26 based on the measurement results of the temperature sensor 6 and the lid sensor 24. The control device 50 has various functions realized by executing software on an arithmetic device such as a microcomputer, or is configured by hardware such as a circuit device that realizes various functions. The control device 50 may be provided on the main body 1 or on the outer lid 2.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control device 50 of FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, a high-frequency current is supplied to the control device 50 to the decompression pump 20, the path switching valve 21, the on-off valve 22, the temperature sensor 6, the lid sensor 24, the operation display device 26, and the heating coil 5a. The inverter unit 30 is electrically connected.

  FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control device 50 of FIG. In FIG. 4, only functions related to display by the operation display device 26 are illustrated. As shown in FIG. 4, the control device 50 includes a temperature detection unit 51, a pressure detection unit 52, a boiling detection unit 53, a display control unit 54, and a storage unit 55.

  Based on the temperature of the container 4 measured by the temperature sensor 6, the temperature detection unit 51 detects the temperature zone of the contents in the container 4 during or after cooking.

  When the lid sensor 24 is a pressure sensor, the pressure detector 52 detects the pressure in the container 4 during cooking or after cooking based on the pressure in the container 4 measured by the lid sensor 24. Moreover, the pressure detection part 52 calculates and detects the pressure in the container 4 based on the various information previously memorize | stored in the memory | storage part 55, when the heating cooker 100 is not provided with the pressure sensor.

  Specifically, during cooking, the pressure detection unit 52 calculates the pressure in the container 4 according to the elapsed time from the start of pressure reduction based on the pressure reduction speed of the pressure reduction pump 20 stored in advance in the storage unit 55. Since the decompression speed in this case also varies depending on the amount of air in the container 4, the pressure detector 52 determines the amount of air in the container 4 based on the temperature rise speed in the temperature raising process before the decompression pump 20 is driven, The pressure in the container 4 may be calculated based on the amount of air.

  In addition, after cooking is completed, the pressure detection unit 52 determines the pressure in the container 4 according to the elapsed time from the start of pressurization based on the time required for pressurization when the on-off valve 22 stored in the storage unit 55 is opened. Is calculated.

  In this case, the inside of the container 4 returns to the atmospheric pressure, and the timing at which the outer lid 2 can be opened cannot be accurately determined, and the pressure display may be delayed. Therefore, the pressure detection unit 52 may accurately display the timing when the inside of the container 4 becomes atmospheric pressure using the steam discharge valve 12. When the pressure in the container 4 returns to the atmospheric pressure, the steam discharge valve 12 is not applied with a force toward the container 4, so that slight deformation or displacement occurs from the state in the reduced pressure state. By using a sensor such as a touch sensor linked to this displacement, the timing at which the inside of the container 4 returns to atmospheric pressure can be accurately detected. Further, a pressure detection means may be provided in the fixed portion of the steam discharge valve 12 to detect the force directly applied to the steam discharge valve 12.

  When the lid sensor 24 is a temperature sensor that measures the temperature in the container 4, the boiling detection unit 53 is based on the temperature measured by the lid sensor 24 and the temperature of the container 4 by the temperature sensor 6. Detects boiling of contents. The temperature of the container 4 increases in proportion to the amount of input power in the atmospheric pressure state, but when boiling starts, a constant temperature is maintained regardless of the amount of input power. Therefore, when the input is continued with the same electric power as that at the time of temperature increase, the temperature gradient of the container 4 detected by the temperature sensor 6 changes. Therefore, the boiling detector 53 may detect boiling based on the temperature gradient when the temperature gradient is equal to or lower than a preset threshold value.

  The display control unit 54 controls the display by the operation display device 26 based on the results detected by the temperature detection unit 51, the pressure detection unit 52, and the boiling detection unit 53. Specifically, the display control unit 54 controls lighting and extinguishing of the LEDs of the temperature display unit 27a of the operation display device 26 based on the detection result by the temperature detection unit 51. The display control unit 54 controls lighting and extinguishing of the LED of the pressure display unit 27 b of the operation display device 26 based on the detection result by the pressure detection unit 52. The display control unit 54 controls lighting and extinguishing of the LED of the boiling display unit 27 c of the operation display device 26 based on the detection result by the boiling detection unit 53.

The storage unit 55 stores in advance various information used by each unit of the control device 50. Various types of information stored in the storage unit 55 are read in response to requests from the temperature detection unit 51, the pressure detection unit 52, and the boiling detection unit 53, respectively.
Further, the storage unit 55 may store a cooking mode associated with a setting condition such as a temperature used during cooking.

[Operation of heating cooker 100]
Next, operation | movement of the heating cooker 100 which has the said structure is demonstrated. The heating cooker 100 according to the first embodiment performs cooking in a low-temperature boiling mode in which the inside of the container 4 is decompressed and the contents of the container 4 are boiled at a low temperature. The low temperature boiling mode has a temperature raising step, a low temperature boiling maintaining step, and a pressure raising step. In the following description, the contents such as meat, fish, and vegetables are referred to as “food” as appropriate, and the contents such as seasonings and water are referred to as “seasoning liquid” as appropriate.

  The temperature raising step is a step of raising the temperature in the container 4 to a set temperature T of less than 100 ° C. The low temperature boiling maintaining step maintains the temperature in the container 4 heated to the set temperature T in a state where the container 4 is sealed, and reduces the pressure to the saturated vapor pressure at the set temperature T to boil the contents. This is a process of maintaining boiling. The pressure increasing step is a step of increasing the pressure in the container 4 to atmospheric pressure.

  In the low-temperature boiling maintenance step, the inside of the container 4 is depressurized, so that it boils even if the temperature in the container 4 is less than 100 ° C. Therefore, in the container 4, convection is promoted and heat transfer is improved as compared with the case where it is maintained at the same temperature at atmospheric pressure, the contents are heated uniformly, and the cooking time is shortened. Moreover, dehydration from foodstuffs is suppressed and cooking is improved by shortening cooking time. Furthermore, since the space in the container 4 is filled with steam at a temperature lower than 100 ° C., the portion of the food material exposed from the broth is heated, so a uniform finish can be obtained even with a small amount of broth. In other words, it is not necessary to add extra boiling broth.

  The cooking operation in the low-temperature boiling mode in the heating cooker 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3. Here, the case where the heating coil 5a is used as the heating device 5 will be described as an example.

  First, ingredients such as meat, fish and vegetables necessary for cooking an arbitrary menu, and seasoning liquids such as water and seasonings are put into the container 4 by the user. Thereafter, when the user holds the handle portion 8, the container 4 is placed on the container cover 3 and the outer lid 2 is closed. Thereby, the lid packing 10 of the inner lid 9 is pressed against the flange portion 4a of the container 4, and the inside of the container 4 is sealed.

  Next, the operation display device 26 is operated by the user, and the low temperature boiling mode is selected from various cooking modes. For example, a button (not shown) provided on the operation display device 26 is operated by the user, and cooking or storage conditions are set. The cooking or storage conditions include, for example, the pressure in the container 4, the pressure increase rate, the cooking time, the temperature, and the like.

  When various conditions are set by the user and a switch (not shown) of the operation display device 26 is turned on, a cooking start instruction is given to the control device 50, and cooking in the low-temperature boiling mode is started. At this time, various set conditions are given to the control device 50 as instructions.

  In addition, the combination of conditions, such as the pressure in the container 4, a pressure increase rate, cooking time, and temperature, may be memorize | stored in the control apparatus 50 previously as cooking mode, for example. Thereby, when setting various conditions, the cooking or storage conditions are automatically set only by selecting the stored cooking mode by the user. Therefore, the user can easily set various conditions.

  When the setting of various conditions is given to the control device 50, the temperature raising process is started. In this case, a high frequency current is supplied from the inverter unit 30 to the heating coil 5a, and a high frequency magnetic field is generated. The surface facing the heating coil of the container 4 is excited by being magnetically coupled to the heating coil 5 a by the generated high frequency magnetic field, and an eddy current is induced on the bottom surface of the container 4. Then, Joule heat is generated by the induced eddy current and the resistance of the container 4, the bottom surface of the container 4 generates heat, and the contents in the container 4 are heated. Thereafter, when the temperature of the container 4 reaches the set temperature T, the inverter unit 30 is controlled, and a low-temperature boiling maintenance process for depressurizing the inside of the container 4 while the set temperature is maintained is started.

  In the low-temperature boiling maintenance step, the control device 50 controls the heating device 5 so that the temperature of the contents in the container 4 maintains a set temperature T such as 70 ° C. based on the temperature of the container 4 detected by the temperature sensor 6. Control the heating by. Here, “the temperature of the contents in the container 4 maintains the set temperature T” indicates that the temperature of the contents in the container 4 maintains a temperature range including the set temperature T.

  The control device 50 closes the on-off valve 22 before and after the temperature of the contents reaches the set temperature T, and controls the path switching valve 21 so that the inner lid vent hole 16 and the decompression pump 20 communicate with each other. The decompression pump 20 is driven. At this time, the control device 50 controls the drive of the decompression pump 20 so that the pressure in the container 4 becomes the set pressure P that is the saturated vapor pressure of the set temperature T. Thereby, while the inside of the container 4 is in a sealed state, the air inside is discharged to the outside, the pressure in the container 4 gradually decreases, and becomes less than atmospheric pressure. When the pressure in the container 4 reaches the set pressure P, the contents in the container 4 boil. The control device 50 drives the decompression pump 20 until the contents in the container 4 boil.

  The boiling detection of the contents can be determined based on the detection result of the lid sensor 24, for example. When the lid sensor 24 is a temperature sensor that measures the temperature in the container 4, the control device 50 determines the boiling of the contents based on the measurement results of the lid sensor 24 and the temperature sensor 6. Specifically, the control device 50 uses the temperature measured by the lid sensor 24 as the space temperature in the container 4, the space temperature measured by the lid sensor 24, and the temperature of the container 4 measured by the temperature sensor 6. When the temperature difference of is less than the set value, the boiling of the contents is detected.

  When the lid sensor 24 is a pressure sensor that measures the pressure in the container 4, the control device 50 may detect the boiling of the contents based on the measurement result of the pressure sensor. Specifically, when the pressure in the container 4 measured by the lid sensor 24 reaches the set pressure P, the control device 50 detects the boiling of the contents.

  Furthermore, the control device 50 may set the drive time of the decompression pump 20 in advance, and drive the decompression pump 20 for the set drive time. In this case, the time required for decompression in the container 4 varies depending on the amount of contents. Therefore, the control device 50 may calculate the amount of the contents based on the temperature rising time up to the set temperature T in the temperature increasing step, and change the driving time of the decompression pump 20 according to the calculation result.

  After the cooking is completed, when the decompression release button provided on the operation display device 26 is pressed by the user, the pressure increasing process is started. In the pressure increasing process, the control device 50 opens the on-off valve 22 to make the inside of the container 4 communicate with the outside. As a result, the atmosphere flows into the container 4 in a decompressed state, and the inside of the container 4 is pressurized to atmospheric pressure.

  In addition, it may be necessary to open the outer lid 2 during cooking after cooking is started in the low-temperature boiling mode. In this case, the user presses a pause button provided on the operation display device 26. Thereby, the control apparatus 50 controls to stop the heating by the heating apparatus 5.

  When the inside of the container 4 is in a depressurized state when the pause button is operated, the control device 50 opens the on-off valve 22 to allow outside air to flow into the container 4 to increase the pressure inside the container 4. At this time, the control device 50 may change the display by the operation display device 26 so that the pressure in the container 4 is changed from the reduced pressure state to the atmospheric pressure.

  Moreover, the cooking device 100 according to the first embodiment further includes a reduced pressure storage mode and a warming mode. The decompression storage mode is a mode in which the contents in the cooked container 4 or the contents remaining after the meal are stored in a high vacuum state, and includes a storage process.

  A preservation | save process is a process of preserve | saving the cooked content in a high vacuum state. When the preservation step is performed immediately after cooking is finished, the heating of the container 4 is stopped as it is. Moreover, a preservation | save process WHEREIN: When the content which remains after a meal is preserve | saved, the container 4 is heated, and after the remaining content is heated again and sterilized, heating is stopped.

  When the content remaining after a meal is stored, the remaining content is put into the container 4 by the user. Thereafter, the container 4 is placed on the container cover 3 and the outer lid 2 is closed. And the operation display apparatus 26 is operated by the user, the decompression preservation | save mode is selected from various cooking modes, and the conditions for preservation | save are set. Thereafter, when various conditions are set by the user and a switch (not shown) of the operation display device 26 is turned on, a storage start instruction is given to the control device 50, and storage in the decompression storage mode is started.

  In the storage step, heating of the container 4 is stopped and the inside of the container 4 is allowed to cool in a sealed state. The control apparatus 50 heats the container 4 with the heating apparatus 5, and performs heating equivalent to or higher than the heat sterilization capability when the contents are maintained at a temperature of, for example, 75 ° C. for only 1 minute. And the control apparatus 50 cools the container 4 in the state which maintained sealing.

  The temperature in the container 4 gradually decreases, and the natural pressure is gradually reduced in a sealed state due to steam condensate and air volume contraction. Therefore, the contents are stored hygienically in a vacuum state while preventing inflow of bacteria and the like from the outside. At this time, depending on the amount of air and the amount of steam in the container 4, a higher vacuum state can be achieved than when the pressure is reduced using the pressure reducing pump 20. Specifically, when the inside of the container 4 is filled with higher temperature steam and the amount of air in the container 4 is small, the inside of the container 4 is in a high vacuum state.

  In the reduced pressure storage mode, it is displayed that the inside of the container 4 is heated and sterilized. Thereby, since the temperature state of the container 4 and the state which is sterilizing can be confirmed from the outside, the user can preserve | save the content in comfort.

  The warming mode is a mode for warming the contents in the container 4 to a preset temperature. In the warming mode, the temperature zone in the container 4 is displayed while the contents are warmed. This eliminates the need for the user to directly check the temperature by touching the contents. Therefore, the user can determine the necessity of warming the contents, and can save labor.

  In addition, although the above demonstrated the case where cooking by the process matched with one temperature range was performed in the low temperature boiling maintenance process, this is not restricted to this example. For example, in the heating cooker 100 according to the first embodiment, cooking may be performed by combining processes corresponding to a plurality of temperature zones.

  Moreover, the cooking mode by the heating cooker 100 is not restricted to the cooking mode mentioned above. For example, when the cooking device 100 is maintained at a certain temperature, the pressure is reduced to a pressure higher than the saturated vapor pressure at the temperature and lower than the atmospheric pressure, or changed from the reduced pressure state to the atmospheric pressure. You may provide the mode which acquires the effect of making a content soak into a content.

[Display by operation display device 26]
The display by the operation display device 26 will be described. In the first embodiment, the heating cooker 100 displays the state in the container 4 on the operation display device 26. Below, the display in each operation state in the case of cooking in low temperature boiling mode is demonstrated.

(Display when cooking is set)
When the cooking operation is set, the operation display device 26 displays various conditions such as the temperature zone, pressure, and heating time in the container 4 set by the user. When various conditions are set by selecting a cooking mode by the user, the operation display device 26 displays various conditions corresponding to the selected cooking mode. At this time, the name of the cooking mode may be displayed on the operation display device 26.

  The temperature zone of the various conditions can be appropriately selected from a plurality of temperature zones according to the contents of cooking, for example, and the operation display device 26 displays information indicating the selected temperature zone. As the temperature zone, for example, “60 ° C. to 75 ° C.” in which the meat does not shrink and finishes softly, “75 ° C. to 90 ° C.” that can suppress overheating by heating the fish in a short time, and soften vegetables One of the temperature zones is selected from “85 ° C. to 100 ° C.” that finishes with a good texture.

  The operation display device 26 may display the value of the selected temperature range as it is. In addition, the operation display device 26 is not limited to this, and the operation display device 26 associates food materials used for cooking with each temperature range, such as “meat”, “fish”, and “vegetable” corresponding to the selected temperature range. You may display the name of foodstuff.

  The heating time can be appropriately selected from a plurality of heating times set at a set time interval of, for example, every 10 minutes, and the operation display device 26 displays the selected time. The operation display device 26 may display the selected time as it is. The operation display device 26 may display information indicating a relative length of time such as “short”, “medium”, and “long”.

  For the pressure, the operation display device 26 displays, for example, the saturated vapor pressure in the selected temperature range as the set pressure. The operation display device 26 may display the set pressure as it is. The operation display device 26 may display information indicating the relative pressure height such as “low”, “medium”, and “high”.

  In addition, it is preferable that the temperature zone and the heating time can be finely adjusted because cooking according to the user's preference can be performed. In this case, the operation display device 26 displays the temperature zone and the heating time changed by the fine adjustment.

(Display when cooking and after cooking)
When cooking is performed and after cooking is finished, the operation display device 26 displays the state in the container 4 such as the temperature, pressure, and whether or not the container 4 is boiling at that time. The temperature, pressure, and boiling state in the container 4 when cooking is performed and after cooking is displayed on the temperature display unit 27a in FIG.

(Temperature display)
The display of the temperature in the container 4 by the temperature display part 27a will be described. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a display example of the temperature display unit 27a of FIG. FIG. 5 shows a first temperature display example 28a to a fourth temperature display example 28d of the temperature display unit 27a.

  The first temperature display example 28a shows a display when the temperature in the container 4 is higher than the set temperature T and is included in a temperature range up to 100 ° C. which is the boiling point at atmospheric pressure. . In this case, in the temperature display unit 27a, all the three LEDs are lit.

  In the second temperature display example 28b, a display when the temperature in the container 4 is included in the temperature zone including the set temperature T is shown. In this case, in the temperature display unit 27a, the first and second LEDs from the left among the three LEDs are lit.

  In the third temperature display example 28c, a display when the temperature in the container 4 is included in a temperature range higher than normal temperature and lower than the set temperature T is shown. In this case, in the temperature display unit 27a, the first LED from the left among the three LEDs is lit.

  In the fourth temperature display example 28d, a display when the temperature in the container 4 is included in a temperature range near room temperature is shown. In this case, in the temperature display unit 27a, all of the three LEDs are turned off. Note that if all three LEDs of the temperature display unit 27a are turned off, it is difficult for the user to determine whether the temperature in the container 4 is normal or whether the temperature is not displayed. Therefore, the fourth temperature display example 28d may not be included in the temperature stage display.

  Thus, in this Embodiment 1, when the temperature in the container 4 at the time of cooking is near the set temperature T by the temperature display part 27a, it is in a temperature zone higher than the set temperature T. It is displayed either when there is a temperature range lower than the set temperature T. That is, the temperature display unit 27a displays at least three levels from a low temperature zone to a high temperature zone with the set temperature T as a reference. Thereby, the user can grasp | ascertain the temperature state in the container 4 easily.

  Further, even if the set temperature and the heating time are the same, the temperature rising time differs depending on the amount of ingredients and the amount of seasoning liquid charged in the container 4, and the entire cooking time may be different from the cooking time assumed by the user. is there. At this time, by displaying the temperature in the container 4 stepwise as described above, it is clearly shown that the current cooking state is either rising or maintaining the temperature. Therefore, it can suppress that a user feels uneasy about cooking not being completed or cooking being too early.

  Further, even after the cooking is finished, the temperature in the container 4 is displayed on the temperature display unit 27a, so that the user can check the temperature in the container 4 without touching or reheating the container 4. .

  Note that the display of the temperature in the container 4 may be changed according to the cooking mode because the temperature range varies depending on the set temperature T depending on the cooking mode or the like.

(Pressure display)
The display of the pressure in the container 4 by the pressure display unit 27b will be described. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a display example of the pressure display unit 27b of FIG. FIG. 6 shows a first temperature display example 28a to a fourth temperature display example 28d of the temperature display unit 27a.

  In the first pressure display example 29a, a display when the pressure in the container 4 is atmospheric pressure is shown. In this case, in the pressure display unit 27b, all of the three LEDs are turned off. If all three LEDs of the pressure display unit 27b are turned off, it is difficult for the user to determine whether the pressure in the container 4 is the atmospheric pressure or whether the pressure is not displayed. Therefore, the first pressure display example 29a may not be included in the pressure stage display.

  In the second pressure display example 29b, a display when the pressure in the container 4 is higher than the set pressure P and lower than the atmospheric pressure is shown. In this case, in the pressure display unit 27b, the first LED from the left among the three LEDs is lit.

  In the third pressure display example 29c, a display when the pressure in the container 4 is the set pressure P is shown. In this case, in the pressure display unit 27b, the first and second LEDs from the left among the three LEDs are lit.

  In the fourth pressure display example 28d, a display when the pressure in the container 4 is lower than the set pressure P is shown. In this case, in the pressure display unit 27b, all of the three LEDs are lit.

  Thus, in the first embodiment, the pressure display unit 27b causes the pressure in the container 4 during cooking and after cooking to be close to the set pressure P, higher than the set pressure P, and set. Displayed in any case where the pressure is lower than the pressure P. That is, the pressure display unit 27b displays at least three levels from a low pressure to a high pressure with the set pressure P as a reference. Thereby, the user can grasp | ascertain the height of the pressure in the container 4 easily.

  Moreover, when displaying the height of the pressure in the container 4, conventionally, the pressure is often displayed as a numerical value, but it is difficult for the user to grasp the degree of the pressure by the numerical pressure display. Therefore, as in the first embodiment, the pressure in the container 4 can be intuitively displayed by displaying the pressure in the container 4 in three stages in a stepwise manner.

  Further, when the decompression pump 20 is driven, a driving sound is generated. However, simultaneously with the generation of the driving sound due to the driving of the decompression pump 20, the pressure in the container 4 is displayed, so that the generation of the driving sound is generated. It can be shown that this is due to the reduced pressure inside. Therefore, the user can use the cooking device 100 with peace of mind.

  Furthermore, when cooking is finished and the pressure in the container 4 is increased, the pressure in the container 4 is displayed in stages as described above. Although it takes a certain time to increase the pressure from the reduced pressure state to the atmospheric pressure, the user can easily determine the timing for opening the outer lid 2 of the heating cooker 100 by displaying the pressure in the container 4 stepwise. can do. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the stress of waiting time until the pressure is increased to atmospheric pressure.

  Further, when the pressure in the container 4 is increased, an air sound is generated due to air flowing into the container 4 from the outer lid vent hole 17b. At the same time as the air sound is generated, the pressure in the container 4 is reduced. By displaying, it can be shown that the generation of the air sound is due to the pressure increase in the container 4. Therefore, the user can use the cooking device 100 with peace of mind.

  Further, during the storage process for the contents, since the vacuum state is higher than during cooking, the time until the outer lid 2 can be opened is longer, but the pressure in the container 4 is displayed as described above. Thus, the user can wait for the storage process without stress.

(Boiling indication)
The display of the boiling state of the contents in the container 4 by the boiling display unit 27c will be described. In the boiling display unit 27c, when the boiling of the contents is detected, the LED is turned on. Thereby, the user can grasp | ascertain easily whether the contents in the container 4 are boiling.

  Here, when the content in the container 4 is in a boiling state, steam is generated in the container 4, and dew condensation occurs in the communication pipe 18 a that forms the suction path and the discharge path of the decompression pump 20 and the outer lid vent hole 17 a. To do. In the first embodiment, since the boiling state is displayed at the same time when boiling is detected, even when condensation occurs due to boiling and water droplets are discharged, the user is informed that the cause of the water droplets being discharged is boiling. On the other hand, it can be easily notified. Therefore, it can be suppressed that the discharge of water droplets is erroneously diagnosed as a failure.

  In the first embodiment, the outer lid vent hole 17a communicates directly with the outside. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the outer lid vent hole 17a communicates with the outside via, for example, a cartridge or a water receiver. The water droplets may not be discharged directly to the outside. As a result, it is possible to prevent the main body 1 from being soiled and to suppress erroneous diagnosis as a failure.

  Thus, in this Embodiment 1, since the user can confirm the state in the container 4 easily by displaying the temperature, pressure, and boiling state in the container 4 at the time of cooking and after completion of cooking, the user can The outer lid 2 can be opened with peace of mind.

  In this example, the temperature display and the pressure display in the container 4 have been described as being displayed step by step using a plurality of LEDs, but this is not limited to this example. For example, the temperature display unit 27a and the pressure display unit 27b are each configured by one LED, and the temperature and pressure in the container 4 can be changed by changing the LED blinking speed or blinking pattern or changing the LED color. May be displayed step by step. Further, numerical values of temperature and pressure may be used in combination. Furthermore, the boiling display portion 27c may be similarly displayed by changing the blinking speed, blinking pattern, or color of the LED.

  Further, in the first embodiment, it has been described that the pressure, temperature, and boiling state in the container 4 are displayed using an LED or an LCD, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the state in the container 4 can be notified. If possible, notification by voice or vibration may be performed.

  Furthermore, even in other menus such as a menu that has the effect of soaking the contents, it is difficult for the user to check from the outside because the state in the container 4 is displayed and the lid is opaque. The state inside a certain container 4 can be grasped. In addition, it is possible to provide an effect that the user can quickly notice a setting mistake or can easily finely adjust the cooking time. Furthermore, since the temperature in the container 4 can be grasped, it is possible to suppress the startle of the vapor and the temperature when the user opens the lid.

  As described above, in the cooking device 100 according to the first embodiment, the pressure in the container 4 during the temperature raising process and the low temperature boiling maintenance process is displayed stepwise. Thereby, the user can confirm easily the height of the pressure in the container 4 in the temperature rising process and the low temperature boiling maintenance process. Therefore, the user can open the outer lid 2 with peace of mind according to the pressure level in the container 4 even during cooking.

  In addition, the cooking device 100 calculates the pressure in the container 4 based on the pressure reduction rate in the low-temperature boiling maintenance process and the elapsed time since the pressure reduction in the container 4 is started. Thereby, even when the pressure sensor is not provided in the heating cooker 100, the pressure in the container 4 in the low temperature boiling maintenance process can be detected and displayed.

  Further, in the heating cooker 100, a pressure increasing process is performed in which the pressure in the container 4 that has been reduced to the set pressure P by opening the on-off valve 22 is increased to atmospheric pressure, and the pressure in the container 4 during the pressure increase control is increased. The height is displayed on the operation display device 26 in stages. Thereby, the user can confirm easily the height of the pressure in the container 4 at the time of a pressure | voltage rise process. Therefore, the user can open the outer lid 2 with peace of mind after finishing cooking.

  Furthermore, in the heating cooker 100, the pressure in the container 4 is calculated based on the time required for the pressure increasing process and the elapsed time since the pressure increase in the container 4 is started. Thereby, even when the pressure sensor is not provided in the heating cooker 100, the pressure in the container 4 at the time of a pressure | voltage rise process can be detected and displayed.

  Moreover, in the heating cooker 100, the height of the pressure in the container 4 is displayed in at least three stages: a set pressure P, a pressure lower than the set pressure P, and a pressure higher than the set pressure P. Thereby, the user can determine the pressure in the container 4 intuitively.

  Furthermore, in the cooking device 100, the temperature state in the container 4 at the time of the temperature raising process and the low temperature boiling maintenance process is displayed stepwise on the operation display device 26. Thereby, the user can confirm easily the state of the temperature in the container 4 in the temperature rising process and the low temperature boiling maintenance process. Therefore, the user can open the outer lid 2 with peace of mind according to the temperature state in the container 4 even during cooking.

  Moreover, in the heating cooker 100, the temperature state in the container 4 is displayed in at least three stages: a temperature range including the set temperature T, a temperature range lower than the set temperature T, and a temperature range higher than the set temperature T. Thereby, the user can intuitively determine the temperature in the container 4.

  Furthermore, in the cooking device 100, the boiling state in the container 4 at the time of the low-temperature boiling maintenance process is displayed on the operation display device 26. Thereby, the user can confirm easily the boiling state in the container 4 in the case of a low-temperature boiling maintenance process. Therefore, the user can open the outer lid 2 with peace of mind according to the boiling state in the container 4 even during cooking.

  The first embodiment of the present invention has been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described first embodiment of the present invention, and various modifications and applications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Is possible. For example, the cooking device 100 may perform a cleaning operation of the decompression pump 20.

  Before starting the decompression in the container 4, the control device 50 causes the decompression pump 20 to communicate with the communication pipe 18 c by the path switching valve 21, drives the decompression pump 20 for a preset time, Perform a cleaning operation to discharge dirt and water droplets to the outside. Thereby, when the performance of the pressure reduction pump 20 falls and pressure reduction in the container 4 is carried out, it can suppress that an ultimate pressure becomes higher than expected. When performing the cleaning operation, it is more preferable to display the cleaning separately from the pressure display because the user can easily understand the cause of the drive sound.

  Further, when displaying the temperature and pressure level in the container 4, if the temperature and pressure are always monitored and the display is updated, the memory in the control device 50 may be insufficient. Therefore, in this case, the display may be updated by detecting the temperature and pressure at regular intervals. Thereby, the update frequency of the display of temperature and pressure decreases, and the memory shortage can be solved.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body, 2 Outer lid, 3 Container cover, 4 Container, 4a Flange part, 5 Heating device, 5a Heating coil, 6 Temperature sensor, 7 Compression spring, 8 Handle part, 9 Inner lid, 10 Cover packing, 11 Steam hole, 12 Steam exhaust valve, 13 Cartridge, 14 Steam exhaust port, 15 Cartridge packing, 16 Inner cover vent hole, 17a, 17b, 17c Outer cover vent hole, 18a, 18b, 18c Communication pipe, 19 Path packing, 20 Pressure reducing pump, 21 Route switching valve, 22 On-off valve, 23 Sensor hole, 24 Lid sensor, 25 Lid sensor packing, 26 Operation display device, 27 Display area, 27a Temperature display unit, 27b Pressure display unit, 27c Boiling display unit, 28a First temperature Display example, 28b second temperature display example, 28c third temperature display example, 28d fourth temperature display example, 29a first Pressure display example, 29b second pressure display example, 29c third pressure display example, 29d fourth pressure display example, 30 inverter unit, 50 control device, 51 temperature detection unit, 52 pressure detection unit, 53 boiling detection unit 54 display control part, 55 memory | storage part, 100 cooking-by-heating machine.

Claims (8)

A container having an opening on the upper surface and containing the contents;
A main body for storing the container;
A lid that covers the opening of the container;
A heating device for heating the container;
A decompression device for decompressing the inside of the container;
The heating device and the pressure reducing device are controlled, the temperature rise control for heating the container to raise the temperature to a set temperature, and the set temperature indicating the saturated vapor pressure at the set temperature while maintaining the set temperature. A controller for performing low-temperature boiling maintenance control for reducing the pressure in the container and boiling the contents;
Informing means for informing the state in the container,
The notification means includes
A heating cooker that notifies stepwise the height of pressure in the container during the temperature increase control and the low temperature boiling maintenance control. The controller is
The cooking device according to claim 1, wherein the pressure in the container is calculated based on a pressure reduction rate during the low-temperature boiling maintenance control and an elapsed time after starting the pressure reduction in the container. Further comprising an on-off valve for opening and closing the flow path from the inside to the outside of the container,
The controller is
Further performing pressure increase control to open the on-off valve to increase the pressure in the container reduced to the set pressure to atmospheric pressure,
The notification means includes
The cooking device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pressure level in the container during the pressure increase control is notified stepwise. The controller is
The cooking device according to claim 3, wherein the pressure in the container is calculated based on a time required for the pressure increase control and an elapsed time from the start of pressure increase in the container. The notification means includes
The heating according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the pressure in the container is reported in at least three stages of the set pressure, a pressure lower than the set pressure, and a pressure higher than the set pressure. Cooking device. A temperature sensor for measuring the temperature in the container;
The notification means includes
The cooking device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a temperature state in the container during the temperature rise control and the low-temperature boiling maintenance control is notified stepwise. The notification means includes
The cooking device according to claim 6, wherein the temperature state in the container is notified in at least three stages of a temperature range including the set temperature, a temperature range lower than the set temperature, and a temperature range higher than the set temperature. The notification means includes
The cooking device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a boiling state in the container at the time of the low-temperature boiling maintenance control is notified.

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