JP2021073430A - Heating cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

To more accurately detect the temperature of materials to be heated using an infrared sensor.SOLUTION: A heating cooker 100 includes: an infrared sensor 150 installed outside a heating chamber and detecting the temperature inside the heating chamber using a plurality of infrared ray detection elements; and a direction-setting motor varying a direction of the infrared sensor 150. When temperature detection is performed, the direction of the infrared sensor 150 is moved to a temperature detecting position. When the temperature detection is not performed, the direction of the infrared sensor 150 is moved to a standby position. Such a mechanism prevents a lens of the infrared sensor 150 from fogging or the infrared sensor 150 itself from going into a high temperature state. Accordingly, for example, even just after heating with steam, the infrared sensor 150 can be maintained in a condition where the temperature can be detected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

The present disclosure relates to a cooking device such as a microwave oven, and more particularly to a cooking device equipped with an infrared sensor.

Since the microwave oven can heat the object to be heated from the inside by microwave heating, it is used for various purposes such as reheating cooked foods and thawing frozen foods.

In a conventional microwave oven, in addition to microwave heating, there are oven (Oven) heating, grill (Grill) heating, and steam (Steam) heating in addition to these.

Oven heating is a cooking method in which an object to be heated is heated by using an internal heater (heater) and a convection heater. Grill heating is a cooking method in which a grill plate coated with a material that generates heat when irradiated with microwaves is used, and the object to be heated is heated by the heat generated by the grill plate irradiated with microwaves.

In the field of such a microwave oven, the bottom surface of the heating chamber is detected by detecting the temperature distribution on the bottom surface of the heating chamber by using an infrared sensor equipped with infrared detection elements arranged in a matrix of multiple rows and multiple columns. It has been proposed to detect the placement position and temperature of an object to be heated such as food placed in the above (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-013743

In the conventional configuration, the main body of the infrared sensor is installed outside the heating room, but the lens provided at the tip of the infrared sensor is installed inside the heating room.

Therefore, in a microwave oven capable of steam heating, the lens of the infrared sensor may be fogged by the steam supplied to the heating chamber, and as a result, the temperature of the food is accurately measured using the infrared sensor immediately after steam heating. It may not be detected.

The present disclosure solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a microwave oven capable of more accurately detecting the temperature of an object to be heated by using an infrared sensor.

In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the heating cooker of the present invention heats the object to be heated stored in the heating chamber by supplying at least one of microwave, radiant heat and steam. An infrared sensor that is provided outside the heating chamber and is housed in a case that detects the temperature in the heating chamber using a plurality of infrared detection elements, an opening provided in the case, and the infrared sensor. The infrared sensor is provided on the outside of the wall so as to face the heating chamber through a through hole formed in the wall of the heating chamber, and the through hole and the case are provided. The temperature in the heating chamber can be detected through the opening provided in the heating chamber, and when the control unit performs temperature detection, the direction of the infrared sensor is moved to the temperature detection position, and the temperature detection is not performed. In this case, the infrared sensor is configured to move the direction of the infrared sensor to the standby position, and the infrared sensor is configured to stand by at the standby position when the temperature detection is completed.

According to this aspect, it is possible to prevent the lens of the infrared sensor from becoming cloudy and the infrared sensor itself from becoming hot. Therefore, for example, the infrared sensor can be maintained in a state where the temperature can be detected even immediately after steam heating.

The heating cooker of the present invention can prevent the lens of the infrared sensor from becoming cloudy and the infrared sensor itself from becoming hot.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the cooking cooker according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the cooking cooker according to the present embodiment in a state where a grill plate is inserted in the heating chamber and the door is opened. FIG. 3 is a front view showing the cooking cooker according to the present embodiment in a state where the grill plate is inserted into the heating chamber and the door is opened. FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway side view showing the cooking cooker according to the present embodiment with the door open. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the infrared sensor according to the present embodiment. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the direction of the infrared sensor 150 and the field of view 151 of the infrared sensor 150. FIG. 7 is a partially cutaway side view of the heating cooker showing a state in which the direction of the infrared sensor is set at a temperature detection position where the field of view of the infrared sensor covers the entire bottom surface of the heating chamber. FIG. 8 is a partially cutaway front view of the heating cooker showing a state in which the direction of the infrared sensor is set at a temperature detection position where the field of view of the infrared sensor covers the entire bottom surface of the heating chamber. FIG. 9 is a top view of a partial notch of the heating cooker for showing a temperature-detectable region on the bottom surface of the heating chamber according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a front view of a heating cooker showing a state in which the direction of the infrared sensor is set at a temperature detection position where the field of view of the infrared sensor covers the entire grill plate. FIG. 11 is a side view showing the cooking cooker according to the present embodiment in a state where the main body cover is removed.

The heating cooker according to the first aspect of the present disclosure includes a heating chamber for accommodating an object to be heated, an infrared sensor provided outside the heating chamber and detecting the temperature in the heating chamber using a plurality of infrared detection elements, and infrared rays. It includes a direction setting motor that changes the direction of the sensor.

When temperature detection is performed, the direction of the infrared sensor moves to the temperature detection position, and when temperature detection is not performed, the direction of the infrared sensor moves to the standby position, which is provided outside the heating room. It is further equipped with a cooling fan and a duct that is provided with a cooling air outlet at the tip and guides the cooling air from the cooling fan to the space between the heating chamber and the main body cover. Arranged near the position, the infrared sensor stands by in the standby position during the heating operation when the temperature detection is completed, and the lens of the infrared sensor is directly cooled by the cooling air from the cooling air outlet of the duct. It is composed.

In the heating cooker according to the second aspect of the present disclosure, in the first aspect, the direction of the infrared sensor is set so that one of the temperature detection positions is within the field of view of the entire bottom surface of the heating chamber.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

In the present embodiment, the door 300 side of the cooking cooker 100 is the front side, the side opposite to the door 300 of the cooking cooker 100 is the rear side, and the left side and the right side in FIG. 3 are the left side of the cooking cooker 100, respectively. , To the right.

<1> Configuration of the cooking cooker First, the configuration of the cooking cooker 100 according to the present embodiment will be described.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the cooking cooker 100 according to the present embodiment. 2 and 3, respectively, are a perspective view and a front view showing the heating cooker 100 according to the present embodiment in a state where a grill plate is inserted into the heating chamber 200 and the door is opened.

In the present embodiment, in the heating cooker 100 shown in FIG. 1, at least one of microwaves, radiant heat, hot air, and steam is applied to an object to be heated housed in a heating chamber 200 having an opening on the front surface. It is a multifunctional microwave oven that heats an object to be heated by supplying it.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in the center of the cooking cooker 100, a heating chamber 200 having an opening and a flange around the opening is provided on the front surface. The outer shell of the heating cooker 100 is formed by the main body cover 110 that integrally covers both side surfaces and the upper surface of the heating chamber 200, the bottom plate 120 that covers the lower part of the heating chamber 200, and the rear plate 130 that covers the back surface of the heating chamber 200. It is composed.

A machine room (not shown) is provided in the space between the heating chamber 200 and the bottom plate 120. In this machine room, a device for realizing the functions of the cooking cooker 100, a control unit for controlling the device, a cooling fan unit 600 (see FIG. 11) for generating cooling air for cooling them, and the like are arranged. Will be done. The machine room also functions as a heat insulating space.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a door 300 with a window for opening and closing the opening of the heating chamber 200 is installed in front of the cooking cooker 100. The lower end of the door 300 is pivotally supported by a hinge provided at the lower end of the heating chamber 200, and the door 300 can be opened and closed by rotating around a rotation axis along the lower end of the heating chamber 200. An operation unit 310 is provided on the right side of the front surface of the door 300.

A water supply tank 700 for storing water supplied to the steam generating unit is detachably installed on the lower right side of the door 300. On the left side thereof, a drainage tank 202 for storing the condensed water condensed in the heating chamber 200 is detachably installed.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in order to support the cooking dish, the right side wall 210 and the left side wall 220 of the heating chamber 200 have a horizontal plane on the upper surface thereof, and a plurality of stages extending horizontally in the front-rear direction. Support shelves are provided in the vertical direction (three stages (support shelves 201a to 201c) in this embodiment).

The cooking plate includes a square plate used for oven cooking and a grill plate 203 used for grill cooking. The cooking plate can be installed at an optimum height for cooking in the heating chamber 200 depending on which of the support shelves 201a to 201c is placed.

FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway side view showing the cooking cooker 100 according to the first embodiment in a state where the door 300 is opened.

As shown in FIG. 4, a through hole 140 is formed in the upper center of the right side wall 210 of the heating chamber 200. An infrared sensor 150 is provided on the outside of the right side wall 210 so as to face the inside of the heating chamber 200 through the through hole 140.

Square through holes are formed in front of the center of the right side wall of the heating chamber 200 and at the positions of the upper part and the central portion of the heating chamber 200, respectively. On the outside of the through hole, an interior light 141, which is composed of LEDs and for illuminating the inside of the heating chamber 200, is installed.

As shown in FIG. 2, the outside air intake port 221 is installed in the lower front part of the left side wall 220 of the heating chamber 200. The outside air intake port 221 is composed of a plurality of circular punching holes. Low-temperature, low-humidity air is introduced into the heating chamber 200 from the outside of the heating chamber 200 via the outside air intake port 221.

The air blown from the cooling fan unit 600 is also supplied into the heating chamber 200 via the outside air intake port 221 to cool the inner surface of the door 300 together with the outside air. As a result, dew condensation on the glass surface inside the door 300 can be suppressed.

A steam outlet (not shown) for supplying the steam generated in the steam generating portion into the heating chamber 200 is arranged in the upper center of the left side wall 220 of the heating chamber 200.

The upper heater unit 400 is installed on the top surface 230 of the heating chamber 200 (see FIG. 11). The upper heater unit 400 is composed of three tubular heaters extending in the left-right direction. Of the three tubular heaters, one in the front and one in the rear are tubular Miracron heaters 410, and one in the center is a tubular argon heater 420 (see FIG. 11). These tubular heaters mainly radiate infrared rays, and the radiant heat heats the object to be heated housed in the heating chamber 200.

As shown in FIG. 3, a circulation intake port 241 composed of a plurality of punching holes is formed in the center of the rear wall 240 of the heating chamber 200. A blower port 242 composed of a plurality of punching holes is formed on the peripheral edge of the rear wall 240.

As shown in FIG. 9, a fan case 510 made of a metal material is arranged behind the rear wall 240. A convection heater unit 500 is installed in the space between the rear wall 240 and the fan case 510 (see FIG. 9).

The air in the heating chamber 200 sucked through the circulation intake port 241 is heated by the convection heater unit 500, and hot air is generated. The generated hot air is supplied into the heating chamber 200 via the air outlet 242.

A microwave generation unit (not shown) that radiates microwaves is installed below the heating chamber 200. The microwave generator includes a magnetron that generates microwaves, a rotating antenna that radiates microwaves inside the heating chamber 200, a waveguide that propagates microwaves to the rotating antenna, and a motor that rotates the rotating antenna. Have.

The bottom surface 250 of the heating chamber 200 is covered with a ceramic plate capable of transmitting microwaves. The object to be heated placed on the bottom surface 250 is microwave-heated by the microwaves transmitted from the microwave generating portion through the bottom surface 250 and supplied into the heating chamber 200.

When the grill plate 203 is installed in the heating chamber 200, the ferrite applied to the back surface of the grill plate 203 is irradiated with the microwave supplied in the heating chamber 200 to generate heat, so that the grill plate 203 is placed on the grill plate 203. The placed object to be heated is heated.

Since the galvanized steel plate is molded by press working, the bottom plate 120 basically has a box-like shape of a rectangular parallelepiped with a shallow bottom open at the top.

A cooling air intake port 121 for taking in cooling air is provided in a portion of the bottom plate 120 located below the cooling fan unit 600 provided between the heating chamber 200 and the bottom plate 120 (see FIG. 11).

A glass plate 302 covering almost the entire area of the door 300 is installed on the front surface of the door 300. An operation unit 310 is provided on the right side of the glass plate 302.

The operation unit 310 includes a touch panel 311 that displays a display prompting the user to operate, accepts the operation by the user, and displays a display corresponding to the accepted operation on one liquid crystal screen, and a "touch panel 311" for returning the operation by one step. It includes a "back" button 312, a "cancel" button 313 for performing a cancel operation, and a "start" button 314 for initiating heating.

The operation unit 310 is operated by the user in order to input a menu selection in the automatic cooking function, a heating time in the manual cooking function, a heating temperature, and the like.

A handle 304 for opening and closing is installed on the upper part of the front surface of the door.

<2> Configuration of Infrared Sensor Next, the configuration of the infrared sensor 150 in the heating cooker 100 according to the present embodiment will be described.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the infrared sensor 150 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the direction of the infrared sensor 150 and the field of view 151 of the infrared sensor 150 according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the infrared sensor 150 is housed in a box-shaped case 160 provided on the outer surface of the right side wall 210 located outside the through hole 140. The infrared sensor 150 includes a total of 64 infrared detection elements arranged in a matrix of 8 rows and 8 columns. The infrared sensor 150 is installed in the case 160 so that the lens provided on the front surface thereof can be seen through the opening 165 provided in the outer shell of the case 160.

As shown in FIG. 6, the field of view 151 is a range in which the infrared sensor 150 can detect infrared rays.

A direction setting motor 170 is installed in the case 160. The case 160 is rotated by the direction setting motor 170 about a rotation shaft 161 provided parallel and horizontally to the right side wall 210.

When the case 160 rotates about the rotation shaft 161, the direction of the infrared sensor 150 housed in the case 160 is changed to 154 in the upward direction or 155 in the downward direction accordingly. More precisely, as shown in FIG. 6, the direction of the infrared sensor 150 is the depression angle 153 of the center of view 152.

When the direction setting motor 170 is stopped in the direction of the predetermined infrared sensor 150 in which the opening 165 faces the inside of the heating chamber 200 from the through hole 140, the infrared sensor 150 is in a state where the temperature inside the heating chamber 200 can be detected.

The direction of the infrared sensor 150 at this time is referred to as a position where the infrared sensor 150 can detect infrared rays from the inside of the heating chamber 200 through the through hole 140, that is, a temperature detecting position. The cooker 100 according to this embodiment has a plurality of temperature detection positions. One of them is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

FIG. 7 is a partially cutaway side view showing the cooking cooker 100, as in FIG. 4. FIG. 8 is a partially cutaway front view showing the cooking cooker 100 in a state where the door 300 is open, as in FIG. 7 and 8 show the field of view 151 of the infrared sensor 150.

In FIGS. 7 and 8, the direction of the infrared sensor 150 is set at a temperature detection position such that the entire bottom surface 250 of the heating chamber 200 fits in the field of view 151. Therefore, in this state, the infrared sensor 150 can detect the temperature of the object to be heated regardless of where the object to be heated is placed on the bottom surface 250. That is, in this state, the entire bottom surface 250 is a temperature-detectable region where the temperature can be detected.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 9, the entire bottom surface 250 is virtually divided into compartments C11 to C88 arranged in a matrix of 8 rows and 8 columns.

FIG. 9 is a partially cutaway top view of the cooking cooker showing these 64 compartments. In FIG. 9, the temperature information of the compartments C11 to C88 of the temperature-detectable region 251 can be detected by associating the 64 infrared detection elements constituting the infrared sensor 150 with each compartment.

FIG. 10 is a front view of the cooker 100 in which the field of view 151 of the infrared sensor 150 is shown, as in FIG. FIG. 10 shows that when the grill plate 203 is installed on the uppermost support shelf 201a provided on both side walls of the heating chamber 200 (the grill plate 203 is not shown), the temperature of the entire upper surface of the grill plate 203 can be detected. It shows a state in which the direction of the infrared sensor 150 is set so as to be in the area 251.

In this case, some of the 64 infrared detection elements included in the infrared sensor 150 face in directions other than the upper surface of the grill plate 203, but the remaining infrared detection elements are used to cover the entire upper surface of the grill plate 203. The temperature detectable region 251 can be set.

<3> Cooling Mechanism for Infrared Sensor Hereinafter, a cooling structure for the infrared sensor 150 in the cooking device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described.

FIG. 11 is a side view showing the cooking cooker 100 according to the first embodiment with the main body cover 110 removed.

When the user operates the operation unit 310 and finally presses the "start" button 314, the heating operation is started. When the heating operation is started, the cooling fan unit 600 in the machine chamber provided below the heating chamber 200 operates.

When the cooling fan unit 600 operates, outside air is sucked from the cooling intake port of the bottom plate 120 and discharged from the cooling fan unit 600 as cooling air (see the broken arrow arrow shown in FIG. 11). This cooling air is provided below the heating chamber 200 and cools the inverter that drives the magnetron.

After cooling the inverter, a part of the cooling air cools the fan drive motor (not shown) that drives the circulation fan (not shown) included in the convection heater unit 500 provided behind the heating chamber 200. ..

The other part of the cooling air that has passed through the inverter cools the control board that constitutes the control unit provided on the right side of the bottom plate 120. The cooling air that cools the control board collides with the lower end of the right side wall 210 and changes its direction upward (see the dotted arrow shown in FIG. 11).

As shown in FIG. 11, in the space between the right side wall 210 and the main body cover 110, a duct 180 is provided from the lower end of the right side wall 210 to the vicinity of the installation position of the infrared sensor 150. A cooling air outlet 181 is provided at the tip of the duct 180.

The cooling air turned upward reaches the infrared sensor 150 housed in the case 160 through the duct 180 (see the solid arrow shown in FIG. 11). In this way, the infrared sensor 150 is cooled by the cooling air during the heating operation.

After that, the cooling air is discharged to the outside from the upper part of the back surface of the heating cooker 100 via the space provided between the top surface 230 of the heating chamber 200 and the main body cover 110.

When the temperature detection is completed, the direction setting motor 170 moves the case 160 from the temperature detection position to the standby position. FIG. 11 shows how the infrared sensor 150 is waiting at the standby position. As shown in FIG. 11, at this standby position, the case 160 stops with the opening 165 facing downward. In this state, the lens of the infrared sensor 150 faces the cooling air outlet 181.

During steam heating, the temperature cannot be detected by the infrared sensor 150. In the present embodiment, during that time, the infrared sensor 150 is configured to stand by at the standby position shown in FIG. While the infrared sensor 150 stands by in the standby position, the lens of the infrared sensor 150 continues to be directly cooled by the cooling air from the cooling air outlet 181.

According to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the lens of the infrared sensor 150 from becoming cloudy or the infrared sensor 150 itself from becoming hot due to the steam supplied into the heating chamber 200. Therefore, the infrared sensor 150 can be maintained in a state where the temperature can be detected even immediately after the steam heating is performed.

<4> Operation of Infrared Sensor Finally, the operation of the infrared sensor 150 in the heating cooker 100 according to the present embodiment will be described.

After the object to be heated is stored in the heating chamber 200, the user operates the operation unit 310 to select a desired cooking menu, and finally presses the "start" button 314 to start the heating operation. When the heating operation is started, the direction of the infrared sensor 150 is set to the temperature detection position according to the selected cooking menu.

When a cooking menu in which the object to be heated is to be placed on the bottom surface 250 of the heating chamber 200, for example, a normal warming operation is selected, the entire bottom surface 250 becomes the temperature detectable region 251 as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The direction of the infrared sensor 150 is set at such a temperature detection position.

When the cooking menu for grill heating is selected, the infrared sensor is installed on the support shelf 201a and is located at a temperature detection position such that the entire upper surface of the grill plate 203 on which the object to be heated is placed becomes the temperature detectable area 251. 150 directions are set.

When the infrared sensor 150 is not operated, as described above, the infrared sensor 150 stands by at a standby position in which the direction of the infrared sensor 150 is directed vertically downward.

As described above, in the heating cooker 100 according to the present embodiment, the infrared sensor 150 includes a plurality of infrared detection elements, and the direction setting motor 170 sets the direction of the infrared sensor 150 to a temperature detection position according to the cooking menu. It is configured to move.

According to this embodiment, the temperature of the object to be heated can be detected more accurately not only when it is placed on the bottom surface 250 of the heating chamber 200 but also when it is placed on the grill pan 203. it can.

In this embodiment, the case where the object to be heated is placed on the bottom surface 250 and the case where the grill plate 203 is installed on the uppermost support shelf 201a have been described. However, even when a cooking plate such as a square plate is installed on the middle support shelf 201b or the lower support shelf 201c, the temperature detection so that the entire upper surface of the cooking plate becomes the temperature detectable area 251 as needed. The direction of the infrared sensor 150 can be set at the position.

Which support shelf the cooking dish is placed on and which cooking dish to use is determined according to the cooking menu. The direction of the infrared sensor 150 can be set to a direction suitable for temperature detection according to the cooking menu.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the infrared sensor 150 includes 64 infrared detection elements arranged in a matrix of 8 rows and 8 columns, but the infrared sensor 150 is not limited thereto. If the entire bottom surface 250 can be set as the temperature-detectable region 251 by the infrared sensor provided with a plurality of infrared detection elements at one time, the same effect as that of the present embodiment can be obtained.

Further, even when an infrared sensor having a plurality of infrared detection elements arranged in a row is used, the infrared sensor 150 may detect the temperature while swinging the direction of the infrared sensor in the vertical direction. ..

As described above, according to the heating cooker of the present disclosure, not only the object to be heated placed on the bottom surface of the heating chamber but also the object to be heated placed on the cooking plate installed in the heating chamber. However, more accurate temperature detection is possible. Further, even immediately after steam heating, the infrared sensor can be maintained in a state where the temperature can be detected. The present disclosure is useful in microwave ovens capable of grill heating and steam heating.

100 Heat cooker 110 Body cover 120 Bottom plate 121 Cooling air intake port 130 Rear plate 140 Through hole 141 Interior light 150 Infrared sensor 151 Field of view 152 Field of view center 153 Depression angle 154 Upward 155 Downward 160 Case 161 Rotating axis 165 Opening 170 Setting motor 180 Duct 181 Cooling air outlet 200 Heating chamber 201a, 201b, 201c Support shelf 202 Drain tank 203 Grill plate 210 Right side wall 220 Left side wall 221 Outside air intake port 230 Top surface 240 Rear wall 241 Circulation intake port 242 Air supply port 250 Bottom 251 Temperature detectable area 300 Door 302 Glass plate 304 Handle 310 Operation unit 311 Touch panel 312 "Back" button 313 "Cancel" button 314 "Start" button 400 Top heater unit 410 Miracron heater 420 Argon heater 500 Convection heater unit 510 Fan case 600 Cooling fan unit 700 Water supply tank

Claims (3)

A heating cooker that heats an object to be heated stored in a heating chamber by supplying at least one of microwaves, radiant heat, and steam.
An infrared sensor provided outside the heating chamber and housed in a case for detecting the temperature inside the heating chamber using a plurality of infrared detection elements.
With the opening provided in the case
A directional setting motor that changes the direction of the infrared sensor is provided.
The infrared sensor is provided on the outside of the wall so as to face the heating chamber through a through hole formed in the wall of the heating chamber, and the temperature in the heating chamber is passed through the through hole and the opening provided in the case. Can be detected,
The control unit is configured to move the direction of the infrared sensor to the temperature detection position when the temperature is detected, and to move the direction of the infrared sensor to the standby position when the temperature is not detected. ,
The infrared sensor is a heating cooker that stands by at the standby position when temperature detection is completed. The heating cooker according to claim 1, wherein one of the temperature detection positions is set in the direction of the infrared sensor so that the entire bottom surface of the heating chamber is within the field of view. The heating cooker according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the direction setting motor changes the direction of the infrared sensor by rotating the case.

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