JP2023032002A - steam generator - Google Patents

Abstract

To make water, in which scale components are condensed, less likely to remain in a steam generation container when the water in the steam generation container is discharged from a drain outlet.SOLUTION: A steam generator 30 includes: a cylindrical steam generation container 31 in which a predetermined amount of water is stored and which has a delivery port 31c for sending steam to an upper end part and a drain outlet 31d for discharging water to a lower end part; and heating means 32 which heats water in the steam generation container 31 to generate steam. A spiral groove 31f whose spiral direction is set to a vertical direction is formed on an inner peripheral surface of the steam generation container 31 to form a spiral passage formed by a passage having a spiral form.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a steam generator used in a cooking device such as a steam convection oven.

Patent Literature 1 below discloses a heating cooker that heats and cooks foodstuffs with hot air. This heating cooker includes a cooking chamber for cooking ingredients, a heater for heating the interior of the cooking chamber, a convection fan for convecting air in the cooking chamber, a steam generator for supplying steam to the interior of the cooking chamber, and a heater. and a convection fan and a controller for controlling the operation of the steam generator. The control device of this heating cooker has a cooking program for heating and cooking ingredients, and when the cooking program is executed by the control device, the air in the cooking chamber becomes hot air due to the operation of the heater and the convection fan. At the same time, steam is supplied to the convection hot air by the operation of the steam generator, and the foodstuffs accommodated in the cooking chamber are cooked by the hot air containing the steam.

The steam generating device used in this heating cooker comprises a steam generating container storing a predetermined amount of water inside, having a delivery port at the upper end for delivering steam and a drain port at the lower end; It is equipped with a heating element for heating water, an induction heating coil wound around the outer periphery of the steam generating vessel to heat the heating element, and a steam delivery cylinder for delivering the steam generated in the steam generating vessel to the cooking chamber. . When a high-frequency current is supplied to the induction heating coil, the heating element in the steam generating vessel generates Joule heat due to electrical resistance when the eddy current flows, and the water in the steam generating vessel is heated to generate steam. The steam generated in the steam generating container is sent into the cooking chamber by the steam sending cylinder.

JP 2010-121803 A

In the steam generator of Patent Document 1, when steam is generated from the steam generating container, the scale components contained in the water inside the steam generating container are concentrated. For this reason, in this type of steam generator, when the cooking program for supplying steam to the heating cooker ends, the water in the steam generating container is discharged from the drain port. However, when the water in the steam generating container is discharged from the drain port, water with a high concentration of scale components may remain in the steam generating container as water droplets. Scale may build up inside. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to make it difficult for water in which scale components are concentrated to remain in a steam generating container when the water in the steam generating container is discharged from a drain port.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is a cylindrical steam generating container that stores a predetermined amount of water inside and has a delivery port at the upper end for delivering steam and a drain port at the lower end for discharging water. and a heating means for heating water in a steam generating container to generate steam, wherein the inner peripheral surface of the steam generating container is spirally shaped with the vertical direction being the advancing direction of the spiral. A steam generator is provided in which a spiral flow path is formed.

In the steam generator configured as described above, a spiral flow path is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the steam generation container, the spiral flow path having a vertical direction as a spiral direction. When water is discharged from the drain port at the lower end of the steam generating container, the water in the steam generating container swirls around the spiral flow path formed on the inner peripheral surface and is vigorously discharged from the drain port. It becomes difficult for water in which scale components are concentrated to remain in the generation container.

In the steam generator configured as described above, a water supply port for supplying water is formed in the lower part of the steam generation container, and the water inflow direction of the water supply port is along the inner peripheral surface of the steam generation container. Placement is preferred. In this case, the water flowing into the steam generating container from the water supply port flows along the inner peripheral surface of the steam generating container. In addition, since the water flowing along the inner peripheral surface of the steam generating container rises along the spiral flow path and swirls within the steam generating container, the water tends to adhere to the inside of the steam generating container after being drained. It becomes possible to wash away the existing scale components.

It is a front view of a heating cooker using the steam generator of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the door of FIG. 1 in an opened state; It is a vertical cross-sectional view of the central portion in the front-rear direction. It is an AA sectional view. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view at the position where the steam generator is arranged. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion where an exhaust pipe protrudes from the top plate of the housing; It is a BB sectional view. It is the left side view which removed the left panel of the housing so that the left machine room could be seen. It is a perspective view of a steam generator. It is a CC sectional view. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the water level detection tank and the hot water inflow prevention member with the steam generation container and the lid removed. Side view (a), plan view (b), DD sectional view (c), perspective view (d) seen from the shielding part side, and perspective view (e) seen from the steam passage side of the hot water inflow prevention member be. EE sectional views (a), (b) when the motor of the drain valve is rotated so as to be arranged outside the left side machine room from (a). 3 is a perspective view of a cooling fan; FIG. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view at a position where the supply air damper device is arranged; It is a block diagram of a control device.

A heating cooker using one embodiment of the steam generator of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. A cooking device using the steam generator of the present invention is called a steam convection oven, and heats and cooks foodstuffs by convection of hot air containing steam. As shown in FIG. 1, the heating cooker 10 has machine chambers 12 and 13 (hereinafter also referred to as the left side machine room 12 and the lower machine room 13) at the left side and the lower side in the housing 11, and the housing 11 has a Except for the machine rooms 12 and 13, a cooking chamber 20 for cooking foodstuffs is provided. As shown in FIG. 2, an opening 20a for taking in and out foodstuffs is provided in the front part of the cooking chamber 20, and a door 14 for opening and closing the opening 20a is provided.

As shown in FIG. 3, the cooking chamber 20 is for storing and cooking foodstuffs. A hot air generating chamber 22 for generating hot air to be sent to the food storage chamber 21 is formed on the left side of the food storage chamber 21 . As shown in FIG. 4, the left side wall of the cooking chamber 20 is formed with a steam introduction port 20b and an outside air introduction port 20c, and as shown in FIG. formed. A steam generating device 30, which will be described later, is connected to the steam inlet 20b, and an air supply damper device 80, which will be described later, is connected to the outside air inlet 20c. The outside air introduction port 20c is formed at a position (left side) hidden by fan blades of a convection fan 26, which will be described later. The drain port 20 d is connected to the drain tank 16 by the first drain pipe 15 , and the water in the cooking chamber 20 is drained to the drain tank 16 through the first drain pipe 15 . A second drain pipe (not shown) is connected to the drain tank 16, and the water in the cooking chamber 20 is discharged into the drain tank 16 through the first drain pipe 15 and then flows through the second drain pipe. is discharged to the outside of the housing 11.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , an exhaust pipe 17 is erected in the drain tank 16 , and the exhaust pipe 17 protrudes upward from an opening formed in the top plate of the housing 11 . Air in the cooking chamber 20 is discharged to the drain tank 16 through the first drain pipe 15 , and the air discharged to the drain tank 16 is discharged to the upper side of the housing 11 through the exhaust pipe 17 . A packing 18 is provided at the upper end of the exhaust pipe 17 , and the packing 18 seals the space between the exhaust pipe 17 and the ceiling wall of the housing 11 in a liquid-tight manner. The packing 18 is made of an elastically deformable rubber material, and has a thick circular ring shape that is tightly fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the exhaust pipe 17 . An engaging groove 18a recessed inward is formed in the outer peripheral surface of the packing 18, and the peripheral edge of the opening of the top plate of the housing 11 is vertically sandwiched between the engaging grooves 18a. A ridge (not shown) that protrudes downward is formed along the entire periphery of the upper portion of the engagement groove 18a, and a ridge (not shown) that protrudes upward is formed along the entire periphery of the lower portion of the engagement groove 18a. It is Since the opening edge of the top plate of the housing 11 is sandwiched in the engagement groove 18 a of the packing 18 , water does not flow into the left side machine chamber 12 from between the opening of the top plate of the housing 11 and the exhaust pipe 17 . It's getting harder to get in.

As shown in FIG. 3, a partition plate 23 is provided on the left side of the central portion in the left-right direction of the cooking chamber 20, and the partition plate 23 partitions the food storage chamber 21 and the hot air generation chamber 22 so that ventilation is possible. there is The partition plate 23 has the function of a fan cover that covers the suction port side of the convection fan 26 arranged in the hot air generation chamber 22 . As shown in FIG. 7, the partition plate 23 is formed with a large number of suction ports 23a. The partition plate 23 is attached to the ceiling wall, bottom wall, front wall, and rear wall of the cooking chamber 20 so as to form a space through which air can pass. Between the partition plate 23 and the ceiling wall, the bottom wall, the front wall and the rear wall of the cooking chamber 20, a ventilation passage 23b through which air passes is formed. It is sent to the food storage room 21 .

As shown in FIG. 3, the food storage chamber 21 of the cooking chamber 20 is provided with a pair of left and right support frames 24 for supporting trays called hotel pans vertically in multiple stages. The support frame 24 of this embodiment can support three vertically shallow trays and two vertically deep trays shown in FIG. A support frame 24 is fixed to the right side wall of the cooking chamber 20 .

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the hot air generating chamber 22 of the cooking chamber 20 is provided with a heater 25 and a convection fan 26 . The heater 25 heats the interior of the cooking chamber 20 and is wound around the left side wall of the cooking chamber 20 in a substantially annular shape. The convection fan 26 convects the air in the cooking chamber 20 and is attached to the inside of the heater 25 that is wound around the left side wall of the cooking chamber 20 in a substantially annular shape. A centrifugal fan made of a sirocco fan is employed as the convection fan 26 of this embodiment. A temperature sensor 27 is provided on the left wall of the cooking chamber 20 and detects the temperature inside the cooking chamber 20 .

When the convection fan 26 is operated, the air in the food storage chamber 21 is sucked into the hot air generating chamber 22 through the suction port 23a of the partition plate 23, and the sucked air is blown outward in the centrifugal direction from the hot air generating chamber 22. The blown air is returned to the food storage chamber 21 through the upper and lower and front and rear air passages 23b. Further, when the convection fan 26 is operated together with the heater 25, the air sucked into the hot air generating chamber 22 from the food storage chamber 21 is blown against the heater 25 arranged outside the convection fan 26 and becomes high temperature hot air. The hot air is returned to the food storage chamber 21 through the upper and lower and front and rear air passages 23b.

As shown in FIGS. 5, 8 and 9, a steam generator 30 for supplying steam to the cooking chamber 20 is provided in the rear part of the machine room 12 on the left side of the housing 11. The steam generator 30 It stands above the drain tank 16 provided at the rear of the left side machine room 12 . The steam generator 30 of this embodiment heats water by induction heating to generate steam, and delivers the generated steam to the cooking chamber 20 as a delivery destination. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 10, the steam generating device 30 includes a steam generating container 31 that stores a predetermined amount of water therein and has a delivery port 31c for delivering steam at the upper end thereof; A heating means 32 that heats the water to generate steam, and a steam delivery unit 40 that delivers the steam generated in the upper part of the steam generation container 31 from the delivery port 31c to the cooking chamber 20 serving as a delivery destination adjacent in the horizontal direction. and

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 10, the steam generating vessel 31 has a substantially cylindrical shape with top and bottom openings. The steam generating vessel 31 has a tapered portion 31a having a tapered shape in which the diameter becomes smaller as it goes downward, and a small diameter portion 31b below the tapered portion 31a and smaller in diameter than the other portions. The steam generation container 31 has a delivery port 31c for delivering steam to the upper end, a drainage port 31d for discharging water to the lower end of the small diameter portion 31b, and a water supply port 31e for supplying water to the upper side of the tapered portion 31a. It has A water level detection tank 50 is connected to the water supply port 31 e through a communication pipe 51 , which will be described later. As shown in FIG. 11 , the inflow direction of water from the water supply port 31 e is arranged along the inner peripheral surface of the steam generation container 31 . Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the inner peripheral surface of the steam generation container 31 is formed with a spiral flow path, which is a spiral flow path, by a spiral groove 31f whose spiral direction is the vertical direction. This spiral flow path is formed by a spiral groove 31f formed on the inner peripheral surface of the steam generating container 31, but is not limited to this, and is formed by a spiral ridge formed on the inner peripheral surface of the steam generating container 31. A spiral channel may be formed.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 10, the heating means 32 heats the water in the steam generating container 31, and in this embodiment, heats the water in the steam generating container 31 by induction heating. . The heating means 32 includes a heating element 33 using a magnetic member provided inside the steam generating vessel 31, and an induction heating coil 34 wound around the outer periphery of the steam generating vessel 31 from the middle part in the vertical direction to the lower part. I have. The heating element 33 heats the water in the steam generating vessel 31 by Joule heat generated by electrical resistance when eddy currents flow under the influence of a magnetic field generated when a high-frequency current is supplied to the induction heating coil 34 . . The heating element 33 includes a substantially annular holder 33a supported on the upper portion of the steam generating vessel 31, and a plurality of heating rods 33b having upper ends fixed to the holder 33a.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the steam generating vessel 31 is provided with brackets 35 and 36 at the middle and lower portions in the vertical direction, and an induction heating coil 34 is wound between the upper and lower brackets 35 and 36. being turned. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 11, eight notches 35a and 36a are formed in the upper and lower brackets 35 and 36 along the circumferential direction. A ferrite member 37 is provided for intercepting the magnetic lines of force. The ferrite member 37 has a substantially L-shape with the upper and lower sides turned upside down. is adhered to the cutout portion 36a of the with a caulking agent.

As shown in FIGS. 5, 9 and 10, the upper side of the steam generation container 31 is provided with a steam delivery section 40 for delivering steam to the cooking chamber 20 as a horizontally adjacent delivery destination. As shown in FIG. 5, the steam delivery unit 40 includes a steam receiver 41 provided on the upper side of the steam generation container 31 and a delivery cylinder 42 for guiding the steam received by the steam receiver 41 to the cooking chamber 20. there is The steam receiver 41 receives the steam that is generated in the upper part of the steam generation vessel 31 and rises, and has a substantially cylindrical shape with a closed upper side and an open lower side. The steam receiving body 41 has a fitting portion 41a fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the upper end portion of the steam generating container 31, a receiving portion 41b formed above the fitting portion 41a and having a smaller diameter than the fitting portion 41a, A first inclined cylindrical portion 41c provided on the peripheral surface of the receiving portion 41b on the side of the cooking chamber 20 is provided. The first inclined tubular portion 41c is inclined upward toward the cooking chamber 20 to which steam is sent. A delivery tube 42 is connected to the inner peripheral surface of the tip end portion of the first inclined tube portion 41 c , and the delivery tube 42 is connected to a steam introduction port 20 b formed on the left side wall of the cooking chamber 20 .

As shown in FIG. 5, the delivery cylinder 42 includes a second inclined cylinder part 42a inclined upward toward the cooking chamber 20, which is the delivery destination of the steam, similarly to the first inclined cylinder part 41c, and a second inclined cylinder part 42a. A horizontal tubular portion 42b extending horizontally from the tip of the portion 42a toward the steam introduction port 20b formed in the left side wall of the cooking chamber 20 is integrally provided.

As shown in FIG. 5, an annular concave portion 41d is formed in the inner peripheral surface of the tip portion of the first inclined tubular portion 41c, and the second inclined tubular portion 42a of the delivery tube 42 is fitted and fixed in the annular concave portion 41d. ing. The annular recess 41d is formed with a depth equal to or less than the thickness of the second inclined tubular portion 42a, and the inner peripheral surface of the second inclined tubular portion 42a fitted in the annular recessed portion 41d is the inner surface of the first inclined tubular portion 41c. It is formed smaller than the peripheral surface. The hot water droplets and condensation adhering to the inner peripheral surface of the second inclined tubular portion 42a flow down the first inclined tubular portion 41c and return into the steam generating vessel 31 without remaining at the joint between the first inclined tubular portion 41c and the first inclined tubular portion 41c.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 12 , a hot water inflow preventing member 43 is provided on the upper portion of the steam generating container 31 to prevent boiling hot water from being delivered into the cooking chamber 20 . The hot water inflow preventing member 43 is provided in an annular frame portion 44 provided at the steam delivery port 31c at the upper end portion of the steam generating container 31, and inside the frame portion 44 on the side of the cooking chamber 20 to which the steam is delivered. and a steam passage port 46 formed inside the frame 44 on the opposite side of the cooking chamber 20 to which the steam is sent, in the horizontal direction, through which the steam passes.

The frame portion 44 of the hot water inflow prevention member 43 is fitted to the upper end portion of the inner peripheral surface of the steam generating container 31, and the lower end of the frame portion 44 is fitted to the stepped portion 31g formed on the inner peripheral surface of the upper end portion of the steam generating container 31. Locked. The lower end of the frame portion 44 is engaged with the stepped portion 31 g of the upper end portion of the steam generating container 31 , so that the hot water inflow preventing member 43 is positioned above the steam generating container 31 in the height direction.

As shown in FIGS. 5, 11 and 12, the shielding part 45 covers substantially half of the inside of the frame part 44 on the side of the cooking chamber 20 to which the steam is sent, and the frame part 44 (steam generation container The substantially dome shape, which swells upward in a substantially hemispherical shape toward the center in the horizontal direction of the delivery port 31c) of 31, is further cut in half in the horizontal direction. Since the shielding part 45 covers the oblique upper side of the steam passage port 46 on the side of the cooking chamber 20 , it is possible to capture a large amount of hot water droplets that boil in the upper part of the steam generating container 31 and flow toward the cooking chamber 20 .

The steam passage port 46 is for delivering the steam generated in the upper part of the steam generation container 31 into the upper steam receptor 41 in order to deliver it to the cooking chamber 20 which is the delivery destination. The steam passage port 46 not only has a substantially half opening inside the frame portion 44 in plan view, but also has a height that bulges above the shielding portion 45 at the center portion in the horizontal direction inside the frame portion 44 . Partially open. For this reason, the steam passage port 46 has a larger opening area than when substantially half of the inner side of the frame portion 44 is closed with a planar plate.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, three positioning protrusions 44a to 44c are formed on the lower end of the frame 44 so as to protrude downward. Positioning recesses 31h to 31j are formed so as to be recessed downward at positions facing the positioning protrusions 44a to 44c. The positioning projections 44a to 44c of the frame 44 and the positioning recesses 31h to 31j of the upper end portion of the steam generating container 31 arrange the blocking portion 45 of the hot water inflow prevention member 43 on the side of the cooking chamber 20 to which the steam is sent. It is for

The positioning recesses 31h to 31j are formed at positions separated from each other in the circumferential direction of the steam generating container 31, and the length of the positioning recesses 31h and 31i in the circumferential direction (the circumferential direction of the steam generating container 31) is the circumference of the positioning recess 31j. It is formed shorter than the length in the direction. The positioning recess 31h is formed at a position 60° clockwise from the position on the side of the cooking chamber 20 to which steam is sent, and the positioning recess 31i is formed counterclockwise from the position on the side of the cooking chamber 20 to which steam is sent. It is formed at a position separated by 60°, and the positioning recess 31j is formed on the opposite side of the cooking chamber 20 to which the steam is delivered, that is, formed at a position separated by 180° from the cooking chamber 20 side.

The positioning protrusions 44a to 44c are formed slightly shorter than the circumferential length of the positioning recesses 31h to 31j (the circumferential direction of the steam generating vessel 31 or the frame portion 44), and are engageable with the positioning recesses 31h to 31j. It's becoming The circumferential lengths of the positioning recesses 31h and 31i are shorter than the circumferential length of the positioning recess 31j. It is formed shorter than the circumferential length of 44c. Further, similarly to the positioning recesses 31h to 31j, the positioning projection 44a is formed at a position 60° clockwise away from the position on the cooking chamber 20 side, which is the steam delivery destination, and the positioning projection 44b is the steam delivery destination. The positioning projection 44c is formed at a position 60° counterclockwise from the position on the cooking chamber 20 side, and the positioning protrusion 44c is on the opposite side of the cooking chamber 20 to which the steam is sent, that is, 180° away from the cooking chamber 20 side. It is formed in the position where

When the shielding part 45 is arranged on the side of the cooking chamber 20 to which steam is sent, and the steam passage port 46 is arranged on the opposite side in the horizontal direction to the side of the cooking chamber 20 to which steam is sent, the frame portion 44 of the positioning projections 44a to 44c can be engaged with the positioning recesses 31h to 31j of the steam generation container 31, respectively. When the shielding part 45 is not arranged on the side of the cooking chamber 20 to which steam is sent, and the steam passage port 46 is not arranged on the opposite side in the horizontal direction to the side of the cooking chamber 20 to which steam is sent, the frame portion 44 is Each of the positioning protrusions 44 a - 44 c cannot engage with the positioning recesses 31 h - 31 j of the steam generating container 31 . In this way, the hot water inflow prevention member 43 is prevented from being attached to the upper portion of the steam generation container 31 with the shielding portion 45 and the steam passage port 46 at the wrong positions with respect to the destination of the steam.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 12, four locking projections 44d to 44g are formed on the upper end of the frame 44 so as to protrude upward. 44g is engaged with a stepped portion between the fitting portion 41a and the receiving portion 41b of the steam receiver 41. As shown in FIG. These locking protrusions 44d to 44g are locked to the stepped portion between the fitting portion 41a and the receiving portion 41b of the steam receiving body 41, so that the hot water inflow preventing member 43 moves upward of the steam generating container 31. is regulated.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, a water level detection tank 50 is erected on the rear side of the steam generation container 31, and the lower part of the water level detection tank 50 communicates with the lower part of the steam generation container 31 through a communication pipe 51. It is connected. The water level detection tank 50 is provided with a water level sensor 52 using a float switch. In this embodiment, the water level sensor 52 can detect the upper limit water level and the lower limit water level inside the water level detection tank 50 , that is, inside the steam generation container 31 .

A water supply pipe 53 led out from a water supply source is connected to the upper part of the water level detection tank 50 , and a water supply valve 54 (shown in FIG. 13 ) is interposed in the water supply pipe 53 in the machine room 13 in the lower part of the housing 11 . is dressed. Water supplied from the water supply source is supplied into the water level detection tank 50 through the water supply pipe 53 by opening the water supply valve 54, and the water supplied into the water level detection tank 50 passes through the communication pipe 51 and becomes steam. It is supplied to the generator container 31 .

As shown in FIG. 11, in the water level detection tank 50, there are provided first and second partition plates 50a for partitioning the area below the water supply pipe 53 and the area where the water level sensor 52 is arranged so that water can pass through. , 50b are provided. The first and second partition plates 50a and 50b are for preventing fluctuations in the water level due to ripples around the water level sensor 52. As shown in FIG. The first partition plate portion 50a is arranged near the left rear corner where the water supply pipe 53 of the water level detection tank 50 is arranged. The first partition plate portion 50a extends from the left side wall of the left rear corner to the rear wall side, and a water passage 50c is formed between the first partition plate portion 50a and the rear wall. In addition, the second partition plate portion 50b is provided in a region partitioned by the first partition plate portion 50a of the water level detection tank 50 so as to allow water to pass therethrough, and is located directly below the water supply pipe 53 and the first partition plate portion 50a. It is disposed between the water passage 50c formed between the rear wall of the water level detection tank 50 and the water passage 50c. The second partition plate portion 50b has a function of preventing waves generated by water supplied from the water supply pipe 53 from being transmitted to the surroundings of the water level detection tank 50 through the water passage 50c.

As shown in FIGS. 5, 9 and 10, a drain valve 60 is provided on the lower side of the steam generating container 31, and the water in the steam generating container 31 is discharged into the drain tank by opening the drain valve 60. 16 is discharged. The drain valve 60 can drain the water in the steam generation container 31 by opening the valve body inside the pipe member 60a having connection ports at the top and bottom. A motor 60b for opening and closing the is provided. A tubular first socket 61 is rotatably fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 31b at the lower end of the steam generating container 31, and the first socket 61 is screwed to the upper connection port of the drain valve 60. installed. An annular groove is formed in the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 31b, and an O-ring 62 is interposed in the annular groove as a sealing member. The small diameter portion 31 b of the steam generation container 31 is liquid-tightly sealed to the first socket 61 by an O-ring 62 .

A second socket 63 is screwed to the connection port on the lower side of the drain valve 60, and the outer peripheral surface of the lower part of the second socket 63 is rotatably fitted to the connection tube portion 16a provided on the upper part of the drain tank 16. ing. An annular groove is formed in the lower outer peripheral surface of the second socket 63, and an O-ring 64 is interposed in the annular groove as a sealing member. The second socket 63 is liquid-tightly sealed to the connection tube portion 16 a of the drain tank 16 by an O-ring 64 .

The first socket 61 screwed to the upper connection port of the pipe member 60a of the drain valve 60 is rotatably connected to the small diameter portion 31b of the steam generation container 31, and is connected to the lower pipe member 60a of the drain valve 60. The second socket 63 screwed into the side connection port is rotatably connected to the connection tube portion 16a provided on the top of the drain tank 16. As shown in FIG. Since the pipe member 60a of the drain valve 60 is rotatably attached to the steam generating container 31 and the drain tank 16 via the first and second sockets 61 and 63, the motor 60b outside the pipe member 60a is positioned on the left side. It can be rotated from a position housed in the machine room 12 to a position arranged outside the left side machine room 12 .

As shown in FIG. 13, the lower machine room 13 of the housing 11 is provided with an IH board box 70 having an inverter circuit for supplying high frequency current to the induction heating coil 34 of the steam generator 30 . The IH board box 70 is arranged in the middle part of the lower machine room 13 in the front-rear direction, and can be pulled out from the lower machine room 13 to the left side machine room 12 side. As shown in FIG. 13(a), when the motor 60b of the drain valve 60 of the steam generator 30 is arranged in the left side machine room 12 on the left side of the housing 11, the IH board box 70 is connected to the drain valve 60. movement toward the left side machine room 12 is restricted by the motor 60b. As shown in FIG. 13(b), when the motor 60b of the drain valve 60 is rotated outward from the left side machine room 12, the IH board box 70 moves from the lower machine room 13 to the left side machine room 12 side. It can be pulled out, and the IH board box 70 can be removed for maintenance.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 , a cooling fan 71 is provided in the lower machine room 13 of the housing 11 and the cooling fan 71 is arranged on the right side of the IH board box 70 . The cooling fan 71 is attached to the lower machine room 13 by a bracket 72 so that the cooling air flow from the cooling fan 71 is directed obliquely rearward. The flow of the cooling air from the cooling fan 71 is directed obliquely rearward, so that the cooling fan 71 can cool not only the IH board box 70 intended for cooling, but also the water supply provided behind the IH board box 70 . Electrical components such as valve 54 are also cooled. Since the bracket 72 partitions the rear part of the lower machine room 13 , the cooling air from the cooling fan 71 does not short-cycle with the rear part of the lower machine room 13 .

13(a), when the cooling fan 71 is activated, the air in the lower side of the housing 11 flows into the opening formed in the bottom wall of the housing 11 on the front side of the IH board box 70. The air sucked into the lower machine room 13 through the portion 11a passes through the noise filter 73 arranged above the opening and cools the noise filter 73 . The air that has passed through the noise filter 73 and is sent to the right side of the lower machine room 13 is sent out obliquely to the rear left of the lower machine room 13 by the cooling fan 71 . The sent air passes through the IH board box 70 and the electrical parts such as the water supply valve 54 disposed on the rear side thereof to cool the IH board box 70 and the electrical parts such as the water supply valve 54 .

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 15, an air supply damper device 80 for introducing air into the cooking chamber 20 is provided in front of the left side machine room 12 of the housing 11 . The air supply damper device 80 includes a main pipe 81 extending vertically in the front portion of the left side machine room 12, an air supply valve 82 provided on the main pipe 81, and a lower portion of the main pipe 81 bent toward the cooking chamber 20 side. and a second elbow pipe 84 that bends from the cooking chamber 20 side end of the first elbow pipe 83 and extends to the outside air introduction port 20c on the left side wall of the cooking chamber 20 .

The main pipe 81 includes a first main pipe 81a and a second main pipe 81b connected to the lower portion of the first main pipe 81a. , and the lower end of the second main pipe 81 b extends to a position slightly higher than the outside air introduction port 20 c of the cooking chamber 20 . The upper end of the first main pipe 81a has a rectangular cross-sectional shape in the horizontal direction, and the upper end of the first main pipe 81a is provided with a net member 85 for preventing entry of foreign matter such as insects.

A packing 86 is provided at the upper end of the first main pipe 81a, and the packing 86 closes the space between the first main pipe 81a and the ceiling wall of the housing 11 in a liquid-tight manner. The packing 86 is made of an elastically deformable rubber material, and has a thick quadrangular ring shape that fits on the outer peripheral surface of the first main pipe 81a. An engaging groove 86a which is recessed inward for sandwiching the peripheral edge of the opening of the ceiling wall of the housing 11 is formed all around the outer peripheral surface of the packing 86. As shown in FIG. A ridge (not shown) that protrudes downward is formed along the entire circumference of the upper portion of the engagement groove 86a, and a ridge (not shown) that protrudes upward is formed along the entire circumference of the lower portion of the engagement groove 86a. It is Since the opening edge of the top plate of the housing 11 is sandwiched in the engagement groove 86a, water flows into the left side machine chamber 12 from between the opening of the top plate of the housing 11 and the first main pipe 81a. It's getting harder.

The air supply valve 82 opens and closes the inside of the main pipe 81, and is interposed in the second main pipe 81b. A first elbow pipe 83 is connected to the lower end of the second main pipe 81b. Since the first elbow pipe 83 extends obliquely downward from the lower end of the second main pipe 81b toward the cooking chamber 20, the first elbow pipe 83 has few stepped portions or horizontal portions where water accumulates. A second elbow pipe 84 is connected to the lower end of the first elbow pipe 83, and the second elbow pipe 84 extends obliquely downward along the left side of the cooking chamber 20 toward the outside air introduction port 20c. there is The interior of the second elbow pipe 84 has few steps or horizontal portions where water is accumulated. The air supply damper device 80 introduces outside air into the cooking chamber 20 through an air supply path consisting of the main pipe 81, the first elbow pipe 83 and the second elbow pipe 84, and dew condensation occurs in these air supply paths. Due to the accumulation of water, it is difficult to remain. Even if dew condensation occurs in the air supply path when cooking is not performed in the cooking chamber 20, the dew condensation flows down into the cooking chamber 20 without remaining in the air supply passage. As a result, when the inside of the cooking chamber 20 is supplied with air by the air supply damper device 80 during cooking, water flows into the cooking chamber 20 from the air supply path of the air supply damper device 80, causing the cooking to occur. It is possible to prevent the pressure in the warehouse 20 from rising rapidly.

As shown in FIG. 16, the heating cooker 10 includes a control device 90, which is connected to the heater 25, the convection fan 26, the temperature sensor 27, the steam generator 30, and the air supply damper device 80. ing. The control device 90 has a microcomputer (not shown), and the microcomputer has a CPU, a RAM, a ROM and a timer (all not shown) connected via a bus.

The control device 90 has a cooking program for cooking food in the cooking chamber 20 in its ROM. The cooking program consists of a hot air mode cooking program in which the heater 25 and the convection fan 26 are operated to heat and cook the ingredients with convection hot air, and a convection fan 26 and the steam generator 30 are operated to operate the convection hot air containing steam. There are three types of cooking programs: a steam mode cooking program for heating and cooking foodstuffs, and a combination mode cooking program for heating and cooking foodstuffs with high-temperature hot air containing steam that actuates the heater 25, the convection fan 26, and the steam generator 30 to convect. It has a cooking program. The ROM stores a cooking program in which the set temperature, steam amount, and cooking time in the cooking chamber 20 are set in advance. It is configurable.

When the hot air mode cooking program of the cooking program is executed, the air in the cooking chamber 20 becomes hot air due to the operation of the heater 25 and the convection fan 26, and the ingredients accommodated in the cooking chamber 20 convect hot air. cooked by When the combination mode cooking program of the cooking program is executed, the heater 25 and the convection fan 26 operate to convect the air in the cooking chamber 20 into hot air, and the steam generator 30 is installed in the cooking chamber 20. By supplying steam from the cooking chamber 20, the hot air convecting in the cooking chamber 20 contains steam, and the foodstuffs stored in the cooking chamber 20 are cooked by the hot air containing steam and convecting. Further, when the air supply valve 82 of the air supply damper device 80 is opened while each cooking program is being executed, the outside air outside the housing 11 is introduced into the cooking chamber 20 through the air supply path, and the inside of the cooking chamber 20 is Humidity can be adjusted.

The controller 90 controls the operation of the steam generator 30 to supply steam into the cooking chamber 20 when executing the steam mode cooking program and the combi mode cooking program. When a high-frequency current is supplied to the induction heating coil 34 to generate steam by the steam generator 30, an eddy current flows through each heating rod 33b of the heating body 33 due to the influence of the magnetic field generated from the induction heating coil 34, and each heating rod 33b generates heat due to electrical resistance when eddy current flows. The water in the steam generating container 31 is heated by the heating rods 33 b that generate heat, and steam is generated from the water surface of the steam generating container 31 . The steam generated in the upper part of the steam generation container 31 enters the steam receiving member 41 through the steam passage port 46 of the hot water inflow prevention member 43, passes through the first inclined cylinder portion 41c and the delivery cylinder 42, and reaches the cooking chamber 20. supplied within.

When the steam mode cooking program and the combination mode cooking program are finished, the hot water remaining in the steam generation container 31 is discharged from the drain port 31d by opening the drain valve 60. When the hot water is discharged from the steam generating container 31, the drain valve 60 is closed and the water supply valve 54 is opened. 31.

The steam generator 30 of the heating cooker 10 configured as described above stores a predetermined amount of water inside, and has a delivery port 31c for delivering steam at its upper end and a drain port 31d for discharging water at its lower end. and a heating means 32 for heating water in the steam generating container 31 to generate steam. In this steam generating device 30, a spiral flow path is formed in the inner peripheral surface of the steam generating container 31 by forming a spiral groove 31f whose direction of movement is the vertical direction. . When water is discharged from the drain port 31d at the lower end of the steam generating container 31, the water in the steam generating container 31 is swirled by the spiral flow path formed on the inner peripheral surface and vigorously discharged from the drain port 31d. be. As a result, the water in which the scale components are concentrated is less likely to remain in the steam generating vessel 31, and the accumulation of scale in the steam generating vessel 31 can be prevented. Although the spiral channel is formed by forming the spiral groove 31f on the inner peripheral surface of the steam generating container 31, the spiral flow path is not limited to this, and the spiral ridge is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the steam generating container 31. You may make it form a spiral flow path by forming.

A water supply port 31 e for supplying water is formed in the lower portion of the steam generation container 31 , and the water inflow direction of the water supply port 31 e is arranged along the inner peripheral surface of the steam generation container 31 . Water flowing into the steam generating container 31 from the water supply port 31 e flows along the inner peripheral surface of the steam generating container 31 . In addition, since the water flowing along the inner peripheral surface of the steam generating container 31 rises along the spiral flow path and swirls within the steam generating container 31, the water flows into the steam generating container 31 after being drained. It becomes possible to wash away the scale components that are about to adhere. In addition, when steam is generated in the steam generation container 31, bubbles due to water vapor adhere to the surface of the heating rod 33b, and the contact area of the heating rod 33b with water decreases, thereby reducing the efficiency of steam generation. There is a risk of On the other hand, since the water supply port 31e is arranged so that the inflow direction of the water from the water supply port 31e is along the inner peripheral surface of the steam generating container 31, the bubbles caused by the steam adhering to the surface of the heating rod 33b are swirled inside the steam generating container 31. It can be removed by the flow of water flowing in like a coil, and can prevent the efficiency of steam generation from decreasing.

In the steam generator 30 configured as described above, the heating means 32 employs an induction heating system in which the water in the steam generating container 31 is heated by causing the heating element 33 to generate heat with the induction heating coil 34. The water in the steam generating container 31 may be heated by a heater such as an electric heating wire.

30...Steam generator, 31...Steam generating container, 31c...Sending port, 31d...Drainage port, 31e...Water supply port, 32...Heating means.

Claims (2)

a cylindrical steam generating container storing a predetermined amount of water therein and having a delivery port at the upper end for delivering steam and a drain port at the lower end for discharging water;
A steam generator comprising heating means for heating water in the steam generating container to generate steam,
A steam generating device, wherein a spiral flow path is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the steam generating container, the spiral flow path extending in the vertical direction. The steam generator according to claim 1,
A water supply port for supplying water is formed at the bottom of the steam generation container,
A steam generator, wherein the direction of water inflow from the water supply port is arranged along the inner peripheral surface of the steam generating vessel.

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