JP4448804B2 - Cooker - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a cooking device such as a microwave oven that performs cooking by supplying water vapor to a heated object in a heating chamber.

  In a cooking device using a microwave or a heater, steam can be cooked more deliciously by incorporating steam generation means in the main body and supplying steam to the heating chamber, preventing drying of the object to be heated. The variation of will also spread.

  The steam generating means incorporated in the heating cooker has a structure in which a heater is provided in the evaporating dish or water container. Water is supplied to the evaporating dish or container and heated by the heater, and the water is evaporated to generate steam. It is something to be made.

  The water used for steam generation is stored in a tank that is detachably arranged in the main body by the user in advance, and the pump is driven according to the cooking situation to supply water to the steam generation means. .

  Therefore, when there is no water when cooking that requires steam, the user is notified and the supply of water is urged.

  Further, if the steam generating means is heated in the absence of water, the steam generating means becomes overheated and the steam generating means overheats abnormally, causing a failure of the heating cooker.

  Therefore, it is essential to detect the presence or absence of water supplied to the steam generating means.

  Conventionally, in a cooking device that cooks using steam, various methods for determining the presence or absence of water in the tank by detecting the temperature of the container constituting the steam generating means, the amount of water in the tank, and the like have been proposed. Has been.

  For example, as shown in Patent Document 1, a temperature cooker is provided in a steam generator, and the temperature of the steam generator is detected by the temperature detector, thereby determining the presence or absence of water in a tank or a water channel. Has been proposed.

  Moreover, as shown in Patent Document 2, a cooking device that prevents the steam generating apparatus from being heated by directly configuring the tank with a material that transmits light and directly detecting the amount of water in the tank with a light transmission detection sensor. Has also been proposed.

  Furthermore, as shown in Patent Document 3, the amount of water vapor used for cooking is estimated from the elapsed time from when water was last replaced in the tank and the cooking process, and the remaining amount of water in the tank is calculated from the difference. A cooking device is also proposed.

JP 2005-55135 A JP-A-2005-43019 JP 2004-11995 A

  In the above prior art, the one shown in Patent Document 1 needs to wait for the temperature of the steam generating means to change to a temperature at which it can be determined that there is no water. It takes time until the control means can determine the absence of water through the means, and during that time, an abnormal overheating such as emptying may occur in the steam generation means.

  Moreover, the thing shown in patent document 1 and patent document 2 needs to provide the sensor for detecting the amount of water separately, and cost becomes high compared with the conventional structure without this sensor.

  In the case of the one shown in Patent Document 3, a large error is likely to occur in the amount of water in the tank when the amount of water supplied at the beginning of cooking is different or when the power is cut off during cooking.

  Furthermore, in the heating cooker provided with the conventional general steam generation means including the structure of patent documents 1 to 3, there are the following problems.

  If the steam generating means is heated when there is no water in the tank, the cooker may break down due to abnormal overheating such as airing.

  In addition, when the user forgets to put water in the tank or when the water runs out during cooking, proper cooking may not be possible.

  When a large amount of water is supplied to the steam generating means, water exceeding the capacity of the steam generating means may overflow into the heating chamber and adhere as a scale in the heating chamber.

  Furthermore, depending on the cooking conditions, cooking may start with water remaining in the pipeline, and there is a variation in the amount of water sent to the steam generating means, so water overflows from the steam generating means and enters the heating chamber. Scale may adhere.

  The present invention is made to solve at least one of the above problems.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and a heating cooker according to the present invention includes a heating chamber for storing an object to be heated, a heating means for heating the heating chamber, and a heater. Steam generating means for generating water, a pump for supplying water to the steam generating means, a detachable tank for storing water to be supplied to the steam generating means, a first water supply pipe for supplying water to the pump from the tank, A second water supply pipe for supplying water to the steam generating means from a pump, and detecting the presence or absence of water in the tank by driving the pump.

  According to the present invention, the presence or absence of water in the tank can be detected simply by driving the pump, and a cooking device that is safe and easy to use for the user can be provided.

  In addition, by detecting the presence or absence of water in the tank at least before cooking with steam, steam can be stably generated, and it is safe for the user and is easy to use. Can be provided.

  Also, after the tank is removed during heating cooking, water is supplied and the tank is re-installed, by detecting the presence or absence of water in the tank, steam can be stably generated, which is safe for the user and breaks down. A cooking device that is difficult and easy to use can be provided. Moreover, even when the tank is taken in and out to add water during cooking, steam can be generated quickly.

  In addition, when detecting the presence or absence of water in the tank by driving the pump at least before cooking with steam, the pump is used to feed water of approximately the same volume as the volume of the first water supply line. Either the required drive time, or the drive time to the drive time required to feed approximately the same amount of water as the sum of the volumes of the first water supply line and the second water supply line, The presence or absence of water in the tank may be detected by driving the pump and detecting the amount of water flowing through the pump using current detection means.

  By providing such a configuration, it is possible to stably generate steam, and it is possible to provide a heating cooker that is safe for the user and less likely to fail and is easy to use.

  Furthermore, when the tank is removed during the cooking process, water is supplied and the water tank is reattached, and the pump is driven to detect the presence or absence of water in the tank, the pump uses the first water supply line and the second water supply line. The pump is driven from the drive time required to supply approximately the same amount of water as the sum of the volumes of the water supply pipes to the drive time required to supply approximately the same amount of water as the volume of the steam generating means. The presence or absence of water in the tank may be detected by detecting the amount of water flowing through the pump using the current detection means.

  By providing such a configuration, steam can be quickly generated even when a tank is taken in and out to add water during cooking.

  Furthermore, in those cases, the volume that can be stored in the steam generation means may be larger than the sum of the first water supply pipe and the second water supply pipe. By doing so, even when the operation is performed when water has already accumulated in the first and second water supply pipes, such as immediately after cooking, the water does not overflow and good cooking can be performed.

  In a cooking device that cooks steam by supplying steam into the heating chamber, the steam is stably generated, thereby enabling safe and easy cooking.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described by taking an electric microwave oven as an example. In addition, this invention is applicable also to heating cookers, such as an electric oven and a microwave oven.

  FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a heating cooker showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the heating cooker as viewed from the back, in which a cabinet as an outer frame is shifted to the front of the main body. It is. FIG. 3 is a block diagram for cooking the article 4 to be heated.

  The main body 1 of the heating cooker includes a heating chamber 2 that houses a heated object 4 such as food to be cooked, a table 3 on which the heated object 4 provided on the bottom surface of the heating chamber 2 is placed, and a heating chamber 2. A hot air unit 5 that circulates hot air, a magnetron 6 that radiates microwaves, a waveguide 7 that guides microwaves, a rotating antenna 8, an antenna motor 9, and the like are included.

  Since the magnetron 6, the waveguide 7, the rotating antenna 8, the antenna motor 9 and the like are already known, detailed description thereof will be omitted, but these components, together with the control means 32 and the like which will be described later, together with the heating chamber 2 and the main body It is arrange | positioned in the machine room 1a between 1 bottom surfaces.

  A hot air unit 5 is installed on the back surface of the heating chamber 2 in the main body 1. This hot air unit 5 constitutes a hot air supply means to the heating chamber 2, and is attached to a duct 5a and a blowing means 10 and a duct 5a that are rotatably provided at substantially the center of the duct 5a. 10 includes a fan motor 11 that drives 10 and heating means 12 such as a heater provided on the upper and lower sides of the outer periphery of the air blowing means 10, that is, on the outflow side of the air flow.

  The back wall of the heating chamber 2 is provided with suction holes 2a and blowout holes 2b made up of a number of punching holes and the like. The suction holes 2a are provided at substantially the center of the blowing means 10, and the blowout holes 2b are It is provided at a position facing the upper and lower heating means 12.

  Reference numeral 13 denotes steam generating means, which includes a container 13a to which water is supplied, a heater 13b for heating the container 13a, and the like, which are arranged between the hot air unit 5 and the back surface of the main body 1.

  The container 13a is made of an rust-resistant metal material such as an aluminum material such as aluminum die cast or stainless steel, and the heater 13b is made of a sheathed heater embedded in the meat part of the container, as shown in FIG. The output is controlled by the control means 32.

  14 is a tank for supplying water to the steam generating means 13, and 15 is a pump thereof, both of which are arranged in the machine room 1a.

  Here, the tank 14 and the pump 15 are connected by a first water supply pipe 101, and the pump 15 and the steam generating means 13 are connected by a second water supply pipe 102. Moreover, the tank 14 is detachable, and a user can remove it and supply water.

  Water supplied to the steam generating means 13 is supplied from the tank 14 to the steam generating means 13 through the first water supply pipe 101, the pump 15, and the second water supply pipe 102, and the steam generating means 13 The water that has reached 13 is stored in the container 13 a of the steam generation means 13, heated and evaporated by the heater 13 b, becomes water vapor 19, and is supplied into the hot air unit 5 from the outlet 18.

  Then, the water vapor 19 supplied into the hot air unit 5 is mixed with the outflow air 17 flowing from the air blowing means 10, further superheated by the heating means 12, becomes superheated water vapor 20, and is supplied into the heating chamber 2.

  On the other hand, the current detection means 30 for measuring the current of the pump 15 and the control means 32 are also housed in the machine chamber 1a below the heating chamber 2.

  Since the value of the current flowing through the pump 15 changes depending on the load of the pump 15, the current detection unit 30 can detect the amount of water flowing by measuring the current of the pump 15.

  For example, when water is flowing through the pump 15, the load increases and a large current flows, but conversely, when there is no water in the pump 15 and a small load flows when the load is small, the amount of water flowing through the pump 15 is reduced. It can be detected.

  The relationship between the current detection means 30, the control means 32, the pump 15, and the heater 13b is as shown in the block diagram of FIG.

  The informing means 31 informs the user that the remaining amount of water in the tank 14 is reduced or water supply is required by a buzzer or a liquid crystal display when the water in the tank 14 runs out. This is also the block of FIG. As shown in the figure.

  In this embodiment described above, the machine room 1a is provided in the lower part of the heating chamber 2, but the place where the machine room 1a is provided is not limited to this. For example, the top surface, the side surface, or the back surface of the heating chamber 2 may be used.

  Moreover, although the hot air unit 5 is also a structure provided in the back surface of the heating chamber 2, it is not restricted to this, For example, a side surface and an upper surface may be sufficient.

  Further, the steam generating means 13 may not be the back surface of the hot air unit 5. For example, the upper surface or side surface of the heating chamber 2 may be used, or the inside of the heating chamber 2 may be used.

  Moreover, the shape of the steam generation means 13 is not ask | required. For example, the shape which puts water on an evaporating dish and heats may be sufficient.

  The table 3 has a turntable-less structure that does not rotate, but may have a structure in which the turntable rotates or a structure that does not have a table.

  Hereinafter, the cooking flow in the present embodiment will be described based on the flowchart shown in FIG.

  When cooking using steam is started, the user first supplies water to the tank 14 and installs it in a predetermined position of the main body 1, then stores the object to be heated in the heating chamber 2 and arranges it on the front surface of the main body 1. An operation panel (not shown) is operated to start cooking. At this time, the pump 15 is turned on and driven for a predetermined time.

  Here, by sending the same amount of water as the volume of the first water supply pipe 101 by the pump 15, the water in the tank 14 reaches the pump 15, and the presence or absence of the water in the tank 14 can be detected. .

  For example, when the volume of the first water supply pipe 101 is 5 ml and the pumping capacity of the pump 15 is 400 ml / min, 5 ml of water is sent from the tank 14 to the first water supply pipe 101 by driving the 0.75 sec pump. Then, it can reach the pump 15 and measure the current of the pump 15 to determine the presence or absence of water.

  That is, when detecting the presence or absence of water in the tank 14 using the pump 15, it is necessary to continuously drive the pump 15 and detect the amount of water for at least the time required to feed water by the volume of the first water supply pipe 101. is there.

  Here, when water of the same amount as the sum of the volumes of the first water supply pipe line 101 and the second water supply pipe line 102 is fed by the pump 15, the water in the tank 14 reaches the steam generating means 13. Therefore, when it is desired to quickly supply water to the steam generating means 13 such as when water is supplied in the middle of heating cooking, the water is detected at the same time as detecting the amount of water by setting the drive time of the pump 15 slightly longer. You can also send water.

  In this way, by detecting the amount of water flowing through the pump 15 by the current detection means 30 from the current value at the time of driving the pump 15, the presence or absence of water in the tank 14 can be determined.

  In this determination, if it is confirmed that there is no water in the tank 14, the notification means 31 notifies the user that there is no water, and the control means 32 outputs the output of the heater 13b of the steam generation means 13. Stops and prevents the steam generating means 13 from being blown.

  When it is confirmed by the current detection means 22 that there is water in the tank 14, cooking is started as follows along the instructed cooking method.

  First, when the hot air unit 5 is operated, the air blowing means 10 is turned on, and the inflow air 16 sucked into the hot air unit 5 from the heating chamber 2 through the suction hole 2a becomes a high-speed outflow air 17 by the rotation of the air blowing means 10, It flows out from the air blowing means 10 vigorously. Further, in the steam generation means 13, the heater 13b is turned on, and the temperature rise of the container 13a is started.

  When the container 13a approaches a predetermined temperature, water is supplied from the tank 14 to the steam generating means 13 through the first water supply line 101 and the second water supply line 102 by the pump 15, and the container 13a is kept at a high temperature by the heater 13b. Boils and evaporates instantly, producing saturated water vapor.

  The evaporated water vapor 19 is ejected vigorously from the outlet 18 of the steam generating means 13, and vigorously collides with the high-speed outflow air 17 immediately after being blown from the air blowing means 10 to give an impact force. The steam having a large diameter contained in the air is further finely crushed and then heated by the heating means 12 in the hot air unit 5 to become high-temperature hot air containing a large amount of superheated steam 20 and the like, and is heated from the blowout hole 2b to the heating chamber 2. And to be cooked 4.

  And when predetermined time (heating time) passes, cooking will be complete | finished and a user will be notified of completion | finish.

  In the above cooking, in the present invention, it is necessary to newly install another sensor such as a water level sensor or a temperature sensor by detecting the amount of water in the tank 14 using the pump 15 that is driven in the process of generating steam. The presence or absence of water can be detected at the same cost as a conventional cooker.

  Further, since the presence / absence of water supplied to the steam generating means 13 can be directly discriminated, the time required to detect the presence / absence of water is shorter than the method of discriminating according to the temperature of the steam generating means 13, so that the steam generating means 13 The time to be aired is short and abnormal overheating can be prevented.

  Here, the volume that can be stored in the steam generating means 13 in the present embodiment is preferably set larger than the sum of the volumes of the first water supply pipe line 101 and the second water supply pipe line 102. For this reason, even if water with a volume equal to the sum of the volumes of the first water supply pipe line 101 and the second water supply pipe line 102 is supplied for water volume detection, the steam generation means 13 will not overflow.

  Also, depending on the cooking situation, such as when cooking repeatedly, cooking may start in a state where the first water supply pipe 101 and the second water supply pipe 102 are filled with water. Even if the pump 15 is driven to detect the amount of water, water does not overflow from the steam generating means 13.

  However, if the continuous driving time of the pump 15 is very long and the amount of water supplied exceeds the capacity of the steam generating means 13, there is a possibility that water will overflow from the steam generating means 13 during the water amount detection. It is desirable that the drive time is such that the water supply amount is larger than the volume of the first water supply pipe 101 and smaller than the volume of the steam generating means 13.

  For example, when the volume of the steam generating means 13 is 25 ml, the volume of the first water supply pipe 101 is 5 ml, the volume of the second water supply pipe 102 is 5 ml, and the pumping capacity of the pump 15 is 400 ml / min, the amount of water is detected. If the pump drive time for the first pump is set to 1 second, the amount of water supplied is 6.7 ml, which is larger than the volume of 5 ml of the first water supply pipe 101 and smaller than the volume of 25 ml of the steam generating means 13, so that it is possible to detect the amount of water. There can be provided a cooking device that can be used safely without overflowing the water from the steam generating means 13.

  In FIG. 5, the control sequence of the pump 15 in the heating cooker of this invention is shown.

  When steam is generated during cooking, the pump 15 is operated intermittently. When the amount of water before cooking is detected, the pump 15 is continuously operated to control the amount of water supplied.

  During steam generation, the intermittent operation of the pump 15 can be adjusted according to the amount of steam generated by the steam generating means 13.

For example, when the steam generating capacity of the steam generating means 13 is 10 ml / min and the water supply capacity of the pump 15 is 400 ml / min, steam generation is achieved by controlling the energization rate of the pump 15 between 0 and 2.5%. The amount can be adjusted to 0 to 10 ml / min, and stable vapor generation is possible.

  On the other hand, the pump 15 is operated continuously rather than intermittently when detecting the amount of water. As described above, the continuous operation time when the amount of water is detected is the maximum time during which the amount of water supply is approximately the same as the volume of the steam generating means 13.

As a result, water can be sent to the pump 15 in a short time, and the current value is stabilized, so that a stable amount of water can be detected in a short time.
In this way, by controlling the amount of water supplied from the tank 14 to change between when steam is generated and when the amount of water is detected, it is possible for the steam generating means 13 to stably generate steam when steam is generated, When detecting the amount of water, the amount of water can be detected quickly and easily.

  Next, FIG. 6 shows a cooking device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

  The structure of this embodiment is a structure in which the steam generating means 13 is arranged on the wall surface of the heating chamber 2 and the steam generated from the steam generating means 13 is directly supplied to the heating chamber 2.

  Also in this structure, steam can be stably generated safely by detecting the amount of water from the drive current of the pump 15 at the start of cooking. The control method and effects are the same as in the above embodiment.

It is sectional drawing of the heating cooker which shows one Example of this invention. It is a back perspective view of the heating cooker. It is a block diagram of the heating cooker. It is a flowchart which shows the control method of the heating cooker. It is a control sequence of the pump of the heating cooker. It is sectional drawing of the heating cooker which shows the 2nd Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body 2 Heating chamber 3 Table 5 Hot air unit 6 Magnetron 10 Blowing means 11 Fan motor 12 Heating means 13 Steam generating means 14 Tank 15 Pump 18 Outlet 30 Current detection means 31 Notification means 32 Control means 101 1st water supply line 102 1st Two water supply pipelines

Claims (6)

A heating chamber for storing an object to be heated, a heating means for heating the heating chamber, a steam generating means having a heater to generate water vapor, a pump for feeding water to the steam generating means, and supplying the steam generating means A detachable tank for storing water, a first water supply line for supplying water to the pump from the tank, a second water supply line for supplying water to the steam generating means from the pump, and a current for detecting a current load of the pump Detecting means ,
A cooking device that detects the presence or absence of water in the tank by detecting the amount of water flowing to the pump using Rutoki, said current detecting means by driving the pump,
When detecting the presence or absence of water, the pump is continuously driven until the water supply amount of the pump exceeds at least the volume of the first water supply pipe, and the pump is stopped before the volume of the steam generating means is exceeded. A cooking device characterized by.   The cooking device according to claim 1, wherein the pump is driven to detect the presence or absence of water in the tank before cooking using at least steam. 2. The cooking device according to claim 1, wherein a volume of water that can be stored in the steam generating means is larger than a sum of the first water supply pipe and the second water supply pipe. 2. The cooking device according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that controls at least a heater output of the steam generation unit based on a detection value of the current detection unit, and an amount of water flowing to the pump using the current detection unit. A cooking device that detects the presence or absence of water in the tank by detecting the water. 2. The cooking device according to claim 1, further comprising display means for indicating that the tank needs water supply when there is no water in the tank. The cooking device according to claim 1, wherein the tank is removed during the cooking process, supplied with water, and attached again, and then the pump is driven to detect the presence or absence of water in the tank.

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