JP6895106B2 - Cooking equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cooking device.

Patent Document 1 below discloses a technique in which, in a heating cooker provided with a grill portion for cooking roasted food, oil or the like generated from the object to be cooked is not directly dropped onto the heating means provided at the lower part of the grill portion. There is. This cooker comprises a cooking plate on which the object to be cooked is placed. The cooking plate has a plurality of holes formed at positions other than the facing positions of the heating means.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-104065

According to the above-mentioned conventional technique, it is possible to suppress ignition and smoke generated by directly dropping oil or the like generated from the food to be cooked onto the heating means. However, according to the research of the present inventor, other mechanisms may cause ignition in the grill.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cooking apparatus which is advantageous in dealing with ignition that may occur in a grill.

The cooking apparatus according to the present invention detects or estimates the start time of water dripping from the grill, the heater for heating the food in the grill, the grill plate located under the heater when cooking, and the food. It is provided with a means for locking the door of the grill when it is detected or presumed that the dropping of water has started.
Further, the cooking apparatus according to the present invention detects the grill storage, the heater for heating the food in the grill storage, the grill plate located under the heater when cooking, and the start time of water dripping from the food. Or a means to estimate, a means to detect or estimate the grill plate temperature which is the temperature of the grill plate, a locking means to lock the door of the grill storage, and when the grill plate temperature is above the reference temperature after the start time. It is provided with a means for locking the door and unlocking the door when the grill pan temperature is lower than the reference temperature after the start time.

According to the present invention, by providing a means for detecting or estimating the start time of water dripping from food, it is advantageous to deal with ignition that may occur in the grill due to water dripping from food. It becomes possible to provide various cooking devices.

It is a perspective view which shows the cooking apparatus according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the grill provided in the cooking apparatus shown in FIG. It is a functional block diagram of the cooking apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the method of detecting the start time of water dropping in Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a flowchart of the process executed by the control device in the cooking apparatus of Embodiment 1. It is a figure which shows the example of the time change of the thermal power of the lower heater in Embodiment 1, and the period in which water dripping from a food occurs. It is a flowchart of the process executed by the control device in the cooking apparatus 1 of Embodiment 2. It is a figure which shows the example of the time change of the thermal power of the lower heater in Embodiment 2 and the period in which water dripping from a food occurs. This is an example of a time change of the electric power of the lower heater and a period during which water drips from the food in the modified example of the second embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the time change of the electric power of the lower heater in the modified example of Embodiment 2 and the period in which water dripping from a food occurs. It is a figure which shows the example of the time change of the thermal power of the lower heater in Embodiment 3, the time change of the temperature of the grill plate, and the period in which water dripping from food occurs. It is a figure which shows the example of the time change of the thermal power of the lower heater in Embodiment 3, the time change of the temperature of the grill plate, and the period in which water dripping from food occurs.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Common or corresponding elements in the drawings are designated by the same reference numerals to simplify or omit duplicate description. The present disclosure may include any combination of configurable configurations among the configurations described in each of the following embodiments.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the cooking apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. The cooking apparatus 1 of the first embodiment includes a main body 2, a top plate 3, an operation panel 4, a control device 5, a heating coil 6, and a grill 7. The top plate 3 is installed on the upper part of the main body 2. The top plate 3 is made of, for example, plate-shaped tempered glass. Cooking utensils such as pots can be placed on the top plate 3.

The control device 5 is installed inside the main body 2. The control device 5 controls the operation of the cooking device 1. The operation panel 4 is installed in front of the main body 2. The user can select a cooking menu by operating the operation panel 4. In addition, the user can select the amount of food to be cooked by operating the operation panel 4.

The heating coil 6 heats a cooking utensil such as a pot placed on the top plate 3. The grill 7 is provided inside the main body 2. The door 7a of the grill 7 is arranged in front of the main body 2. By grasping the handle 7b provided on the door 7a and pulling it toward you, the grill plate 11 described later is pulled out.

The cooking device 1 may be a built-in type built into the system kitchen or a stationary type. The cooking apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is an IH cooking heater provided with a grill 7. The present invention is not limited to such an IH cooking heater. For example, the cooking apparatus of the present invention may not have a function of heating cooking utensils such as a pot, and may include only a grill 7.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the grill 7 included in the cooking apparatus 1 shown in FIG. The grill 7 has a grill storage 7c. The grill 7 can bake food 90 such as fish and meat in the grill storage 7c. The grill 7 includes a grill 8, an upper heater 9, a lower heater 10, and a grill plate 11. The food 90 is placed on the grill 8. In the present embodiment, the grill 8 includes a square net 8a and legs 8b provided at the four corners of the net 8a. The upper heater 9 and the lower heater 10 are fixed in the grill storage 7c. The shape of the grill plate 11 is square in a plan view. That is, the grill plate 11 is a square plate.

When cooking food 90, it is as follows. The food 90 placed on the grill 8 is heated from above and below by the upper heater 9 and the lower heater 10. The upper heater 9 is arranged above the grill 8. The upper heater 9 heats the food 90 placed on the grill 8 from above. The lower heater 10 is arranged below the grill 8. That is, the grill 8 is arranged above the lower heater 10. The lower heater 10 heats the food 90 placed on the grill 8 from below. The grill plate 11 is located below the lower heater 10. The grill 8 is supported by the grill plate 11.

For example, oil drips from the food 90 being cooked, and water such as blood or body fluid drips. For example, food residue such as burnt residue may fall from the food 90. The grill plate 11 receives such oil, moisture and food debris. The water that has fallen on the grill plate 11 evaporates during cooking, so that it does not exist after cooking. On the other hand, the oil that has fallen on the grill plate 11 remains without evaporating. If the grill plate 11 is used repeatedly without being cleaned, oil will accumulate in the grill plate 11. The oil sump 91 in FIG. 2 is the oil thus accumulated in the grill pan 11. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the side wall of the grill plate 11 is seen through so that the oil sump 91 in the grill plate 11 can be seen for easy understanding.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the cooking apparatus 1 shown in FIG. The operation panel 4, the heating coil 6, the upper heater 9, and the lower heater 10 are each electrically connected to the control device 5. The control device 5 can acquire information on the cooking menu selected by the user from the operation panel 4. In addition, the control device 5 can acquire information on the amount of food to be cooked selected by the user from the operation panel 4. When the grill 7 is used, the control device 5 controls the energization of the upper heater 9 and the lower heater 10 according to the cooking menu. The control device 5 may control the energization of the upper heater 9 and the lower heater 10 according to both the cooking menu and the amount of food to be cooked.

The cooking device 1 further includes a door lock mechanism 13 and an internal temperature sensor 14. The internal temperature sensor 14 detects the temperature inside the grill 7c. The temperature inside the grill 7c is hereinafter referred to as "inside temperature".

The door lock mechanism 13 can lock the door 7a of the grill 7. That is, the door lock mechanism 13 can switch between a locked state in which the door 7a cannot be opened and an unlocked state in which the door 7a can be opened. The door lock mechanism 13 is controlled by the control device 5. The door lock mechanism 13 may be omitted.

The control device 5 included in the cooking device 1 may be configured as follows. Each function of the control device 5 may be realized by a processing circuit. The processing circuit of the control device 5 may include at least one processor 51 and at least one memory 52. When the processing circuit includes at least one processor 51 and at least one memory 52, each function of the control device 5 may be realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. At least one of the software and firmware may be written as a program. At least one of the software and firmware may be stored in at least one memory 52. At least one processor 51 may realize each function of the control device 5 by reading and executing a program stored in at least one memory 52. The at least one memory 52 may include a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, or the like.

The processing circuit of the control device 5 may include at least one dedicated hardware. When the processing circuit comprises at least one dedicated hardware, the processing circuit may be, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor 51, a parallel programmed processor 51, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA ( Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof. The functions of each part of the control device 5 may be realized by the processing circuit. Further, the functions of each part of the control device 5 may be collectively realized by the processing circuit. For each function of the control device 5, a part may be realized by dedicated hardware and the other part may be realized by software or firmware. The processing circuit may realize each function of the control device 5 by hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. The configuration is not limited to a configuration in which the operation is controlled by a single control device, and a configuration in which the operation is controlled by a plurality of control devices in cooperation with each other may be used.

For example, from food 90 such as saury, water becomes water droplets 92 and drops during cooking. As used herein, the term "moisture" is a liquid containing water as a main component, which is contained in food 90 and is caused by blood, body fluid, moisture, or the like. When the temperature of the grill plate 11 is 100 ° C. or higher, the water droplets 92 that have fallen from the food 90 onto the grill plate 11 are instantaneously heated to the evaporation temperature, that is, 100 ° C. Due to the volume expansion due to rapid evaporation, the water droplet 92 is divided into finer particles and scattered. At that time, along with the water content, the oil in the oil sump 91 in the grill pan 11 also becomes fine particles and scatters. In that way, a mist containing oil is formed. This mist is hereinafter referred to as "oil mist". According to the research of the present inventor, an event of ignition may occur when the oil mist touches the lower heater 10.

As described above, when water is dropped from the food 90, ignition may occur in the grill 7c. In this embodiment, the start time of water dripping from the food 90 is detected in order to surely suppress the ignition in the grill storage 7c. Then, after the start time of dropping water, the thermal power of the lower heater 10 is reduced. By lowering the thermal power of the lower heater 10, the possibility of ignition when the oil mist generated by dropping water from the food 90 touches the lower heater 10 can be reduced. Therefore, ignition in the grill storage 7c can be reliably suppressed. In the following description, the dripping of water from the food 90 may be simply referred to as "dripping of water". Further, "thermal power" means a value obtained by averaging the energy supplied to the heater over time.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a method of detecting the start time of water dropping in the first embodiment. The control device 5 detects the start time of water dripping based on the change in the temperature inside the refrigerator. The middle figure in FIG. 4 shows an example of a change in the temperature inside the refrigerator during cooking. When cooking is started at time T0, the temperature inside the refrigerator rises.

The lower figure in FIG. 4 shows an example of a change in the rate of increase in the temperature inside the refrigerator during cooking. The rate of increase in the temperature inside the refrigerator is a time derivative of the temperature inside the refrigerator. That is, the rate of increase in the temperature inside the refrigerator corresponds to the rate of increase in the temperature inside the refrigerator. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the time T1 corresponds to the start time of water dropping. When the water drops start, the rate of increase in the temperature inside the refrigerator decreases due to the effect of the latent heat of vaporization that evaporates the water drops 92 that have fallen from the food 90 onto the grill plate 11. Therefore, the control device 5 can detect the start time of water dropping by detecting the decrease in the rate of increase in the temperature inside the refrigerator. For example, the control device 5 may detect the time when the value obtained by further differentiating the rate of increase in the temperature inside the refrigerator with time turns negative as the start time of water dropping.

As the cooking progresses, the dripping of water from the food 90 ends. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the time T2 corresponds to the end time of the water dropping. When the dropping of water is completed, the influence of the latent heat of vaporization described above disappears, so that the rate of increase in the temperature inside the refrigerator increases. Therefore, the control device 5 can detect the end time of the water dropping by detecting the increase rate of the temperature inside the refrigerator. For example, the control device 5 may detect the time when the value obtained by further differentiating the rate of increase in the temperature inside the refrigerator with time turns positive as the end time of water dropping.

In the present embodiment, it is possible to accurately detect the start time and end time of water dropping by the above-mentioned method. The cooking apparatus 1 is generally provided with the temperature sensor 14 in the refrigerator. Therefore, the start time and end time of water dropping can be detected without the need for an additional sensor.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of processing executed by the control device 5 in the cooking device 1 of the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a temporal change in the thermal power of the lower heater 10 in the first embodiment and a period during which water drips from the food 90.

In step S101 of FIG. 5, the control device 5 starts cooking in response to the pressing of the start button on the operation panel 4. That is, energization of the upper heater 9 and the lower heater 10 is started. The process proceeds from step S101 to step S102. In step S102, the control device 5 controls the electric power to energize the upper heater 9 and the lower heater 10 according to the program. At that time, the control device 5 controls the electric power to energize the upper heater 9 and the lower heater 10 according to the cooking menu and the amount of food selected by the user on the operation panel 4. In the following description, the control of energizing the upper heater 9 and the lower heater 10 in this way is referred to as "normal heating".

The process proceeds from step S102 to step S103. In step S103, the control device 5 performs a process for detecting the start of water dripping by the method described with reference to FIG. If it is not detected that the water dripping has started, the process proceeds from step S103 to step S104. In step S104, the control device 5 continues normal heating. The process proceeds from step S104 to step S105. In step S105, the control device 5 determines the success or failure of the cooking end condition. The termination condition is, for example, that the cooking time specified by the program elapses. If the end condition of cooking is not satisfied, the process returns from step S105 to step S103. In this case, the control device 5 repeats the processes of step S103 and subsequent steps. When the end condition of cooking is satisfied, the process proceeds from step S105 to step S106. In step S106, energization of the upper heater 9 and the lower heater 10 is stopped, and heating is completed.

When it is detected in step S103 that the dropping of water has started, the process proceeds from step S103 to step S107. In step S107, the control device 5 controls the thermal power suppression heating instead of the normal heating. In the thermal power suppression heating, the thermal power of the lower heater 10 is lowered as compared with the normal heating.

With reference to FIG. 6, thermal power suppression heating will be described. The hatched area in the upper part of FIG. 6 indicates the period during which water drips from the food 90. Time T1 is the start time of water dropping. Time T2 is the end time of water dropping. The lower figure in FIG. 6 shows the thermal power of the lower heater 10. P1 indicates the thermal power of the lower heater 10 in normal heating. P2 indicates the thermal power of the lower heater 10 in the thermal power suppression heating.

The change in thermal power shown by the solid line is when thermal power suppression heating is executed from time T1. In the present embodiment, the thermal power P2 of the lower heater 10 after the start time T1 of water dripping is lower than the thermal power P1 of the lower heater 10 before the start time T1 of water dripping. As a result, the possibility that the oil mist generated by the dropping of water touches the lower heater 10 and ignites can be reduced. Therefore, ignition in the grill storage 7c can be reliably suppressed.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the present embodiment, when the thermal power suppression heating is performed, the thermal power of the lower heater 10 is maintained at P2 even after the end time T2 of water dropping. When the thermal power suppression heating is performed, the process proceeds from step S107 to step S106. In step S106, when the time corresponding to the heating control by the program elapses, the control device 5 stops the energization of the upper heater 9 and the lower heater 10 and ends the heating.

In the description of FIG. 4, it has been described that the control device 5 detects the end time of water dripping, but in the first embodiment, the control device 5 does not detect the end time of water dripping, and the water dripping occurs. It may be configured to detect only the start time.

In the present embodiment, regarding the thermal power of the upper heater 9, even when the start of water dripping is detected, the thermal power equal to the thermal power at the time of normal heating may be maintained. That is, the thermal power of the upper heater 9 may not change before and after the start time of dropping water. Since the upper heater 9 has a large distance from the grill plate 11, the oil mist generated by the dropping of water is relatively difficult to reach. Even if the oil mist reaches the upper heater 9, its concentration is low. Therefore, the probability that the oil mist touches the upper heater 9 and ignites is relatively low. Therefore, even when the start of water dripping is detected, there is little need to reduce the thermal power of the upper heater 9. By setting the heating power of the upper heater 9 to be equal to the heating power at the time of normal heating even after the start time of dripping water, it is possible to avoid a long cooking time.

In the present embodiment, with respect to the thermal power of the upper heater 9, instead of the above control, the thermal power of the upper heater 9 after the start time of water dripping is higher than the thermal power of the upper heater 9 before the start time of water dripping. May be controlled to have a low thermal power. By doing so, it is possible to more reliably prevent the event that the oil mist generated by the dropping of water touches the upper heater 9 and ignites.

The first embodiment can be modified as follows.
(Modification 1) In the present embodiment, the start time of water dropping is detected based on the change in the temperature inside the refrigerator. This does not directly detect the start time of water dripping, but indirectly detects or estimates the start time of water dripping based on the change in the temperature inside the refrigerator. Can be said. Instead of such a method, the start time of water dropping may be directly detected. For example, by providing a camera that captures an image in the grill 7c and detecting water droplets 92 falling from the food 90 by image processing, it is possible to directly detect the start time of water droplets.

(Modification 2) The control device 5 may estimate the start time of dropping water from the food 90 based on the information about the cooking menu as follows. The start time of water dripping depends on the cooking menu. If the relationship between the cooking menu and the start time of water dripping is stored in the control device 5 in advance, the start time of water dripping can be estimated based on the cooking menu selected by the user on the operation panel 4. For example, when the cooking menu is "grilled saury with salt", the control device 5 stores in advance the relationship that water dripping starts 4 minutes after the start of cooking.

Examples of the cooking menu in which water drips from the food 90 include yakitori, grilled fish, grilled meat, grilled vegetables, grilled meat rolls, and the like. Examples of the cooking menu in which water does not drip from the food 90 include a menu in which the entire container is heated. In the case of a cooking menu in which water does not drip from the food 90, the control device 5 continues normal heating without switching to thermal power suppression heating on the way. As a result, it is possible to prevent the lower heater 10 from being unnecessarily suppressed in thermal power.

(Modification 3) The control device 5 may estimate the start time of dropping water from the food 90 based on the amount of the food 90 to be cooked in addition to the information on the cooking menu as follows. For example, assume that the cooking menu is "grilled saury with salt" and that there are one saury and five saury to be cooked. When five saury are cooked, the rate at which the temperature of the saury rises from the start of cooking is slower than when one saury is cooked, and the start time of water dripping from the saury as food 90 is delayed. Conceivable. In consideration of this point, the control device 5 estimates that water dripping starts 4 minutes after the start of cooking when there is one saury to be cooked, and when there are five saury to be cooked, it is cooked. It may be estimated that water dripping starts 5 minutes after the start of. In this way, by estimating the start time of water dripping based on the cooking menu and the amount of food 90 to be cooked, it is possible to estimate the start time of water dripping with higher accuracy.

According to the above-described modification 2 or 3, it is possible to accurately estimate the start time of water dripping without adding a sensor for detecting the start time of water dripping without increasing the cost. It becomes.

(Modification 4) When the cooking device 1 includes the door lock mechanism 13, the control device 5 operates the door lock mechanism 13 so that the door 7a of the grill 7 is locked in step S107 of FIG. May be good. That is, the door 7a of the grill 7 may be locked when it is detected or presumed that the dripping of water from the food 90 has started. If the door 7a of the grill 7 is locked, even if a fire occurs in the grill storage 7c, the user does not open the door 7a and pull out the grill plate 11, so that high safety can be obtained.

(Modification 5) In step S107 of FIG. 5, the control device 5 may operate the door lock mechanism 13 so that the door 7a of the grill 7 is locked without performing the thermal power suppression heating. That is, when it is detected or presumed that the dripping of water from the food 90 has started, the control device 5 locks the door 7a of the grill 7 so as to lock the door 7a of the grill 7 without lowering the heating power of the lower heater 10. The mechanism 13 may be operated. If the door 7a of the grill 7 is locked, even if a fire occurs in the grill storage 7c, the user does not open the door 7a and pull out the grill plate 11, so that high safety can be obtained.

When the door 7a of the grill 7 is locked in the modified examples 4 and 5, the control device 5 operates so as to unlock the door lock mechanism 13 when cooking is completed.

Embodiment 2.
Next, the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, but the differences from the above-described first embodiment will be mainly described, and the same part or the corresponding part will be simplified or explained. Omit.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the process executed by the control device 5 in the cooking device 1 of the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a temporal change in the thermal power of the lower heater 10 in the second embodiment and a period during which water drips from the food 90. Since the hardware configuration of the cooking apparatus 1 of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, the illustration is omitted.

In step S201 of FIG. 7, the control device 5 starts cooking in response to the pressing of the start button on the operation panel 4. The process proceeds from step S201 to step S202. In step S202, the control device 5 performs normal heating according to the program.

The process proceeds from step S202 to step S203. In step S203, the control device 5 performs a process for detecting the start of water dripping by the method described with reference to FIG. If it is not detected that the dropping of water has started, the process proceeds from step S203 to step S204. In step S204, the control device 5 continues normal heating. The process proceeds from step S204 to step S205. In step S205, the control device 5 determines the success or failure of the cooking end condition. If the end condition of cooking is not satisfied, the process returns from step S205 to step S203. In this case, the control device 5 repeats the processes of step S203 and subsequent steps. When the end condition of cooking is satisfied, the process proceeds from step S205 to step S206. In step S206, energization of the upper heater 9 and the lower heater 10 is stopped, and heating is completed.

When it is detected in step S203 that the dropping of water has started, the process proceeds from step S203 to step S207. In step S207, the control device 5 controls the thermal power suppression heating instead of the normal heating. In the thermal power suppression heating, the thermal power of the lower heater 10 is lowered as compared with the normal heating.

The process proceeds from step S207 to step S208. In step S208, the control device 5 performs a process for detecting the end of water dropping by the method described with reference to FIG. If it is not detected that the water dripping is completed, that is, if it is considered that the water dripping is still continuing, the process returns to step S207 and continues the thermal power suppression heating. On the other hand, when it is detected that the water dropping is completed, the process proceeds from step S208 to step S209. In step S209, the control device 5 ends the thermal power suppression heating and performs normal heating. After that, when the time corresponding to the heating control by the program elapses, the process proceeds from step S209 to step S206. In step S206, the control device 5 stops energizing the upper heater 9 and the lower heater 10 and ends heating.

The control of the thermal power of the lower heater 10 in the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The lower figure in FIG. 8 shows the thermal power of the lower heater 10. P1 indicates the thermal power of the lower heater 10 in normal heating. P2 indicates the thermal power of the lower heater 10 in the thermal power suppression heating.

The change in thermal power shown by the solid line is when thermal power suppression heating is executed from time T1. In the second embodiment, the thermal power P2 of the lower heater 10 after the start time T1 of water dripping is lower than the thermal power P1 of the lower heater 10 before the start time T1 of water dripping. As a result, the possibility that the oil mist generated by the dropping of water touches the lower heater 10 and ignites can be reduced. Therefore, ignition in the grill storage 7c can be reliably suppressed.

When the dripping of water is completed, it is considered that there is no possibility of ignition due to the dripping of water, so it is not necessary to suppress the thermal power of the lower heater 10. In the second embodiment, after the end time of water dropping T2 or later, the heating power of the lower heater 10 is returned to P1 by performing normal heating. As a result, in the second embodiment, the cooking time can be shortened as compared with the first embodiment. In the illustrated configuration, the thermal power P1 of the lower heater 10 after the end time T2 of water dripping is equal to the thermal power P1 before the start time T1 of water dripping. Not limited to such a configuration, if the thermal power of the lower heater 10 after the end time T2 of water dripping is made higher than the thermal power P2 of the lower heater 10 between the start time T1 and the end time T2 of water dripping. , The effect of shortening the cooking time can be obtained.

The second embodiment can be modified as follows.
(Modification 6) In the second embodiment, the start time and the end time of water dropping are detected based on the change in the temperature inside the refrigerator. This does not directly detect the start time and end time of water dripping, but indirectly detects the start time and end time of water dripping based on the change in the temperature inside the refrigerator. Or you can say that you are guessing. Instead of such a method, the start time and end time of water dropping may be directly detected. For example, by providing a camera that captures an image in the grill 7c and detecting water droplets 92 falling from the food 90 by image processing, it is possible to directly detect the start time and end time of water droplets. ..

(Modification 7) The control device 5 may estimate the start time and the end time of dropping water from the food 90 based on the information about the cooking menu as follows. The start time and end time of water dripping differ depending on the cooking menu. If the relationship between the cooking menu and the start time and end time of water dripping is stored in the control device 5 in advance, the start time and end time of water dripping can be set based on the cooking menu selected by the user on the operation panel 4. I can guess. For example, when the cooking menu is "grilled saury with salt", the control device 5 stores in advance the relationship that the water dripping starts 4 minutes after the start of cooking and the water dripping ends 9 minutes later. ing.

(Modification 8) The control device 5 estimates the start time and end time of water dripping from the food 90 based on the amount of the food 90 to be cooked in addition to the information on the cooking menu as follows. May be good. For example, assume that the cooking menu is "grilled saury with salt" and that there are one saury and five saury to be cooked. When five saury are cooked, the rate at which the temperature of the saury rises from the start of cooking is slower than when one saury is cooked, and the start time and end time of water dripping from the saury as food 90 Is thought to be slow. In consideration of this point, the control device 5 states that, for example, when there is only one saury to be cooked, the water dripping starts 4 minutes after the start of cooking and the water dripping ends 9 minutes later. On the other hand, when the number of saury to be cooked is 5, it may be estimated that the water dripping starts 5 minutes after the start of cooking and the water dripping ends 15 minutes later. In this way, by estimating the start time and end time of water dripping based on the cooking menu and the amount of food 90 to be cooked, it is possible to estimate the start time and end time of water dripping with higher accuracy. ..

According to the above-mentioned modification 7 or modification 8, the start time and end time of water dripping can be accurately determined without cost increase such as adding a sensor for detecting the start time and end time of water dripping. It is possible to make a good guess.

(Modification 9) When the cooking device 1 includes the door lock mechanism 13, the control device 5 operates the door lock mechanism 13 so that the door 7a of the grill 7 is locked in step S207 of FIG. The door lock mechanism 13 may be operated so that the door 7a is unlocked in step S209. That is, the door 7a of the grill 7 may be locked during the period from the start time to the end time of dropping water from the food 90. If the door 7a of the grill 7 is locked, even if a fire occurs in the grill storage 7c, the user does not open the door 7a and pull out the grill plate 11, so that high safety can be obtained. Further, the control device 5 may execute only the control for the door lock mechanism 13 described above without performing the thermal power suppression heating.

(Modified Example 10) FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a temporal change in the electric power of the lower heater 10 and a period during which water is dropped from the food 90 in the modified example of the second embodiment. The lower figure of FIG. 9 shows the temporal change of the electric power supplied to the lower heater 10. As a method of suppressing the thermal power of the lower heater 10, instead of lowering the value of the electric power supplied to the lower heater 10, as shown in FIG. 9, the electric power is intermittently supplied to the lower heater 10. You may do so. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the electric power [W] supplied to the lower heater 10 is controlled to be constant at E1 in normal heating, and the electric power supplied to the lower heater 10 is E1 and zero in thermal power suppression heating. It is controlled to switch repeatedly between. As described above, as a method of suppressing the thermal power, the energy supplied to the heater, that is, the value obtained by averaging the electric power over time may be lowered.

(Modified Example 11) FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a temporal change in the electric power of the lower heater 10 and a period during which water is dropped from the food 90 in the modified example of the second embodiment. The lower figure of FIG. 10 shows the temporal change of the electric power supplied to the lower heater 10. As a method of suppressing the thermal power of the lower heater 10, the method shown in FIG. 10 may be used instead of the method of FIG. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the electric power [W] supplied to the lower heater 10 is controlled so as to be repeatedly switched between E2 and E3 at the time of thermal power suppression heating. However, E1> E2> E3> 0W. As described above, as a method of suppressing the thermal power, the energy supplied to the heater, that is, the value obtained by averaging the electric power over time may be lowered. Needless to say, the above-described modifications 10 and 11 are also applicable to the first embodiment.

Embodiment 3.
Next, the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12, but the differences from the above-described embodiments will be mainly described, and the same or corresponding parts will be simplified or omitted. To do.

The cooking apparatus 1 of the third embodiment includes a plate temperature acquisition means for detecting or estimating the temperature of the grill plate 11. The dish temperature acquisition means may be, for example, a dish temperature sensor (not shown) that detects the temperature of the grill dish 11. The dish temperature sensor may be a temperature sensor provided at a position where it comes into contact with the grill pan 11 during cooking, or may be a sensor capable of measuring the temperature without contact, such as an infrared sensor. Alternatively, the dish temperature acquisition means is based on information such as the cooking menu, the amount of power supplied to the lower heater 10 from the start of cooking, and the amount of power supplied to the upper heater 9 from the start of cooking by the control device 5. It may be configured to estimate the temperature of the grill plate 11.

The hardware configuration of the cooking apparatus 1 of the third embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment except for the above-mentioned points, and thus the illustration is omitted.

11 and 12 are diagrams showing an example of a temporal change in the thermal power of the lower heater 10 in the third embodiment, a temporal change in the temperature of the grill pan 11, and a period during which water drips from the food 90. Is.

The temperature of the grill plate 11 at the start of cooking is considered to be room temperature. During cooking, the temperature of the grill plate 11 gradually rises. When the temperature of the grill plate 11 is low, the water droplets 92 that have fallen from the food 90 onto the grill plate 11 do not evaporate instantaneously, so that no oil mist is generated and ignition by the oil mist does not occur. When the temperature of the grill plate 11 is equal to or higher than the reference temperature A, the water droplets 92 that have fallen on the grill plate 11 evaporate momentarily to generate oil mist, which may cause ignition by the oil mist. .. The reference temperature A may be, for example, a value in the range of 100 ° C. to 130 ° C.

In the example shown in FIG. 11, the temperature of the grill pan 11 has not reached the reference temperature A at the time of the start time T1 of dropping water. The temperature of the grill plate 11 reaches the reference temperature A at a time T4 after the start time T1 of water dropping. If the temperature of the grill plate 11 is lower than the reference temperature A, there is no possibility of ignition due to the dropping of water, so it can be said that it is not necessary to suppress the thermal power of the lower heater 10. Therefore, in the present embodiment, during the period from T1 to T4 in FIG. 11, the thermal power of the lower heater 10 is not suppressed, and normal heating is continued. Then, from the time T4 when the temperature of the grill plate 11 reaches the reference temperature A, the heating power suppression heating of the lower heater 10 is started.

As described above, in the present embodiment, when the temperature of the grill pan 11 is equal to or higher than the reference temperature A after the start time T1 of dropping water, that is, after the time T4 in FIG. 11, the thermal power of the lower heater 10 is changed to the water content. The thermal power P2 (first thermal power) lower than the thermal power P1 of the lower heater 10 before the start time of dropping T1 is set. On the other hand, when the temperature of the grill pan 11 is lower than the reference temperature A after the start time T1 of water dropping, that is, during the period from T1 to T4 in FIG. 11, the heating power of the lower heater 10 is set to be higher than P2. Set to (second firepower). By doing so, the thermal power of the lower heater 10 during the period from T1 to T4 in FIG. 11 can be made higher than that of the second embodiment, so that the cooking time can be shortened as compared with the second embodiment.

Further, in the present embodiment, the door lock mechanism 13 may be controlled as follows. When the temperature of the grill pan 11 is equal to or higher than the reference temperature A after the start time T1 of dropping water, that is, after the time T4 in FIG. 11, the door 7a of the grill 7 is locked by the door lock mechanism 13. On the other hand, when the temperature of the grill pan 11 is lower than the reference temperature A after the start time T1 of water dropping, that is, during the period from T1 to T4 in FIG. 11, the door 7a of the grill 7 is locked by the door lock mechanism 13. Unlock without locking. During the period from T1 to T4 in FIG. 11, it is not necessary to lock the door 7a of the grill 7 because there is no possibility of ignition due to the dropping of water. Therefore, by keeping the door 7a of the grill 7 in the unlocked state during this period, the convenience can be improved.

The temperature of the grill pan 11 may reach the reference temperature A before the start time T1 of water dropping. FIG. 12 shows such an example. In the example shown in FIG. 12, the temperature of the grill pan 11 reaches the reference temperature A at the time T5 before the start time T1 of water dropping. In the present embodiment, in the case of the example shown in FIG. 12, the thermal power suppression heating of the lower heater 10 is started from the start time T1 of the water dropping, as in the above-described embodiment. Regarding the control of the door lock mechanism 13, in the case of the example shown in FIG. 12, the door 7a of the grill 7 may be locked from the start time T1 of water dripping.

1 Cooking device, 2 Main body, 3 Top plate, 4 Operation panel, 5 Control device, 6 Heating coil, 7 Grill, 7a door, 7c Grill storage, 8 Gridiron, 9 Upper heater, 10 Lower heater, 11 Grill plate, 90 Food

Claims (10)

With the grill
A heater that heats the food in the grill and
When cooking, the grill plate located under the heater and
A means for detecting or estimating the start time of water dripping from the food, and
A locking means for locking the door of the grill when it is detected or presumed that the dripping of water has started.
A cooking device equipped with. With the grill
A heater that heats the food in the grill and
When cooking, the grill plate located under the heater and
A means for detecting or estimating the start time of water dripping from the food, and
A means for detecting or estimating the temperature of the grill plate, which is the temperature of the grill plate, and
Locking means to lock the door of the grill
If the grill plate temperature is equal to or higher than the reference temperature after the start time, the door is locked, and if the grill plate temperature is lower than the reference temperature after the start time, the door is unlocked. And the means to
A cooking device equipped with. A means for detecting the temperature inside the grill is provided.
The cooking apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the start time is detected based on a change in the temperature inside the grill. Equipped with a means to obtain information about cooking menus
The cooking apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the start time is estimated based on the information regarding the cooking menu. Equipped with means to obtain information on cooking menus and the amount of food to be cooked
The cooking apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the start time is estimated based on the information on the cooking menu and the amount of food to be cooked. The cooking apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , further comprising means for lowering the thermal power of the heater after the start time to be lower than the thermal power of the heater before the start time. A means for detecting or estimating the temperature of the grill plate, which is the temperature of the grill plate, and
When the grill pan temperature is equal to or higher than the reference temperature after the start time, the means for making the heating power of the heater lower than the heating power of the heater before the start time, and
When the grill pan temperature is lower than the reference temperature after the start time, a means for changing the heating power of the heater to a second heating power higher than the first heating power,
The cooking apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The cooking apparatus according to claim 2 or 7 , wherein the reference temperature is in the range of 100 ° C. to 130 ° C. A means for detecting or estimating the end time of water dripping from the food, and
A means for increasing the thermal power of the heater after the end time with respect to the thermal power of the heater between the start time and the end time.
The cooking apparatus according to claim 6. The heater is a lower heater that heats the food from below.
Further provided with an upper heater for heating the food from above,
The cooking apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9 , wherein the thermal power of the upper heater does not change before and after the start time.

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