JP7295745B2 - Cooking methods, systems, programs and equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to, for example, a cooking technique such as a clamshell griddle, which is used for cooking an object to be cooked such as patty.

A clamshell griddle is a cooking appliance that heats an object to be cooked, such as patty, sandwiched between a grill and a platen.
Regarding such a clamshell griddle, it is known that the platen is raised and lowered, the platen is rotated, and the gap between the grill plate and the platen is automatically set in one step by rotating a single motor (Patent Document 1).
Regarding this clamshell griddle, it is known to cover the grill plate 3 by dividing the grill plate into two as a plate cover, and connecting a plurality of strip-shaped cover members 31a to cover the plate cover 41 (Patent Document 2). paragraph 0021 and FIG. 8).

JP-A-10-309236 JP 2014-124409 A

By the way, in the clamshell griddle, an object to be cooked such as a patty is placed in a griddle with cooking oil spread thereon, sandwiched between the griddle and the platen, and baked. If the heating conditions such as the heating time of the griddle and platen are constant, the thickness of the food to be cooked, such as patties, affects the degree of baking. Even if the object to be cooked is processed to have a constant thickness, it is undeniable that some variation occurs due to errors. However, there is a problem that this variation in the thickness of the food causes subtle changes in the way it is baked.
The inventors have found that if the heating conditions such as the heating time are changed in accordance with the variation in the thickness of the food to be cooked, it is possible to adjust or equalize the baking of the food to be cooked.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above problems and findings, an object of the present invention is to adjust or equalize the baking of a food by changing the heating conditions according to the thickness of the food.

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the cooking method of the present invention, the platen section supports the food to be cooked, transfers it to the griddle section, and heats it; A step of measuring thickness, and a step of setting or adjusting heating conditions including heating time or heating temperature by a control unit according to the thickness of the object to be cooked obtained from the measuring unit .
In this cooking method, a step in which the platen section includes a platen section main body, a support plate, and a transfer section , the support plate supports the food to be cooked , and the transfer section transfers the food to the griddle section. and the measuring unit sandwiching the food to be cooked between the support plate and the platen body , and measuring the thickness of the food from the gap between the support plate and the platen body . good.
In this cooking method, the thickness measurement of the object to be cooked may be performed at any point from the time when the platen portion is supported until the time when the object reaches the griddle portion.
This cooking method may include a step of converting the raised height of the support plate into the thickness of the food to be cooked.
This cooking method may include a step of generating presentation information including either thickness information of the object to be cooked or heating condition information, and a step of presenting the presentation information.

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the cooking system of the present invention, there are provided a platen section that supports an object to be cooked, transports it to a griddle section and heats it, and a thickness measuring unit that measures the thickness of the object to be cooked. and a controller for setting or adjusting heating conditions including heating time or heating temperature according to the thickness of the food to be cooked.
In this cooking system, the thickness measurement unit may measure the thickness of the object to be cooked at any point from the time when the platen unit is supported to the time when the object reaches the griddle unit.
In this cooking system, the platen section includes a platen section main body, a transfer section for transferring the food to be cooked, and a support plate for supporting the food to be cooked. The food to be cooked may be sandwiched between the platen main bodies , and the thickness of the food to be cooked may be measured from the distance between the support plate and the platen main body .
In this cooking system, the thickness measuring section may convert the raised height of the support plate into the thickness of the food to be cooked.
This cooking system further comprises an information presentation unit, wherein the control unit generates presentation information including either thickness information of the object to be cooked or heating condition information, and presents the presentation information to the information presentation unit. let me

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the program of the present invention, there is provided a program to be implemented by a computer, comprising control information for supporting an object to be cooked on the platen portion and transporting it to the griddle portion for heating. , a function of generating control information for measuring the thickness of the object to be cooked, and setting or adjusting heating conditions including heating time or heating temperature according to the thickness of the object to be cooked and a function of generating control information for the computer.
In this program, the computer may realize a function of generating control information for measuring the thickness of the object to be cooked at any time from the time when the platen portion is supported until the time when the object reaches the griddle portion. .
In this program, the platen portion includes a platen portion main body, a support plate, and a transfer portion, and control information for causing the support plate to support the food to be cooked and the transfer portion to transfer the food to the griddle portion. and a measuring unit sandwiching the food to be cooked between the support plate and the platen body , and measuring the thickness of the food from the gap between the support plate and the platen body and the function of generating control information may be realized by the computer.
In this program, the computer may be made to realize a function of converting the lifted height of the support plate into the thickness of the food to be cooked.
In this program, the computer may realize a function of generating presentation information including either the thickness information of the cooking object or the heating condition information, and a function of presenting the presentation information.

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the apparatus of the present invention, there are provided a platen section that supports the food to be cooked, transfers it to the griddle section and heats it, and a time point from the point of support on the platen section to the point of arrival at the griddle section. and a control unit for setting or adjusting heating conditions including heating time or heating temperature according to the thickness of the object to be cooked. including.
In this apparatus, the thickness measurement unit may measure the thickness of the object to be cooked at any time from the point of support of the platen portion to the point of arrival at the griddle portion.
In this apparatus, the platen section includes a platen section main body, a transfer section for transferring the food to be cooked, and a support plate for supporting the food to be cooked. The object to be cooked may be sandwiched between the main bodies , and the thickness of the object to be cooked may be measured from the distance between the support plate and the platen portion main body .
In this device, the thickness measuring section may convert the raised height of the support plate into the thickness of the food to be cooked.
The apparatus further comprises an information presentation unit, wherein the control unit generates presentation information including either thickness information of the object to be cooked or heating condition information, and causes the information presentation unit to present the presentation information. you can

According to the present invention, any of the following effects can be obtained.
(1) Even if the thickness of the food to be cooked, such as patties, fluctuates, the heating conditions, including the heating time or heating temperature, can be changed according to the variation, and the food to be cooked can be baked according to the thickness. can be done.
(2) Since the heating conditions are individually changed according to the thickness of the food to be cooked, uniform baking can be achieved.
(3) The heating conditions can be automatically changed according to the thickness of the food to be cooked, and the work of adjusting the heating conditions can be reduced.

It is a flow chart which shows a cooking process concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of a cooking appliance. It is a figure which shows the heat-source part of each griddle part of a cooking appliance. It is a figure which shows the heat-source part of each platen part of a cooking appliance. It is a figure which shows an example of a platen raising/lowering mechanism and a to-be-cooked food support mechanism. It is a figure which shows the support mechanism and sliding of a support plate. It is a figure which shows the injection|throwing-in of to-be-cooked material. It is a figure which shows from transfer of to-be-cooked material to heating. Fig. 2 shows a first thickness measurement of the food item; Fig. 10 shows a second thickness measurement of the cooked item; It is a figure which shows the heating state of to-be-cooked material. It is a figure which shows from the completion|finish of heating of to-be-cooked material to transfer. It is a figure which shows taking out of to-be-cooked material. It is a figure which shows a cooking information file. It is a figure which shows an example of the cooking system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the hardware of a control apparatus. It is a figure which shows presentation of cooking information. It is a figure which shows the processing sequence of cooking. It is a figure which notches and shows a part of cooking appliance which concerns on 3rd Embodiment.

[First embodiment]
FIG. 1 shows an example of a cooking process according to the first embodiment. The process shown in FIG. 1 is an example, and the present invention is not limited to such processes.
This cooking process is an example of the process realized by the cooking method or program of the present invention.
This cooking process includes inputting the food F to be cooked (S101), transferring the food F to be cooked (S102), measuring the thickness of the food F to be cooked (S103), and setting the heating time or heating temperature of the food F to be cooked. Alternatively, adjustment (S104), heating of the food F to be cooked (S105), determination of completion of heating (S106), transfer of the food to be cooked F (S107), and removal of the food to be cooked F (S108) are included.

Throwing in the food F to be cooked (S101): The food F to be cooked is put from the pre-heating waiting section 20-1 onto the support plate 16 (FIG. 5) on the side of the platen section main body 11 (platen section 10).
Transfer of food F to be cooked (S102): The food to be cooked F supported by the support plate 16 is supported by the platen main body 11 (FIG. 5) and transferred together with the platen main body 11 onto the heating surface 9 of the griddle 8. be done.
Measurement of the thickness of the food F to be cooked (S103): The thickness of the food F to be cooked is measured while it is supported by the platen main body 11 (Fig. 5).
Setting or adjusting the heating conditions of the food F to be cooked (S104): Based on the thickness information of the food F to be cooked, the control device 60 sets or adjusts the heating time or the heating temperature as the heating conditions before heating the food F. (FIG. 15).
Heating of Food F to be Cooked (S105): The food to be cooked F supported by the support plate 16 is sandwiched between the platen portion 10 and the griddle portion 8 and heated.
Determining whether to finish heating the food F (S106): The food F is heated for a preset constant heating time. For example, the heating time is measured from the start of heating, and it is determined whether the heating of the food F has been completed.
Transfer of the object to be cooked F (S107): The object to be cooked F, which has been heated, is transferred together with the platen main body 11 from the side of the griddle portion 8 to the height position of the post-heating standby portion 20-2.
Taking out the food F to be cooked (S108): The food F to be cooked is taken out from the support plate 16 to the standby section 20-2 side after being heated, and is provided as a food to be cooked.

<Cooking appliance 2>
FIG. 2 shows an example of the cooking appliance 2. As shown in FIG. This cooking appliance 2 is an example of an appliance. This cooking appliance 2 includes a griddle 4 and a platen 6 for heating a plurality of items F to be cooked. The griddle 4 and the platen 6 are an example of a heating portion that heats the food F to be cooked.
The griddle 4 is a heating plate such as an iron plate for heating the food F to be cooked. As an example, the griddle 4 is divided into griddle portions 8-1, 8-2, 8-3, 8-4, and 8-5, which are lower heating plates arranged in one row and five surfaces. Henceforth, it is simply referred to as the griddle section 8 unless a specific position is specified. Although each griddle section 8 shows a single food item F in dashed lines, two or more food items F may be heated, and each griddle section 8 is capable of heating two or more food items F. It may have the required area.

The platen 6 is transportable and can be raised and lowered on the upper surface of the griddle 4 in this embodiment. This platen 6 corresponds to each griddle section 8, and platen sections 10-1, 10-2, 10-3, 10-4, and 10-5, for example, are installed as upper heating plates in one row and five surfaces. Hereinafter, the platen unit 10 will be simply referred to unless a specific position is specified. Each platen section 10 has, for example, the area necessary to heat one or more food items F to be cooked.
Each platen section 10 is provided with a platen lifting mechanism 12, which is an example of a mechanism for transporting the food F to be cooked, and a food support mechanism 14. As shown in FIG. A platen lifting mechanism 12 lifts and lowers the platen section 10 individually. The object to be cooked support mechanism 14 is an example of a support mechanism, and includes a support plate 16 on which the object to be cooked F is placed and supported. The support plate 16 may be made of a metal plate having good heat conductivity. The support plate 16 is supported on the platen section 10 by a plurality of support shafts 18 so as to be able to move up and down.
In the figure, a pre-heating standby section 20-1 for waiting the food F to be cooked before heating on the left side of the platen lifting mechanism 12 (for example, the front side of the cooking appliance 2) across the platen lifting mechanism 12, and the platen lifting mechanism 12. (for example, the rear side of the cooking appliance 2), a post-heating waiting section 20-2 for waiting the heated food F is provided.
The upper limit position of the support plate 16 lifted by the platen lifting mechanism 12 is a position that coincides with or approximates the pre-heating standby section 20-1 and the post-heating standby section 20-2.

<Heat source unit 22 of each griddle unit 8>
FIG. 3 shows the heat source section 22 of each griddle section 8 . Each griddle portion 8 is provided with a heating surface 9 and a heat source portion 22 for radiating heat from the heating surface 9 to heat the food F to be cooked. Each heat source 22 may be either a combustion heat source or an electric heat source. Each heat source section 22 is driven by its own heating drive section 24, and this drive is individually controlled according to the heating conditions set by the control device 60 (FIG. 15).

<Heat Source Section 26 of Platen Section 10>
FIG. 4 shows the heat source section 26 of the platen section 10 . Each platen portion 10 is provided with a heat source portion 26 for individually heating, for example, the upper surface side of the food F on each griddle portion 8 . For example, an electric heat source is used for each heat source section 26 . Each heat source section 26 is driven by a respective heating drive section 28, and this drive is individually controlled by a control device 60 (FIG. 15).

<Platen lifting mechanism 12>
FIG. 5 shows the platen lifting mechanism 12 of each platen section 10 . The platen elevating mechanism 12 is a mechanism for elevating each platen section 10 with respect to the griddle section 8 . The platen elevating mechanism 12 includes an elevating drive section 30 that elevates the platen section main body 11 by the elevating drive section 30 . The platen section main body 11 is provided with a heating surface 13 facing the heating surface 9 of the griddle section 8 with a support plate 16 interposed therebetween. The heating surface 13 constitutes a heat radiation surface for heating the food F to be cooked.
The elevation sensor 31 detects the elevation motion of the platen section main body 11 , and the position sensor 32 detects the elevation position of the platen section 10 . A thickness measuring section 33 is installed in the platen section main body 11, and the thickness of the food F to be cooked is measured by the thickness measuring section 33. As shown in FIG. The temperature sensor 34 is installed, for example, on the platen main body 11 and detects the heating temperature or heat dissipation temperature of the platen main body 11 side. The food detection unit 36 detects the food F existing on the support plate 16, and this detection information is used as the information on the food F to be cooked and the information on the food F to be taken out. Detection information obtained by the elevation sensor 31, the position sensor 32, the temperature sensor 34, or the cooking object detection unit 36 is provided to the control device 60 (FIG. 15). The elevation sensor 31 may be substituted for the position sensor 32 .
A temperature sensor 37 is also installed in the griddle section 8, and temperature detection information on the heating surface side of the griddle section 8 is provided to the control device 60 (FIG. 15).

<Cooking object support mechanism 14>
FIG. 6A shows the food support mechanism 14. FIG. The food support mechanism 14 is an example of a support mechanism for placing and supporting the food F to be cooked. The food support mechanism 14 includes a support plate 16 that supports the food F, and the support plate 16 is supported by a plurality of support shafts 18 so as to be vertically movable.
The support shaft 18 is slidably supported in a support hole 35 provided in the platen main body 11 . In other words, the support plate 16 can be lowered to the lower limit position by its own weight. can be moved.
A stopper 19 is attached to the middle portion of the support shaft 18. The stopper 19 locks the support shaft 18 to the platen main body 11, thereby restricting the lowering position of the support plate 16 and the lifting range of the support shaft 18.
B of FIG. 6 shows the lifted state of the support plate 16 . When the platen body 11 is lowered, the support plate 16 collides with the heating surface 9 of the griddle part 8, and the platen body 11 is further lowered, the support plate 16 can be lifted using the support shaft 18 as a guide shaft. . Thereby, the food F to be cooked can be sandwiched between the platen main body 11 and the support plate 16 .

<Injection of food to be cooked F>
FIG. 7 shows transfer of the food F to be cooked from the pre-heating standby section 20-1 to the support plate 16. As shown in FIG.
The support plate 16 is moved to the upper limit position by the platen lifting mechanism 12 . At this time, the food to be cooked F waiting in the pre-heating standby section 20-1 is transferred from the pre-heating standby section 20-1 to the upper surface of the support plate 16 by the operation jig 38 as indicated by the arrow, and is put there. can be done.

<Transfer after the food to be cooked F is put in>
FIG. 8 shows the transfer of the loaded food F to be cooked. Triggered by the introduction of the food F to be cooked, the platen lifting mechanism 12 lowers the platen unit main body 11 from the state shown in FIG. 8A to the state shown in FIG. 8B.
FIG. 8B shows a state in which the support plate 16 has reached the heating surface 9 of the griddle portion 8 and is in contact therewith. In this state, when the platen elevating mechanism 12 continues to lower the platen main body 11, the support plate 16 is supported by the heating surface 9 of the griddle 8, and the support shaft 18 serves as a guide shaft, as shown in FIG. 8C. The platen main body 11 is lowered until it contacts the food F to be cooked.
As a result, the food F to be cooked is gripped together with the support plate 16 between the heating surface 9 of the griddle portion 8 and the heating surface 13 of the platen portion main body 11 . At this time, it is possible to apply an appropriate pressure to the food F to be cooked. This pressurizing force may be set by either the weight of the platen main body 11 or the pressing force by the platen lifting mechanism 12 .

<Thickness measurement 1 of food to be cooked F>
FIG. 9 shows a first method of measuring the thickness of the food F to be cooked by the thickness measuring section 33 (FIG. 5). When the platen section main body 11 is lowered toward the heating surface 9 of the griddle section 8, the support plate 16 is pushed up from the heating surface 9 of the griddle section 8 and rises. That is, if the distance between the support plate 16 stopped on the heating surface 9 of the griddle part 8 and the platen main body 11 is dx, this distance dx is the same as the thickness tx of the food F to be cooked.
Therefore, if the distance dx is measured by the thickness measuring section 33, the measured value represents the thickness tx of the food F to be cooked, so the thickness tx can be measured at the distance dx.

<Thickness measurement 2 of food to be cooked F>
10A and 10B show a second thickness measurement method of the food F to be cooked by the thickness measurement unit 33 (FIG. 5). The distance between the support plate 16 suspended from the platen main body 11 by the support shaft 18 and the heating surface 13 of the platen main body 11 is d0. This interval d0 is a constant value and known.
When the platen body 11 is lowered from the state shown in A of FIG. 10 to the heating surface 9 of the griddle 8 as shown in B of FIG. Rise. Assuming that the amount of rise representing the height of the rise is dm, the amount of rise dm can be measured by the thickness measuring section 33 .
Therefore, the interval dx can be obtained from the equation (1) using the interval d0 and the amount of rise dm.
dx=d0-dm=tx (1)
By measuring the amount of rise dm, the interval dx representing the thickness tx of the food F to be cooked can be measured. That is, if the amount of rise dm is measured, it can be converted into the thickness tx of the food F to be cooked.

<Heating of food to be cooked F>
FIG. 11 shows the heat treatment of the food F to be cooked. The food F to be cooked is sandwiched between the griddle portion 8 and the platen portion main body 11 together with the support plate 16, and is heated by heat radiation from the heat source portions 22 and 26. As shown in FIG. That is, the upper and lower surfaces of the food F to be cooked are heated at the same time, so that the food F to be cooked is baked on both sides.

<Transfer before taking out the food to be cooked F>
FIG. 12 shows the position of the platen main body 11 at the end of heating. Triggered by the end of heating of the food F to be cooked, the heating of the heat source 26 on the side of the platen main body 11 is ended, and the platen lifting mechanism 12 moves the platen main body 11 from the state shown in A of FIG. Raise to 12 C state.
At this time, the support plate 16 is left behind on the heating surface 9 side of the griddle portion 8 due to its own weight and the weight of the food F to be cooked, as shown in FIG. 11 is pulled away from the heating surface 13 . Then, the platen section body 11 and the support plate 16 are moved away from the heating surface 9 of the griddle section 8 as shown in FIG. 12C.

<Taking out the food to be cooked F>
FIG. 13 shows transfer of the food F to be cooked from the platen main body 11 side to the post-heating standby section 20-2.
After heating, the support plate 16 is raised to the position of the post-heating standby section 20-2, and the food F waiting on the support plate 16 is heated from the support plate 16 by the operation jig 38 as indicated by the arrow. It can be transferred to the rear standby section 20-2 and provided as a cooked product.

<Cooking information file 40>
FIG. 14 shows an example of the cooking information file 40. As shown in FIG. The cooking information file 40 stores an information table representing the operational status of the cooking appliance 2 . This information table includes an information item section 42 and a griddle/platen information section 44 .
In the information item section 42, a heating status section 46, an item to be cooked section 48, a thickness measurement information section 49, a heating condition information section 50, a heating start time section 52, a heating end time section 54, and a detected temperature information section 56 are set. ing. Identification information representing the griddle section 8 or the platen section 10 is stored in the griddle/platen information section 44 . In this example, the identification information of the platen section 10 is stored. Heating status information of the griddle section 8 and the platen section 10 is stored in the heating status section 46 . The food item portion 48 stores identification information of the food item F to be cooked.

The thickness measurement information section 49 stores thickness measurement information of the food F to be cooked for each of the griddle section 8 and the platen section 10 . The heating condition information section 50 includes a heating time information section 50-1 and a heating temperature information section 50-2. The heating time information section 50-1 stores the heating time information set or adjusted according to the measurement information of the food F to be cooked. The heating temperature information section 50-2 stores heating temperature information set or adjusted according to the measurement information of the food F to be cooked.
Heating start time information is stored in the heating start time section 52 for each of the food F to be cooked and the platen section 10 . Heating end time information is stored in the heating end time section 54 for each of the food F to be cooked and the platen section 10 . Temperature information of the heating surface 13 of each platen section 10 is stored in the detected temperature information section 56 . Similarly, temperature information of the heating surface 9 of each griddle portion 8 may be stored. The detected temperature information section 56 includes a griddle detected temperature information section 56-1 and a platen detected temperature information section 56-2. Detected temperature information for each griddle portion 8 is stored in the griddle portion detected temperature information section 56-1, detected temperature information for each platen portion 10 is stored in the platen portion detected temperature information portion 56-2, and the heating temperature is monitored. be done.

<Generation of presentation information>
Presentation information including any of transfer information, thickness information, and heating condition information of the food F to be cooked is generated, and this presentation information is presented.

<Effects of the first embodiment>
According to this first embodiment, one of the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The thickness of the food F to be cooked, such as patty, can be individually measured, and the heating conditions can be set or adjusted according to this thickness information.
(2) Even if the thickness of the food F to be cooked fluctuates, the heating conditions including the heating time or the heating temperature can be changed according to the fluctuation, and the food F to be cooked can be baked according to the thickness.
(3) The heating conditions can be individually changed according to the thickness of the food F to be cooked, and each food F to be cooked can be uniformly baked.
(4) The heating conditions can be automatically set or adjusted according to the thickness of the food F to be cooked, and the work of setting and adjusting the heating conditions while monitoring the baking finish can be reduced.

[Second embodiment]
FIG. 15 shows an example of a cooking system according to the second embodiment. The configuration shown in FIG. 15 is an example, and the present invention is not limited to such a configuration.
This cooking system 58 can realize the above-described cooking process by information processing by a computer.
The cooking system 58 includes the cooking appliance 2 , a control device 60 , an operation input device 62 and an information presentation device 64 . The control device 60 is an example of a control section, the operation input device 62 is an example of an information input section, and the information presentation device 64 is an example of an information presentation section. In this embodiment, the cooking appliance 2 is provided with a timer 66 for measuring the heating time of the food F to be cooked, and the measured time is provided to the controller 60 .
The control device 60 generates control information necessary for drive control, information presentation control, etc., and provides it to the heating drive units 24 and 28, the elevation drive unit 30, the information presentation device 64, and the like. The control device 60 acquires detection information from various sensors such as the elevation sensor 31, the position sensor 32, the temperature sensors 34 and 37, and the like. The control device 60 acquires timing information such as the heating time of the food F to be cooked from the timer 66 . The control device 60 acquires input information from the operation input device 62 . Also, the control device 60 generates presentation information, and the information presentation device 64 presents the information.

The operation input device 62 is used to input information such as heating time information and position setting information as heating condition information of the food F to be cooked. The operation input device 62 includes a keyboard used for inputting information, a barcode reader, a mouse, an information terminal connected to the I/O 72 (FIG. 16), and a touch panel. The touch panel may be installed on the information presentation screen 76 (FIG. 17) of the information presentation device 64 .
The information presentation device 64 is composed of, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and is controlled by the control device 60 to display the cooking information file 40 (FIG. 14), as well as information on the state of cooking, such as loading and unloading of the food F to be cooked. Presents presentation information including, alert information, and the like.

<Hardware of Control Device 60>
FIG. 16 shows the hardware of the control device 60. As shown in FIG. 16, the same parts as in FIG. 15 are denoted by the same reference numerals.
A processor 68 , a storage section 70 , an input/output section (I/O) 72 and a communication section 74 are installed in the control device 60 . The processor 68 executes an OS (Operating System) in the storage unit 70, and executes information processing for realizing the above-described cooking method and various functions to be executed by the program. This information processing includes processing such as storing information in the cooking information file 40 (FIG. 14) and updating the stored information to the latest information.
The I/O 72 is used for inputting information, retrieving information, etc. under the control of the processor 68 .
The storage unit 70 includes storage elements such as ROM (Read-Only Memory) and RAM (Random-Access Memory), and stores various programs such as an OS and cooking programs, as well as each cooking information file 40. . Under the control of the processor 68, the communication unit 74 exchanges information with a management center, a mobile information terminal, or the like through wireless or wired connection.

<Information processing of control device 60>
For information processing of the control device 60,
a) Detection and control of input and removal of the food F to be cooked b) Measurement of the thickness of the food F to be cooked and its control c) Heating conditions for how to heat the food F, for example, heating time or heating d) elevation control of the platen elevation mechanism 12; e) heating control of the heat sources 22 and 26; f) presentation control of the information presentation device 64;

<Information presentation>
FIG. 17 shows a presentation example of the information presentation screen 76 of the information presentation device 64 . Presentation information 78 is presented on this information presentation screen 76 . The presentation information 78 presents not only the cooking information file 40 (FIG. 14) described above but also alert information (not shown).

<Information processing>
FIG. 18 shows an example of a cooking process processing sequence by the cooking system 58 . This processing sequence is an example of the program or cooking method of the present invention. In this sequence, the platen lifting mechanism 12, the thickness measuring unit 33, the cooking object detecting unit 36, the control device 60, and the information presentation device 64 are shown for the sake of simplicity of explanation, but the information processing target is not limited to this. . In this processing sequence, S indicates a procedure or step, and the number attached to S is an example of the order of the procedure or step.
In this information processing, after the initial setting of the control device 60, for example, when the order information is obtained, the platen lifting mechanism 12 of the vacant griddle section 8 is instructed to lift the platen section 10 (S201). .
The platen lifting mechanism 12 lifts the platen section 10 (S202). The food F to be cooked is put into the support plate 16 of the platen section 10 . The object to be cooked detection unit 36 detects the object to be cooked F that has been put in (S203). The control device 60 that has received this detection information instructs the platen section 10 to descend (S204). The platen lifting mechanism 12 that has received the lowering instruction lowers the platen section 10 ( S<b>205 ) to reach the griddle section 8 . As a result, the food F to be cooked is sandwiched and held between the heating surface 9 of the griddle portion 8 and the heating surface 13 of the platen portion main body 11 together with the support plate 16 .

The control device 60 instructs the thickness measurement unit 33 to measure the thickness of the food F (S206). Upon receiving this measurement instruction, the thickness measurement unit 33 measures the thickness of the gripped food F (S207) and acquires thickness measurement information (S208). The control device 60 acquires the thickness measurement information of the food F to be cooked from the thickness measuring unit 33 (S209), and sets or adjusts the heating conditions of the food to be cooked F (210). At the same time, the control device 60 generates presentation information (S211). This presentation information is provided to the information presentation device 64, which presents information including the updated cooking information file 40 (S212).
The control device 60 instructs to start heating the food F under the set or adjusted heating conditions (S213), and the corresponding platen section 10 together with the griddle section 8 starts heating (S214). The controller 60 monitors the heating time of the food F to determine whether the heating time has ended (S215). When the heating time ends (YES in S215), the controller 60 notifies the platen lifting mechanism 12 of a heating end instruction (S216). The platen lifting mechanism 12 finishes heating the platen section 10 (S217). The control device 60 generates presentation information for the control information so far (S218) and provides the information presentation device 64 with this presentation information. The information presentation device 64 presents information using the updated cooking information file 40 as presentation information (S219).

The control device 60 instructs the platen lifting mechanism 12 to lift the platen unit 10 (S220), and the platen lifting mechanism 12 receives the instruction to lift the platen unit 10 (S221). At this time, the support plate 16 transfers the food F to the post-heating standby section 20-2.
When the food F to be cooked is taken out from the support plate 16 to the waiting section 20-2 after being heated, the food detection section 36 detects that the food F to be cooked is taken out (S222). The control device 60 acquires take-out information of the food F to be cooked from the food detection unit 36 (S223), and generates presentation information (S224). That is, the cooking information file 40 is updated with the previous control information. The control device 60 provides the presentation information to the information presentation device 64, and the updated cooking information file 40 is presented to the information presentation device 64 as the presentation information (S225).

<Function realized by program>
This program includes the following features:
(1) A function of generating control information for supporting the food F to be cooked on the platen section 10, transporting it to the griddle section 8, and heating it.
(2) A function of generating control information for measuring the thickness of the food F to be cooked at any time from the point of support on the platen portion 10 to the point of arrival at the griddle portion 8.
(3) A function of generating control information for setting or adjusting heating conditions including heating time or heating temperature according to the thickness of the food F to be cooked.
(4) A function of generating control information for causing the support plate 16 of the platen section 10 to support the food F to be transferred to the griddle section 8;
(5) A function of inserting the food F to be cooked between the support plate 16 and the platen section 10 and generating control information for measuring the thickness tx of the food F to be cooked from the distance dx between the support plate 16 and the platen section 10.
(6) A function of converting the lift height (lift amount dm) of the support plate 16 into the thickness tx of the food F to be cooked.
(7) Function to generate presentation information including either thickness information of the food F to be cooked or heating condition information
(8) A function of generating control information for causing the platen main body 11 to support the food F and transferring it to the griddle 8, and controlling the platen lifting mechanism 12;
(9) A function of generating control information for sandwiching the object to be cooked F transferred to the griddle portion 8 between the platen portion main body 11 and the griddle portion 8 and control information for heating the object to be cooked F;

(10) A function of generating control information for transferring the food to be cooked F to the griddle portion 8 together with the support plate 16 provided in the platen portion main body 11
(11) A function of generating control information for sandwiching and heating the food F to be cooked together with the support plate 16 between the platen portion main body 11 and the griddle portion 8
(12) Before the food F is heated, the heating operation of the heat source 26 of the platen main body 11 is started at the time when the food F is supported by the support plate 16, and after the food F is heated, it is being transferred. A function of stopping the heating operation of the heat source portion 26 of the platen portion main body 11, and a function of generating control information for performing these heating operations
(13) Generates presentation information to be presented to the information presentation device 64, and depending on the lapse of heating time, either griddle section information, platen section information, or Function to generate presentation information including both sides
(14) The control device 60 monitors the progress of the heating time of the food F to be cooked by the griddle section 8 and the platen section 10, searches for the griddle section 8 and the platen section 10 where the heating time has ended, and displays the search results together with the heating time of the food F to be cooked. A function of generating presentation information including an instruction to put in the food F
(15) A function of generating heating control information for heating the food F to be cooked for the heat sources 22 and 26
(16) Information update function of the cooking information file 40 by the control device 60
(17) The function of the control device 60 to generate the reception order information of the food F to be cooked from the state information such as during heating or resting of the griddle section 8 and the platen section 10, and to generate the presentation information for presenting them.

<Effects of Second Embodiment>
According to this second embodiment, one of the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The cooking method and program according to the first embodiment can be realized.
(2) The effects described in the first embodiment can be obtained.

[Third Embodiment]
FIG. 19 shows a cooking appliance 2 according to a third embodiment. In FIG. 19, the same parts as in FIGS. 2 to 18 are denoted by the same reference numerals.
This cooking appliance 2 is an example of the appliance of the present invention. This cooking appliance 2 is provided with an appliance housing 80, for example. The control device 60 , the operation input device 62 and the information presentation device 64 are installed in the device housing 80 . Cooking appliance 2 , operation input device 62 and information presentation device 64 are controlled by control device 60 .
The cooking appliance 2 has the configuration and functions of the control device 60, and the details thereof have been described in the first and second embodiments, so the description thereof will be omitted.

<Effect of the third embodiment>
According to this third embodiment, one of the following effects can be obtained.
(1) According to the cooking appliance 2 according to the third embodiment, the method of cooking the food F to be cooked can be realized by information processing of a computer.
(2) According to this cooking appliance 2, the same effects as those of the first and second embodiments can be obtained by the cooking system and program.
(3) The following effects are obtained for the clamshell griddle.
a) Since the foods F to be cooked can be individually cooked, the desired number of the foods F to be cooked can be cooked regardless of the busy state. is possible.
b) Foods to be cooked F can be heated sequentially according to demand, and the cook can be relieved from the opening and closing operation of the platen section 10, so that the safety of the cook can be improved and the cooking efficiency can be improved. be able to.
c) The device structure is simplified, the manufacturing cost can be reduced, and the selective drive of the griddle section 8 can suppress the running cost.
(4) Multiple cooking items F can be cooked all at once or in small batches on the multifaceted cooking surface, and the burden on the cook can be reduced by adjusting the heating time of the cooking items F and checking the browning color, etc., and safety can be achieved. can enhance sexuality.

[Other embodiments]
(1) In the above embodiment, five sets of the griddle part 8 and the platen part 10 are installed, but four sets or less or six sets or more of the griddle part 8 and the platen part 10 may be provided.
(2) In the above embodiment, control device 60 is configured as a control section of cooking system 58 , but an information terminal that can be linked with cooking system 58 may be used as control device 60 .
(3) In the above embodiment, the grill surface is divided into a plurality of griddle sections 8, but the present invention can also be applied to a cooking system such as a clamshell griddle in which the cooking surface is not multifaceted. is not limited to the form of
(4) In the above embodiment, the thickness of the food F to be cooked is measured when it reaches the heating surface 9 of the griddle portion 8. The thickness measurement may be performed, or the thickness may be measured while the food F to be cooked is being transferred before reaching the griddle portion 8 . If the thickness is measured before reaching the griddle portion 8, the heating conditions can be set or adjusted before reaching the griddle portion 8. FIG.
(5) The heating conditions may be changed according to the variation in the thickness of the food F being heated.
As described above, the most preferable embodiment and the like of the present invention have been described. The invention is not limited to the above description. Various modifications and changes are possible for those skilled in the art based on the gist of the invention described in the claims or disclosed in the detailed description. It goes without saying that such modifications and changes are included in the scope of the present invention.

According to the present invention, the thickness of the food F to be cooked can be measured while it is supported by the platen portion, and the heating conditions for the food F to be cooked can be set or adjusted according to the measurement information. It is useful in that it is possible to uniformize the baking of the food, reduce the operations required for cooking the food F, and improve the cooking efficiency and safety.

F Food to be Cooked 2 Cooking Appliance 4 Griddle 6 Platen 8, 8-1, 8-2, 8-3, 8-4, 8-5 Griddle Section 9, 13 Heating Surface 10, 10-1, 10-2, 10 -3, 10-4, 10-5 Platen part 11 Platen main body 12 Platen lifting mechanism 14 Food support mechanism 16 Support plate 18 Support shaft 19 Stopper 20-1 Waiting part before heating 20-2 Waiting part after heating 22, 26 heat source section 24, 28 heating drive section 30 elevation drive section 31 elevation sensor 32 position sensor 33 thickness measurement section 34, 37 temperature sensor 35 support hole 36 food detection section 38 operation jig 40 cooking information file 42 information item section 44 griddle/platen information section 46 heating status section 48 cooking object section 49 thickness measurement information section 50 heating condition information section 50-1 heating time information section 50-2 heating temperature information section 52 heating start time section 54 heating end time section 56 detected temperature information unit 56-1 griddle detected temperature information unit 56-2 platen detected temperature information unit 58 cooking system 60 control device 62 operation input device 64 information presentation device 66 timer 68 processor 70 storage unit 72 input/output unit (I / O)
74 communication unit 76 information presentation screen 78 presentation information 80 device housing

Claims (20)

a step of supporting and transferring the food to be cooked by the platen portion to the griddle portion for heating;
a step of measuring the thickness of the object to be cooked by a measuring unit ;
a step of setting or adjusting a heating condition including a heating time or a heating temperature by a control unit according to the thickness of the object to be cooked acquired from the measuring unit ;
A cooking method comprising: a step in which the platen portion includes a platen portion main body, a support plate and a transfer portion , the support plate supports the food to be cooked , and the transfer portion transfers the food to the griddle;
a step in which the measuring unit sandwiches the food to be cooked between the support plate and the platen body , and measures the thickness of the food from the gap between the support plate and the platen body ;
2. The cooking method of claim 1, comprising: 3. The cooking method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the thickness of the object to be cooked is measured at any time from the time when the platen portion is supported until the time when the food reaches the griddle portion. 3. The cooking method according to claim 2 , further comprising the step of converting the raised height of said support plate into the thickness of said food to be cooked. a step of generating presentation information including either thickness information of the object to be cooked or heating condition information;
presenting the presentation information;
5. The cooking method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising: a platen section for supporting and transferring the food to be cooked to the griddle section for heating;
a thickness measuring unit for measuring the thickness of the object to be cooked;
a control unit that sets or adjusts heating conditions including heating time or heating temperature according to the thickness of the object to be cooked;
A cooking system comprising: 7. The cooking system according to claim 6, wherein the thickness measurement is performed at any time from when the platen portion is supported until when the object reaches the griddle portion. The platen section includes a platen section main body, a transfer section for transferring the food to be cooked, and a support plate for supporting the food to be cooked,
The thickness measuring unit sandwiches the food to be cooked between the support plate and the platen body , and measures the thickness of the food from the gap between the support plate and the platen body . The cooking system according to claim 6 or claim 7. 9. The cooking system according to claim 8 , wherein the thickness measuring unit converts the raised height of the support plate into the thickness of the food to be cooked. Further, an information presentation unit is provided, and the control unit generates presentation information including either thickness information of the food to be cooked or heating condition information, and causes the information presentation unit to present the presentation information. The cooking system according to any one of claims 6 to 9. A program for realizing on a computer,
a function of generating control information for supporting the food to be cooked on the platen and transporting it to the griddle for heating;
A function of generating control information for measuring the thickness of the food to be cooked;
A function of generating control information for setting or adjusting heating conditions including heating time or heating temperature according to the thickness of the object to be cooked;
on the computer. Claim 11 for causing the computer to realize a function of generating control information for measuring the thickness of the object to be cooked at any point from the point of support of the platen portion to the point of arrival at the griddle portion. program as described. The platen unit includes a platen main body, a support plate, and a transfer unit , and the support plate supports the food to be cooked , and the transfer unit generates control information for transferring the food to the griddle. and,
A function in which the measurement unit sandwiches the food to be cooked between the support plate and the platen body , and generates control information for measuring the thickness of the food to be cooked from the gap between the support plate and the platen body . and,
13. The program according to claim 11 or 12, for causing the computer to implement: 14. The program according to claim 13 , for causing the computer to implement a function of converting the lifted height of the support plate into the thickness of the food to be cooked. a function of generating presentation information including either thickness information of the object to be cooked or heating condition information;
a function of presenting the presentation information;
15. The program according to any one of claims 11 to 14, for causing the computer to implement: a platen section for supporting and transferring the food to be cooked to the griddle section for heating;
a thickness measuring unit for measuring the thickness of the food at any point from the time when the food is supported by the platen to the time when the food reaches the griddle;
a control unit that sets or adjusts heating conditions including heating time or heating temperature according to the thickness of the object to be cooked;
A device characterized by comprising: 17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the thickness measurement is performed at any time from the time the food is supported on the platen to the time it reaches the griddle. The platen section includes a platen section main body, a transfer section for transferring the food to be cooked, and a support plate for supporting the food to be cooked,
The thickness measuring unit sandwiches the food to be cooked between the support plate and the platen body , and measures the thickness of the food from the gap between the support plate and the platen body . 18. Apparatus according to claim 16 or claim 17. 19. The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the thickness measuring section converts the raised height of the support plate into the thickness of the food to be cooked. Further, an information presentation unit is provided, and the control unit generates presentation information including either thickness information of the food to be cooked or heating condition information, and causes the information presentation unit to present the presentation information. 20. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 16-19.

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