JP7341032B2 - heating cooker - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a heating cooker equipped with a storage inside a housing.

BACKGROUND ART A heating cooker has been proposed that includes a storage that can accommodate seasonings, cooking utensils, etc. in a housing that includes a heating device such as a heating coil (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2018-13252 Publication

The heating cooker described in Patent Document 1 includes a heating device inside the housing separately from the storage. There was a risk that the heat from this heating device would be transmitted into the storage and the temperature inside the storage would increase. Furthermore, in a so-called built-in type heating cooker, the casing is surrounded by a kitchen cabinet when in use. Since there are multiple heat sources in the kitchen, including the heating cooker, the temperature inside the kitchen cabinet tends to rise. It is also difficult to promote heat exhaustion within kitchen cabinets. For this reason, the casing of the cooking device in the kitchen cabinet, which is heated to a high temperature, and the inside of the storage inside the casing tend to become high in temperature. When the temperature inside the storage becomes high, there is a risk that the stored items such as seasonings stored in the storage will be deteriorated due to the heat. For this reason, there has been a desire for a technology that can maintain the inside of the storage at a temperature suitable for the stored items.

The present invention has been made against the background of the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a heating cooker that can easily maintain the temperature inside a storage at a desired temperature.

The heating cooker according to the present invention includes a housing having an exhaust port, a storage provided within the housing and having a wall forming a storage space, and a storage provided within the housing and disposed outside the storage. a heating device for heating an object to be heated; a door provided at the front of the storage to open and close the storage; and a door provided at a position closer to the door than the longitudinal center of the storage. a duct having an inlet and an outlet linearly communicating with the exhaust port, the portion of which is connected to the inlet being disposed along the front-rear direction of the storage, and a straight line connecting the exhaust port and the outlet; a blower having an air outlet disposed above or at the same position as the outlet and generating an airflow within the duct; a heat exchange means disposed within the duct; and a blower thermally connected to the wall. and a heat transfer unit having a first part and a second part thermally connected to the heat exchange means, and which transfers heat between the storage space and the outside of the storage space. .

According to the present invention, a heat transfer unit that transfers heat between the storage space and the outside of the storage space is provided, and a heat exchange means thermally connected to a part of the heat transfer unit is disposed in the duct. There is. This duct has an entrance provided at a position close to the door in the front-rear direction of the storage, and an exit that communicates linearly with the exhaust port of the housing. Therefore, air is introduced into the duct at a position close to the storage door, that is, at a room temperature close to the room temperature where the user who opens and closes the door is located. Moreover, since the outlet of the duct communicates linearly with the exhaust port of the casing, the air introduced into the duct flows with little pressure loss. Therefore, the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchange means in the duct can be increased, and the performance of the heat transfer means can thereby be improved. It is easy to maintain the temperature inside the refrigerator at the desired temperature.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a kitchen cabinet 200 in which a heating cooker 100 according to the first embodiment is installed. 1 is a perspective view of a heating cooker 100 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cooking device 100 according to the first embodiment, with the top plate 2 and the exhaust port cover 4 removed. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the structure inside the sub-casing 11 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view from below of the sub-casing 11 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main body case 3 and a storage 30 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a storage 30 and a duct 50 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a storage 30 and a duct 50 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the storage 30, the door 39, the storage container 40, and the duct 50 according to the first embodiment from the rear side. 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the left and right sides of the heating cooker 100 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the front and back of the heating cooker 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the front and back of the heating cooker 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the front and back of the heating cooker 100 according to the first embodiment. 1 is a functional block diagram of a heating cooker 100 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a heating cooker 100 according to a second embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view from below of a heating cooker 100 according to a second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a perspective view from below of the sub-casing 11 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cooking device 100 according to a second embodiment, with a top plate 2 and an exhaust port cover 4 removed. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the cooking device 100 according to the second embodiment, with the sub-casing 11 removed from the main body case 3; It is a perspective view from the rear side of storage 30 and members attached thereto according to Embodiment 2. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a storage 30 and parts attached thereto according to a second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the front and back of the heating cooker 100 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a left and right vertical cross-sectional view of a heating cooker 100 according to a second embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view in the front-rear direction of the heating cooker 100 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a heating cooker 100 according to a second embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment in which a heating cooker according to the present invention is applied to a built-in induction heating cooker will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and can be variously modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Further, the present invention includes all combinations of configurations that can be combined among the configurations shown in the following embodiments. Furthermore, the heating cooker shown in the drawings is an example of equipment to which the heating cooker of the present invention is applied, and the equipment to which the present invention is applicable is not limited to the heating cooker shown in the drawings. . In addition, in the following explanation, terms indicating directions (for example, "upper", "lower", "right", "left", "front", "rear", etc.) are used as appropriate to facilitate understanding. These are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, in the following description, "upstream side" and "downstream side" refer to the upstream side and downstream side in the air flow. Furthermore, in each figure, the same reference numerals are the same or equivalent, and this is common throughout the entire specification. Note that in each drawing, the relative dimensional relationship or shape of each component may differ from the actual one.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a kitchen cabinet 200 in which a heating cooker 100 according to the first embodiment is installed. As shown in FIG. 1, the heating cooker 100 is used by being incorporated into a kitchen cabinet 200. The kitchen cabinet 200 has a flat kitchen top plate used as a workbench on its upper surface, and the top plate 2 of the cooking device 100 is exposed on the kitchen top plate. In some cases, the kitchen cabinet 200 is provided with a storage space below the cooking device 100. Note that in this specification, the "front" of the cooking device 100 and the "front" of the kitchen cabinet 200 refer to the surface of the cooking device 100 or the kitchen cabinet 200 that faces the user.

A door 39 of a storage 30, which will be described later, is provided on the front side of the cooking device 100. A front panel 6 is provided on each of the left and right sides of the door 39. The front panel 6 is a decorative panel for improving the design of the front surface of the heating cooker 100. The front surface of the front panel 6 and the front surface of the door 39 are generally located on the same plane, and the absence of unevenness between the two improves the aesthetic appearance of the front surface of the cooking device 100.

The heating cooker 100 of this embodiment has a function of heating a cooking container placed on the heating port 5 of the top plate 2 and the food inside the cooking container, and a function of heating parts that generate heat due to heating on the top plate 2. It also has a cooling function. Furthermore, the heating cooker 100 of this embodiment has a function of controlling the temperature inside the storage 30. The inside of the storage 30 is heated or cooled, and the temperature of stored items such as food stored in the storage 30 is controlled in the storage 30. A specific configuration for realizing these functions will be described below.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cooking device 100 according to the first embodiment. The heating cooker 100 includes a top plate 2 and a main body case 3 provided below the top plate 2. The top plate 2 and the main body case 3 constitute the outer shell of the heating cooker 100. In this embodiment, the top plate 2 and the main body case 3 are referred to as a housing 1.

The top plate 2 is a plate-shaped member on which a cooking container such as a pot is placed, and is made of heat-resistant glass, for example. The top plate 2 is provided with a heating port 5. The heating port 5 is a heating area for a heated object placed on the top plate 2. In this embodiment, an example in which two heating ports 5 are provided is shown, but one or three or more heating ports 5 may be provided.

At the rear of the cooking device 100, an exhaust port cover 4 is provided that covers an exhaust port 9 (see FIG. 3) through which exhaust gas from the housing 1 flows out. The exhaust port cover 4 is provided with an opening that allows ventilation. The opening provided in the exhaust port cover 4 is, for example, a slit-shaped opening with a width that is the same as or smaller than the width of the exhaust port cover 4.

An introduction port 7 is provided on the front and left side of the main body case 3. The introduction port 7 is an opening for communicating the inside and outside of the casing 1. Air flows into the housing 1 through the inlet 7. It is preferable that at least a part of the introduction port 7 is disposed in front of the center of the cooking device 100 in the front-rear direction. More preferably, all of the introduction ports 7 are disposed on the front side of the center of the heating cooker 100 in the front-rear direction. By arranging the introduction port 7 on the front side of the casing 1, it is easy to introduce room temperature air from the room where the front part of the cooking device 100 faces into the casing 1 from the introduction port 7. In this embodiment, an example in which the introduction port 7 is constituted by a plurality of openings is shown, but the number of openings in the introduction port 7 is not limited to what is illustrated.

A gap is provided between the front panel 6 and the front surface of the main body case 3. A storage air intake port 10 is provided on the front surface of the main body case 3 at a position facing the front panel 6. The storage air intake port 10 is an opening that communicates the inside and outside of the housing 1, and penetrates the front wall of the main body case 3. A filter 8 is provided at the storage air intake port 10. The filter 8 is provided to prevent dust and the like from flowing into the housing 1 through the storage intake port 10. The filter 8 is preferably detachable from the storage air intake port 10.

The heating cooker 100 is provided with an operation section 24 that receives operation input from a user, and a display section 25 that displays information. The operation unit 24 is configured with, for example, a push button, a dial switch, a capacitive touch switch, or the like. The display unit 25 has a device that visually reports information such as a liquid crystal display or an LED, and displays the operating status of the heating cooker 100 such as the heat power and time of the timer, and options for the user to input using the operation unit 24. , to issue warnings and alerts to users.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cooking device 100 according to the first embodiment, with the top plate 2 and the exhaust port cover 4 removed. FIG. 3 shows a state in which the door 39 is pulled out. Inside the main body case 3, a sub-casing 11 is provided. The sub-casing 11 has a bottom plate that partitions the inside of the main case 3 into upper and lower parts, and forms a storage space in the upper part of the main case 3. A heating coil 12 , a cooling blower 13 , and a cooling duct 14 are provided within the sub-casing 11 , that is, on the upper side of the sub-casing 11 .

The heating coil 12 is an example of a heating device that heats an object placed on the top plate 2 shown in FIG. 2 . When a high frequency current is supplied to the heating coil 12, a high frequency magnetic field is generated around the heating coil 12, and a cooking container such as a pot is heated by induction. The heating coil 12 is arranged below the heating port 5 shown in FIG. In place of or in addition to the heating coil 12, an electric heater such as a radiant heater may be provided. Further, although this embodiment shows an example in which two heating coils 12 are provided as heating devices, the number of heating devices may be one or three or more. The heating device may be any device that heats objects to be heated that are placed outside the storage 30.

The cooling blower 13 is a blower for sending cooling air to heat-generating components arranged inside the sub-casing 11. The heat generating components to be cooled by the cooling blower 13 include the heating coil 12, a first control circuit 20, a drive element 21, and a heat sink 22 shown in FIG. Although this embodiment shows an example in which two cooling blowers 13 are provided, the number of cooling blowers 13 may be one or three or more.

The cooling duct 14 guides the cooling air sent out from the cooling blower 13 to the heat generating components. The cooling duct 14 is provided with an outlet (not shown) that opens below the heating coil 12 . The cooling air sent out from the cooling blower 13 and flowing into the cooling duct 14 exits from the outlet of the cooling duct 14 and collides with the surface of the heating coil 12, thereby cooling the heating coil 12.

A partition plate 15 is provided at the rear of the sub-casing 11 to partition the inside of the sub-casing 11 into front and rear parts. The partition plate 15 is arranged behind the heating coil 12 and in front of the exhaust port 9. Furthermore, the partition plate 15 of this embodiment extends generally vertically upward from the bottom plate of the sub-casing 11, and has a bent shape that slopes upward toward the rear. The partition plate 15 partitions an exhaust air passage 16 located below the exhaust port 9 and the inside of the sub-casing 11 into the front and back.

A first opening 17 is provided in the partition plate 15 . The first opening 17 allows the exhaust air passage 16 and the inside of the sub-casing 11 to communicate with each other. In this embodiment, two first openings 17 are provided in the partition plate 15. The first opening 17 is provided at a position that overlaps with a rearward extension of the area in which the heating coil 12 is arranged, so that the cooling air after cooling the heating coil 12 passes through the first opening 17 into the exhaust air. into channel 16.

The exhaust port 9 is an opening for exhausting the air inside the housing 1 to the outside. In this embodiment, the exhaust port 9 is open on the top surface of the housing 1. The exhaust port 9 may be formed in the housing 1, but in this embodiment, the exhaust port 9 is provided at the rear of the frame of the top plate 2.

A storage container 40 is provided within the storage 30. In this embodiment, storage container 40 is connected to door 39. The door 39 is configured to be able to be pulled out to the front. When the door 39 is pulled out, the storage container 40 comes out of the storage 30 together with the door 39. The door 39 and the storage container 40 are connected to a movable rail 42a. The movable rail 42a is a rail that extends back and forth. Although not shown in FIG. 3, a movable rail 42a is also provided on the right side of the door 39 and the storage container 40. The movable rail 42a is slidably engaged with the fixed rail 42b shown in FIG. 8, and the door 39 and the storage container 40 are moved back and forth by the movable rail 42a and the fixed rail 42b. Note that a configuration may be adopted in which the storage container 40 is not provided and the stored items are placed in the storage space 36. Moreover, although the door 39 of this embodiment is configured to open and close the storage 30 by moving back and forth, the storage 30 may be provided with a rotatably supported door 39.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the structure inside the sub-casing 11 according to the first embodiment. A second opening 18 is provided at the rear of the bottom of the sub-casing 11 .

Inside the sub-casing 11, a first control circuit 20, a drive element 21, and a heat sink 22 are provided. The first control circuit 20 is an electric circuit that controls the heating operation of the object to be heated using the heating coil 12 shown in FIG. The drive element 21 is a switching element included in an inverter circuit that supplies high-frequency current to the heating coil 12 shown in FIG. Drive element 21 may include an IGBT and a diode bridge. The heat sink 22 is thermally connected to the drive element 21 and has a function of dissipating heat from the drive element 21. At least a portion of the drive element 21 and the heat sink 22 are covered from above by the cooling duct 14 shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the first control circuit 20 is arranged downstream of the drive element 21 and the heat sink 22 in the flow direction of the cooling air from the cooling blower 13 . By arranging the drive element 21 that generates a large amount of heat and the heat sink 22 connected to it upstream of the first control circuit 20 in the flow of cooling air, the drive element 21 can be efficiently driven by cooling air with a lower temperature. can be cooled.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view from below of the sub-casing 11 according to the first embodiment. An inlet 111 is provided at the bottom of the sub-casing 11. The introduction port 111 is an opening that communicates the inside and outside of the sub-casing 11 and penetrates through the bottom of the sub-casing 11. The introduction port 111 is provided at a position opposite to the suction port of the cooling blower 13 shown in FIG. Air outside the casing 1 sucked in through the inlet 7 shown in FIG. 3 is sucked into the cooling blower 13 via the inlet 111 of the sub-casing 11. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the introduction port 111 includes a plurality of openings, but the number of openings in the introduction port 111 is not limited to what is illustrated.

A second opening 18 is provided in the sub-casing 11 . The second opening 18 is a hole penetrating the bottom of the sub-casing 11. In this embodiment, second openings 18 are provided on the left and right sides of the bottom rear portion of the sub-casing 11, respectively. The second opening 18 is an opening that allows the exhaust air passage 16 to communicate with a duct 50, which will be described later, and which is arranged below the exhaust air passage 16. The same number of second openings 18 as ducts 50, which will be described later, are provided.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the main body case 3 and the storage 30 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the storage 30 and the duct 50 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 shows a state in which the main body case 3 is removed from FIG. 6. A duct 50 is provided inside the main body case 3. In this embodiment, ducts 50 are provided on each of the left and right sides of the storage 30. The two ducts 50 of this embodiment have the same basic structure.

The duct 50 has an air flow path therein that extends in the front-rear direction of the storage 30 . An inlet 51 is provided at the front of the duct 50, and an outlet 52 that opens upward is provided at the rear of the duct 50. The inlet 51 of the duct 50 is open toward the front. The entrance 51 of the duct 50 shown in FIG. 7 is located inside the storage inlet 10 of the main body case 3 in FIG. 6 . Note that in order to avoid complication of the drawings, only one of the storage inlet 10 and the entrance 51 may be illustrated. The outlet 52 of the duct 50 is provided at a position facing the second opening 18 shown in FIG. In a state where the sub-casing 11 shown in FIG. 5 is housed in the main body case 3, the outlet 52 of the duct 50 is connected to the second opening 18.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the storage 30 and the duct 50 according to the first embodiment. The ducts 50 provided on the left and right sides of the storage 30 have the same basic structure, but the duct 50 on the right side has an intake pipe 81 protruding from it, whereas the duct 50 on the left side has an intake pipe 81 protruding from it. Not yet. A blower 60 is integrally provided in the duct 50. The blower 60 has a centrifugal fan 63. In this embodiment, the duct 50 also serves as a scroll casing for the centrifugal fan 63. The air flow path formed in the duct 50 has a straight portion from the inlet 51 to the centrifugal fan 63, and this portion extends along the front-rear direction of the storage 30.

A heat transfer unit 70 is provided in the duct 50. The heat transfer unit 70 transfers heat between the inside and outside of the storage 30. The heat transfer unit 70 of this embodiment includes a first portion 71 and a second portion 72 shown in FIG. The first portion 71 and the second portion 72 are made of a material with high thermal conductivity such as aluminum, iron, copper, etc. A Peltier element 73 shown in FIG. 10, which will be described later, is provided between the first part 71 and the second part 72. A portion of the first portion 71 is thermally connected to the inner wall of the storage 30 . The first portion 71 is attached to the wall of the duct 50 on the storage 30 side via an attachment member 74. The attachment member 74 is a member for fixing the first portion 71 to the duct 50, and is made of, for example, synthetic resin.

A heat exchange means 76 is provided upstream of the centrifugal fan 63. A heat exchange means 76 is arranged between the inlet 51 of the duct 50 and the centrifugal fan 63. The heat exchange means 76 is a heat sink having a heat sink made of a material with high thermal conductivity such as aluminum, iron, or copper. The heat exchange means 76 of this embodiment includes a plurality of heat sinks provided with gaps that serve as air flow paths. The heat exchange means 76 is thermally connected to the second portion 72 of the heat transfer unit 70 shown in FIG. The heat exchange means 76 is a member for promoting heat exchange between the air flowing in the duct 50 and the heat transfer unit 70.

In the left duct 50, a second control circuit 23 is provided between the centrifugal fan 63 and the heat exchange means 76. The second control circuit 23 is an electric circuit that controls the operation of the centrifugal fan 63 and the heat transfer unit 70. Inside the left duct 50, a heat exchange means 76, a second control circuit 23, and a centrifugal fan 63 are arranged in order from the upstream side of the airflow generated by the operation of the blower 60. In this embodiment, the second control circuit 23 is provided in the left duct 50, but the second control circuit 23 may be provided in the right duct 50. In the duct 50, the filter 8 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is installed upstream of the heat exchange means 76. For example, a protrusion that engages with an end of the filter 8 may be provided on the inner surface of the duct 50 as a structure for holding the filter 8.

The storage 30 has a double wall structure consisting of an outer wall 37 and an inner wall. A heat transfer unit accommodating portion 47 is provided on the left and right side surfaces of an outer wall 37 that forms the outer shell of the storage 30 . The heat transfer unit accommodating portion 47 of this embodiment is a recess formed in the outer wall 37. The first portion 71 of the heat transfer unit 70 is fitted into this recess. In FIG. 8, only the heat transfer unit accommodating portion 47 formed on the left outer wall 37 of the storage 30 is illustrated, but as shown in FIG. A unit housing portion 47 is formed. The inner wall of the storage 30 is preferably made of a metal material with high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum.

Among the inner walls forming the storage space 36 in the storage 30, the right side wall is referred to as a side wall 33. A fixed rail 42b is provided on the right side wall 33. The fixed rail 42b is a rail extending in the front-rear direction and is provided at the lower part of the side wall 33. The movable rail 42a shown in FIG. 3 slides on the fixed rail 42b. Although not shown in FIG. 8, the left side wall 32 shown in FIG. 10 is also provided with a fixed rail 42b.

Further, in this embodiment, an auxiliary heating means 44 is provided below the bottom 35, which is a part of the inner wall forming the storage space 36. In FIG. 8, the approximate position of the auxiliary heating means 44 is indicated by a broken line. The auxiliary heating means 44 is a heating means that heats the storage space 36 of the storage warehouse 30. The auxiliary heating means 44 is used to heat the storage space 36 of the storage 30 to a temperature higher than room temperature. The auxiliary heating means 44 is, for example, a heater having a resistance heating element. The auxiliary heating means 44 of this embodiment is arranged under the bottom 35 and is not visible within the storage space 36.

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the storage 30, door 39, storage container 40, and duct 50 from the rear side according to the first embodiment. A pressure reducing device 80 is provided inside the duct 50 on the right side. The pressure reducing device 80 is a device for reducing the pressure inside the storage 30, and a vacuum pump is a main component. In FIG. 8 described above, the intake pipe 81 extending from the pressure reducing device 80 was illustrated. The pressure reducing device 80 is provided between the heat exchange means 76 and the centrifugal fan 63 in the front-rear direction inside the right duct 50. A pressure reducing device 80 is provided at a position corresponding to the position of the second control circuit 23 in the left duct 50 shown in FIG. An intake pipe hole 46 is formed on the right side of the outer wall 37 of the storage 30. The intake pipe hole 46 penetrates to the inside of the storage 30. The intake pipe 81 shown in FIG. 8 is inserted into the intake pipe hole 46, and the tip of the intake pipe 81 communicates with the inside of the storage 30.

A container support section 41 is connected to the rear surface of the door 39. The container support section 41 is a member that supports the storage container 40 from below. As the door 39 opens and closes, the storage container 40 supported by the container support section 41 connected to the door 39 is moved in and out of the storage 30 . In this embodiment, the container support section 41 is a frame-shaped member, and is spanned between a pair of movable rails 42a. The bottom of the storage container 40 is fitted into an opening provided approximately in the center of the container support portion 41 .

A packing 45 is provided on the rear surface of the door 39, that is, on the surface facing the inside of the storage 30. The packing 45 is a member that closes the gap between the door 39 and the edge of the front opening of the storage 30, and is made of an elastic material such as rubber or silicone. By providing the packing 45, even when the storage space 36 has a negative pressure due to the action of the pressure reducing device 80, it is possible to suppress external air from flowing into the storage 30 from around the door 39.

FIG. 10 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the heating cooker 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 shows a vertical cross-section in the left-right direction passing through the heat transfer unit 70, and the air flow is conceptually shown by broken line arrows. Among the inner walls forming the storage space 36 of the storage 30, the left side wall 32, the right side wall 33, the ceiling 34, and the bottom 35 are illustrated in FIG. A heat insulating material 38 is filled between the outer wall 37 and the inner wall of the storage 30. The heat insulator 38 is made of a material with low thermal conductivity, such as urethane foam or glass wool, and suppresses heat conduction inside and outside the storage 30 . By providing the heat insulating material 38, heat transfer inside and outside of the storage 30 that does not depend on the heat transfer unit 70 can be suppressed.

The heat transfer unit 70 has a Peltier element 73 located between a first portion 71 and a second portion 72 . The first portion 71 and the Peltier element 73 are surrounded by a heat insulating material 38. The Peltier element 73 is an element that radiates heat from one surface and absorbs heat from the other surface when energized. The heat radiation surface and the heat absorption surface of the Peltier device 73 are switched depending on the direction in which the current is applied to the Peltier device 73. One surface of the Peltier element 73 is thermally connected to the first portion 71 , and the other surface of the Peltier element 73 is thermally connected to the second portion 72 . Thermal conductive grease may be disposed on the connection surface between the Peltier element 73 and the first portion 71 and the connection surface between the Peltier element 73 and the second portion 72. Further, it is preferable that an adhesive made of a material such as silicone having heat insulating properties is filled between the Peltier element 73 and the attachment member 74.

The surface of the first portion 71 of the left heat transfer unit 70 opposite to the Peltier element 73 is thermally connected to the side wall 32 of the storage 30 . The surface of the first portion 71 of the right heat transfer unit 70 opposite to the Peltier element 73 is thermally connected to the side wall 33 of the storage 30 . It is preferable that thermally conductive grease is provided between the first portion 71 and the side wall 32 or 33. The surface of the second portion 72 opposite to the Peltier element 73 is thermally connected to heat exchange means 76 arranged within the duct 50 . As shown in FIG. 10, the heat transfer unit 70 on the right side and the heat transfer unit 70 on the left side are generally arranged symmetrically.

In this embodiment, the center of the storage space 36 in the vertical direction is located between the upper end and the lower end of the first portion 71 of the heat transfer unit 70. By doing so, when heat is exchanged between the inside and outside of the storage 30 by the heat transfer unit 70, temperature unevenness between the upper and lower parts of the storage space 36 can be suppressed.

An auxiliary heating means 44 is provided below the bottom 35 of the storage 30. The auxiliary heating means 44 of this embodiment is arranged over substantially the entire area of the bottom 35 in the left and right direction. Note that the auxiliary heating means 44 may be embedded in the heat insulating material 38 so as to be in contact with the side walls 32 and 33.

With reference to FIG. 10, the operation related to cooling inside the sub-casing 11 will be explained. When the cooling blower 13 operates, air is sucked into the main body case 3 through the inlet 7. The sucked air is sucked into the cooling blower 13 through the second opening 18 provided at the bottom of the sub-casing 11, and is sent out from the cooling blower 13 into the cooling duct 14 as cooling air. In the cooling duct 14, cooling air flows around the heat sink 22 attached to the drive element 21 (see FIG. 4), and the heat sink 22 and the drive element 21 are cooled by the cooling air. The cooling air flowing out of the cooling duct 14 flows toward the rear around the first control circuit 20 arranged in the right region of the sub-casing 11 . This cooling air cools the heating coil 12 while flowing around the heating coil 12. The cooling air that has cooled the heating coil 12 flows into the exhaust air passage 16 through the first opening 17 shown in FIG. 3, and flows out of the cooking device 100 through the exhaust port 9.

FIG. 11 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the front and back of the heating cooker 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 shows a longitudinal cross-section through the storage 30 in the front-rear direction, and the arrangement of the pressure reducing device 80 and the first portion 71 of the heat transfer unit 70 is shown with broken lines. The first portion 71 of the heat transfer unit 70 is disposed on the front side of the center X1 of the storage space 36 in the longitudinal direction. As mentioned above, the first part 71 is thermally connected to the side wall 33 of the storage 30, and through the first part 71 the storage space 36 is heat exchanged with the outside thereof. In the storage space 36, positions closer to the door 39 are more susceptible to the influence of room temperature than positions further away. Therefore, by arranging the first portion 71 in front of the center X1 of the storage space 36 in the longitudinal direction, it is easy to maintain the front portion of the storage space 36 at a desired temperature, which tends to reach room temperature. Therefore, temperature changes due to the influence of room temperature in the storage space 36 are suppressed, and variations in the temperature of the storage space 36 can be suppressed.

The storage 30 is provided with a first temperature sensor 43 that detects the air temperature in the storage space 36 . The first temperature sensor 43 is provided on the side wall 33 in this embodiment. The first temperature sensor 43 is a contact or non-contact temperature sensor.

FIG. 12 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the front and back of the cooking device 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 12 shows a longitudinal cross section of the duct 50 in which the second control circuit 23 is housed, and the air flow is conceptually indicated by broken line arrows. The shape of the duct 50 will be explained. When looking at the duct 50 in the front-rear direction, the duct 50 extends linearly from the entrance 51 of the duct 50 toward the rear. In this linearly extending portion, the heat exchange means 76, the second control circuit 23, and the blower 60 are arranged in this order from front to back. A filter 8 is inserted into the inlet 51 of the duct 50. A gap is formed between the filter 8 and the front panel 6. The gaps are located at the top and bottom of the front panel 6, as shown in FIG. The rear part of the duct 50 constitutes a scroll casing of a centrifugal fan 63. In the duct 50, a flow path extending linearly rearward and upward is formed on the downstream side of the winding end portion 61 of the scroll casing, and this portion is referred to as a straight portion 62. The outlet of the blower 60 is the same as the outlet 52 of the duct 50. Note that the blower outlet of the blower 60 and the outlet 52 of the duct 50 may be made of different members. In this case, the outlet of the blower 60 is preferably arranged on a straight line connecting the exhaust port 9 and the outlet 52 of the duct 50. Specifically, at least a portion of the air outlet of the blower 60 may be arranged in a region where an extension line of the opening surface of the exhaust port 9 and an extension line of the opening surface of the outlet 52 overlap.

The outlet 52 of the duct 50, which is the outlet of the blower 60, is connected to the second opening 18 formed at the bottom of the sub-casing 11. An exhaust port 9 and an exhaust port cover 4 are arranged above the second opening 18 . The outlet 52 of the duct 50 is in direct communication with the exhaust port 9. Here, linear communication means that the exhaust port 9 is located on an extension of the opening surface of the outlet 52. In this embodiment, when the exhaust port 9 with the exhaust port cover 4 removed is viewed from above, at least a portion of the exhaust port 9 overlaps with the outlet 52. An exhaust air passage 16 is provided between the second opening 18 and the exhaust port 9 in the vertical direction, and between the partition plate 15 and the rear wall of the main body case 3 in the front-back direction. The air flowing out from the outlet 52 of the duct 50 flows out of the cooking device 100 through the exhaust air passage 16.

In this embodiment, the partition plate 15 is inclined so as to rise from the front to the rear. In addition, the part of the rear wall of the main body case 3 that faces the partition plate 15 in the front-back direction is connected to a plane (hereinafter simply referred to as plane P) perpendicular to the top surface of the housing 1 in which the exhaust port 9 is formed. are almost parallel. Here, in the present embodiment, the top plate 2 constitutes the upper surface of the housing 1, and since the heating cooker 100 is installed so that the top plate 2 is parallel to a horizontal plane, the surface P is the top plate. 2, and can be said to be a surface extending in the vertical direction. Due to the above structure of the main body case 3 and the partition plate 15, the cross-sectional area of the exhaust air passage 16 becomes smaller from the bottom of the partition plate 15 toward the top.

Moreover, in this embodiment, the lower part of the rear wall of the main body case 3 is inclined so as to rise from the front to the rear. The inclined portion is referred to as an inclined portion 3a. The inclined portion 3a at the lower part of the rear wall of the main body case 3 is inclined with respect to the plane P. By slanting the lower part of the rear wall of the main body case 3 and arranging the lower end of the inclined part 3a to the front side of the upper end, the heating cooker 100 can be easily dropped into the opening formed in the kitchen. . Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the inclination angle θ of the linear portion 62 of the blower 60 with respect to the plane P is the same as the inclination angle of the inclined portion 3a of the main body case 3 with respect to the plane P. Further, the outer surface of the straight portion 62 is in contact with or close to the rear wall of the main body case 3. Therefore, there is no gap or a slight gap between the main body case 3 and the straight portion 62, and the main body case 3 can be effectively used as a storage space. Therefore, the outer shape of the impeller of the centrifugal fan 63 can be increased, and by doing so, the number of rotations of the centrifugal fan 63 to obtain the desired amount of air can be reduced. By reducing the rotation speed of the centrifugal fan 63, the noise of the centrifugal fan 63 is suppressed.

In such a configuration, when the centrifugal fan 63 of the blower 60 operates, air is sucked into the duct 50 from the gap between the front panel 6 and the duct 50. Since this gap is provided on the front side of the cooking device 100, air at room temperature is sucked into the duct 50. Since the filter 8 is provided at the inlet 51 of the duct 50, dust mixed in the air is captured by the filter 8, and clean air after dust removal flows into the duct 50.

The air flowing into the duct 50 contacts the heat exchange means 76 and exchanges heat with the heat exchange means 76 by forced convection heat transfer. Further, within the duct 50, the air exchanges heat with the heat generating components of the second control circuit 23 located downstream of the heat exchange means 76. The air that has exchanged heat with the second control circuit 23 is sent out by the centrifugal fan 63 of the blower 60, guided to the straight part 62 continuous to the winding end part 61, and flows out of the duct 50 from the outlet 52. Since the straight portion 62 rises from upstream to downstream, air is guided to the outlet 52 by the straight portion 62 with little pressure loss.

The air coming out of the outlet 52 of the duct 50 passes through the exhaust air path 16 and then flows out of the cooking device 100 through the exhaust port 9. Since the partition plate 15 is inclined so as to reduce the cross-sectional area of the exhaust air passage 16 from upstream to downstream of the exhaust air passage 16, the air passing through the exhaust air passage 16 is directed toward the exhaust port 9. The components become mainstream and are difficult to diffuse into the sub-casing 11. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the air flowing through the exhaust air path 16 from flowing into the sub-casing 11. When the heat exchange means 76 and the second control circuit 23 are cooled by the air flowing through the duct 50, the heated air flows through the exhaust air passage 16, so this heated air flows into the sub-casing 11. This may lead to the members inside the sub-casing 11 becoming hotter. However, according to the present embodiment, such problems can be suppressed.

FIG. 13 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the front and back of the cooking device 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 13 shows a vertical cross-section in the front-rear direction of the duct 50 in which the pressure reducing device 80 is housed, and the air flow is conceptually indicated by broken line arrows. The structures of the duct 50 and the exhaust air passage 16 are as described with reference to FIG. 12.

The pressure reducing device 80 includes an intake pipe 81 and an exhaust pipe 82. The pressure reducing device 80 has an air pump, sucks air through an intake pipe 81, and discharges the sucked air through an exhaust pipe 82. The tip of the intake pipe 81 is located in the storage space 36, as shown in FIG. The tip of the exhaust pipe 82 is located within the duct 50. Therefore, when the pressure reducing device 80 operates, air in the storage space 36 is sucked into the pressure reducing device 80 from the intake pipe 81, and the sucked air is discharged into the duct 50 from the exhaust pipe 82. The air discharged into the duct 50 flows through the duct 50 by the action of the blower 60 and heads toward the exhaust air path 16. When the blower 60 is operating, the inside of the duct 50 is under negative pressure relative to the room. By providing the outlet of the exhaust pipe 82 in the duct 50 in this negative pressure state, the load on the pressure reducing device 80 when reducing the pressure in the storage space 36 can be reduced. By reducing the load on the pressure reducing device 80, the noise of the pressure reducing device 80 accompanying its operation can be suppressed, and deterioration of the pressure reducing device 80 over time can be delayed.

A pressure sensor 83 is provided in the intake pipe 81 . The pressure sensor 83 detects the pressure inside the intake pipe 81, that is, the pressure in the storage space 36. The operation of the pressure reducing device 80 is controlled based on the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 83.

FIG. 14 is a functional block diagram of cooking device 100 according to the first embodiment. When the user performs an operation on the operation unit 24, a signal corresponding to the operation is input to either or both of the first control circuit 20 and the second control circuit 23. The display section 25 is electrically connected to the first control circuit 20 and the second control circuit 23, and performs display based on signals from the first control circuit 20 and the second control circuit 23. The first temperature sensor 43 is electrically connected to the second control circuit 23 and inputs a signal corresponding to the detected temperature to the second control circuit 23 . The pressure sensor 83 is electrically connected to the second control circuit 23 and inputs a signal corresponding to the detected pressure to the second control circuit 23 .

The first control circuit 20 controls the drive element 21 and the cooling blower 13 . The first control circuit 20 outputs a drive signal to the drive element 21. The drive element 21 supplies the heating coil 12 with a high-frequency current having a frequency corresponding to the input signal. The first control circuit 20 operates the cooling blower 13 while driving the drive element 21 . By operating the cooling blower 13, cooling air is supplied into the sub-casing 11, and the drive element 21 and the heating coil 12, which are heated to high temperatures, are cooled down. The first control circuit 20 may continue to operate the cooling blower 13 even after the drive element 21 is stopped. By doing so, cooling of the inside of the sub-casing 11 and the top plate 2 located thereon can be promoted.

The second control circuit 23 controls the auxiliary heating means 44, the heat transfer unit 70, the blower 60, and the pressure reducing device 80. The second control circuit 23 operates the heat transfer unit 70 when a signal indicating that heat is to be transferred between the storage space 36 and the outside of the storage warehouse 30 is input from the operation unit 24 . Here, the heat transfer includes heat transfer for cooling the storage space 36 and heat transfer for heating the storage space 36. The heat transfer unit 70 of this embodiment includes a Peltier element 73. When a signal for cooling the storage space 36 is input, the second control circuit 23 energizes the Peltier element 73 in a current direction in which the endothermic surface of the Peltier element 73 faces the storage space 36 . When a signal for heating the storage space 36 is input, the second control circuit 23 energizes the Peltier element 73 in a current direction in which the heat radiation surface of the Peltier element 73 faces the storage space 36 . The second control circuit 23 controls the energization state of the Peltier element 73 based on the temperature signal of the storage space 36 input from the first temperature sensor 43 .

The second control circuit 23 operates the auxiliary heating means 44 to heat the storage space 36 when a signal to heat the storage space 36 is input from the operation unit 24 . The amount of heating by the auxiliary heating means 44 is controlled based on the temperature signal of the storage space 36 input from the first temperature sensor 43 .

When a signal to heat the storage space 36 is input from the operation unit 24, the second control circuit 23 operates either or both of the heat transfer unit 70 and the auxiliary heating means 44. The heat transfer unit 70 may be operated preferentially, and when the temperature of the storage space 36 does not reach the desired temperature, the auxiliary heating means 44 may be operated in addition to the heat transfer unit 70. Further, the heat transfer unit 70 may be operated when the target temperature of the storage space 36 is relatively low, and the auxiliary heating means 44 may be operated when the target temperature is relatively high. Moreover, when heating the storage space 36, the auxiliary heating means 44 may be operated and the heat transfer unit 70 may be stopped. When the heat transfer unit 70 is stopped and the auxiliary heating means 44 is operated as described above, it is preferable to stop the blower 60. By doing so, the noise of the blower 60 is also eliminated, so that the storage space 36 can be heated without causing discomfort to the user due to the noise.

The second control circuit 23 operates the blower 60 when the heat transfer unit 70 is operated. By doing so, heat exchange between the second portion 72 and the heat exchange means 76 (see FIG. 10) which are thermally connected to the Peltier element 73 is promoted, and thereby, between the storage space 36 and the outside thereof. can promote heat transfer.

When a signal indicating that the storage space 36 is to be depressurized is input from the operation unit 24, the second control circuit 23 operates the decompression device 80. The second control circuit 23 operates the pressure reducing device 80 so that the value of the pressure in the storage space 36 inputted from the pressure sensor 83 becomes the target value. The pressure reducing device 80 may operate independently, or may operate simultaneously with any one or more of the heat transfer unit 70, the auxiliary heating means 44, and the blower 60. It is preferable that the storage 30 is provided with a detection device that detects whether the door 39 is opened or closed. In this case, the second control circuit 23 starts the operation of the pressure reducing device 80 when it is detected that the door 39 is in the closed state. By doing so, it is possible to avoid wasteful power consumption due to operating the pressure reducing device 80 with the door 39 open. Further, when it is detected that the door 39 is opened while the pressure reducing device 80 is in operation, the second control circuit 23 stops the operation of the pressure reducing device 80.

Further, a switch for stopping the pressure reducing device 80 may be provided on the handle of the door 39 or on the operating section 24. The user first operates this switch when opening the door 39 of the storage space 36 in a reduced pressure state. Then, the second control circuit 23 stops the operation of the pressure reducing device 80, and in this state allows the intake pipe 81 and the exhaust pipe 82 to communicate with each other. In this way, air sucked in from the exhaust pipe 82 of the duct 50, which is under high pressure relative to the storage space 36, flows into the storage space 36 via the intake pipe 81, and the storage space 36 becomes at normal pressure. This allows the user to easily open the door 39.

Note that the control circuits that control the drive element 21 and the cooling blower 13 may be mounted on different boards. Moreover, the control circuits that control the auxiliary heating means 44, the heat transfer unit 70, the blower 60, and the pressure reducing device 80 may be mounted on different substrates.

[Functions in storage 30]
Hereinafter, functions realized by operating at least one of the heat transfer unit 70, the blower 60, the auxiliary heating means 44, and the pressure reducing device 80 in the storage 30 will be described.

(1) Temperature control at normal pressure The following temperature control is performed while the storage space 36 is at normal pressure. To realize this function, the pressure reducing device 80 is not necessary.

(1-1) Control to the temperature specified by the user The operation unit 24 is provided with an input unit for setting the temperature of the storage space 36. Either or both of the heat transfer unit 70 and the auxiliary heating means 44 are controlled so that the temperature of the storage space 36 becomes the temperature set on the operating section 24. The temperature that can be set for the storage space 36 is, for example, -3°C to 70°C.

(1-2) Control to a temperature determined for the mode The operating section 24 is provided with an input section for setting the mode as shown below. Either or both of the heat transfer unit 70 and the auxiliary heating means 44 are controlled so that the temperature of the storage space 36 is a predetermined temperature for the set mode. Examples of modes and temperatures of the storage space 36 determined for the modes will be shown below.
(a) Vegetables: about 3℃ to about 8℃
(b) Refrigeration: Approximately 3°C to approximately 5°C
(c) Chilled: about 0℃ to about 2℃
(d) Slight freezing: about -3℃ to about -1℃
(e) Plain yogurt: about 40℃ to about 41℃
(f) Caspian Sea yogurt: Approximately 27℃
(g) Kefir yogurt: approx. 25℃
(h) Amazake: Approximately 60℃
(i) Salt koji or soy sauce koji: approximately 60℃
(j) Miso: Approximately 60℃
(k) Natto: approx. 45℃
(l) Yeast: about 26℃ to about 30℃
(m) Hot spring egg or low temperature cooking: about 65 to about 70℃

By allowing the user to set the temperature as in this embodiment, food can be stored, brewed, and cooked in the storage space 36 in accordance with the user's wishes. Furthermore, by allowing the user to set a mode in which the temperature is set in advance using the operation unit 24, the user can easily store, brew, and cook food in the storage space 36 without having to set the temperature himself/herself. can. Furthermore, the operation section 24 may be provided with an input section for executing a plurality of modes in succession. In this case, the modes to be executed successively and their order are input to the operation unit 24, and the modes are executed successively based on this input. For example, plain yogurt mode is executed, followed by refrigerated mode. By doing so, the plain yogurt brewed in the storage 30 is refrigerated in the storage 30, so deterioration of the stored plain yogurt is reduced. Furthermore, since the user does not need to perform an operation to switch modes, the user's convenience is improved. Further, the operation section 24 may be provided with an input section for setting the execution time of each mode. In this case, the second control circuit 23 measures the elapsed time from the start of the mode using a built-in timer, and stops the currently running mode when the execution time set on the operation unit 24 has elapsed.

(2) Temperature control in reduced pressure state Both the temperature and pressure of the storage space 36 are controlled.

(2-1) Maintaining the temperature and pressure specified by the user The operating unit 24 is provided with an input unit for setting the pressure of the storage space 36 and an input unit for setting the temperature of the storage space 36. Either or both of the heat transfer unit 70 and the auxiliary heating means 44 and the pressure reducing device 80 are operated so that the pressure in the storage space 36 becomes the set pressure and the temperature of the storage space 36 becomes the set temperature. controlled. The temperature that can be set for the storage space 36 is, for example, -3°C to 70°C. The pressure that can be set for the storage space 36 is, for example, atmospheric pressure to 0.7 atmospheres.

(2-2) Maintaining the temperature and pressure determined for the mode The operating section 24 is provided with an input section for setting the mode as shown below. Either or both of the heat transfer unit 70 and the auxiliary heating means 44, and the pressure reducing device 80 are controlled so that the temperature and pressure of the storage space 36 are at predetermined values for the set mode. . Examples of modes and temperatures determined for these modes are shown below. It is assumed that the pressure is set to a value lower than atmospheric pressure.
(a) Vegetables: about 3℃ to about 8℃
(b) Refrigeration: Approximately 3°C to approximately 5°C
(c) Chilled: about 0℃ to about 2℃
(d) Slight freezing: about -3℃ to about -1℃
(e) Fruit wine: about 3℃ to about 8℃
(f) Vacuum drying: about 40°C to about 60°C
(g) Reduced pressure cooking: about 60℃ to about 70℃
(h) Vacuum frying: Approximately 70℃

Modes (a) to (d) above in a reduced pressure state have the same temperature range as modes (a) to (d) above in a normal pressure state, but even though the temperature range is the same, the storage space By bringing 36 into a reduced pressure state, the effect given to the food stored in storage space 36 is different. That is, when the storage space 36 is in a reduced pressure state, the permeation rate of the seasoning into the food improves, so it is possible to shorten the preparation time for cooking to infuse the food with flavor. Furthermore, when food is placed in a reduced pressure state, air bubbles in the food are expelled, making the structure of the food denser and giving the food a smoother texture after cooking. In addition, since the storage space 36 is depressurized to create a low oxygen state, oxidation of the food is suppressed, and deterioration of the freshness of the food and reduction of active ingredients can be suppressed. Further, since the storage space 36 is sealed by the door 39, drying of the food is suppressed.

In the (e) fruit wine mode in a reduced pressure state, the user can store wine containing fruit in the storage space 36 . In a reduced pressure state, the time for fruit extract to be extracted into alcohol is shorter than in a normal pressure state, and the fruit extract is extracted in about one week. Note that in this mode, the user may be able to set the temperature of the storage space 36 using the operation unit 24.

In the vacuum drying mode (f) above, the pressure reducing device 80 operates constantly or intermittently. Placing food in a reduced pressure state facilitates the release of water vapor from the food compared to a normal pressure state. Therefore, under reduced pressure, food can be dried at a lower temperature than when drying food under normal pressure. Such low-temperature, reduced-pressure drying produces a dried food in which the active ingredients, color, and aroma of the food are less likely to deteriorate, so the user can obtain a dried food with good taste and texture.

In the reduced pressure cooking mode (g) above, the pressure reducing device 80 operates constantly or intermittently. By placing food under reduced pressure, the permeation rate of seasonings into the food is better than under normal pressure, so the preparation time to infuse the food with flavor is shortened, allowing for faster cooking. Become. In addition, by cooking under reduced pressure, the food can be maintained in a state where the original flavor, taste, and active ingredients of the food material are less likely to be lost. Note that in this mode, the user may be able to set the temperature of the storage space 36 using the operation unit 24.

In the above (h) reduced pressure frying mode, the pressure reducing device 80 operates constantly or intermittently. By cooking under reduced pressure, the food can be kept in a state where there is little reduction in the active ingredients of the food, loss of color, and browning of the food.

As described above, the cooking device 100 of the present embodiment includes the housing 1 having the exhaust port 9 and the heating coil 12 as an example of a heating device provided in the housing 1. This heating cooker 100 includes a storage 30 provided in a housing 1 and having an inner wall forming a storage space 36, a door 39 provided at the front of the storage 30 for opening and closing the storage 30, It has a duct 50. The duct 50 has an inlet 51 provided at a position closer to the door 39 than the center of the storage 30 in the front-rear direction, and an outlet 52 linearly communicating with the exhaust port 9. A portion of the duct 50 connected to the entrance 51 is arranged along the front-rear direction of the storage 30. The heating cooker 100 also includes a blower 60. The blower 60 of this embodiment has an air outlet disposed at the same position as the outlet 52 of the duct 50, and generates an airflow within the duct 50. Further, the heating cooker 100 includes a heat exchange means 76 provided in the duct 50 and a heat transfer unit 70. The heat transfer unit 70 has a first portion 71 thermally connected to the inner wall of the storage 30 and a second portion 72 thermally connected to the heat exchange means 76, and has a storage space 36 and a storage space. Heat is transferred to and from the outside of 36. Therefore, air at a position close to the door 39 of the storage 30, that is, near room temperature where there is a user who opens and closes the door 39, is introduced into the duct 50 from the entrance 51. Further, a portion of the duct 50 that is continuous with the inlet 51 is arranged along the front-rear direction of the storage 30, and an outlet 52 of the duct 50 linearly communicates with the exhaust port 9 of the housing 1. Therefore, the air introduced into the duct 50 flows with little pressure loss. Therefore, the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchange means 76 in the duct 50 can be increased, and the performance of the heat transfer unit 70 can thereby be improved. It is easy to maintain the temperature inside the storage 30 at a desired temperature even if the storage 30 is stored in the storage 30.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the storage 30 of this embodiment has a left side wall 32 and a right side wall 33 that extend back and forth. Two ducts 50, blowers 60, heat exchange means 76, and heat transfer units 70 are each provided, one set is provided on the side wall 32 side, and the other set is provided on the side wall 33 side. Therefore, the storage space 36 of the storage 30 can exchange heat with the outside on both the left and right sides. Therefore, temperature unevenness in the left-right direction of the storage space 36 is reduced, and deterioration of stored items due to temperature unevenness can be reduced.

The blower 60 of this embodiment has a centrifugal fan 63 housed in a scroll casing that is integrally formed with the duct 50, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. The scroll casing has a straight portion 62 that is a side wall extending straight from the winding end portion 61 . The straight portion 62 is inclined with respect to the plane P along the vertical direction. Further, the rear wall of the housing 1 is provided with an inclined portion 3a that is inclined with respect to a plane P along the vertical direction. The inclined portion 3a is inclined upward from the front to the rear. The inclination angle θ of the straight portion 62 with respect to the plane P is the same as the inclination angle of the inclined portion 3a with respect to the plane P. Further, the straight portion 62 and the inclined portion 3a are arranged at positions facing each other. Therefore, the main body case 3 can be effectively used as a storage space. Therefore, the outer shape of the impeller of the centrifugal fan 63 can be increased, and by doing so, the number of rotations of the centrifugal fan 63 to obtain the desired amount of air can be reduced. By reducing the rotation speed of the centrifugal fan 63, the noise of the centrifugal fan 63 is suppressed.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the entrance 51 of the duct 50 is arranged on the side of the door 39 of the storage 30. Here, the heating cooker 100 of this embodiment is a built-in type that is used by being built into a kitchen cabinet 200, as shown in FIG. 1, and the door 39 faces the interior of the room. By providing the entrance 51 of the duct 50 on the side of the door 39, the air flowing into the duct 50 can be brought closer to room temperature. Therefore, the heat exchange efficiency between the heat exchange means 76 and the air in the duct 50 and the air flowing into the duct 50 can be improved.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 12, a filter 8 is provided at the entrance 51 of the duct 50, and a second control circuit 23 including a heat generating component is provided inside the duct 50. The heat exchange means 76 is arranged downstream of the filter 8 and upstream of the second control circuit 23 in the direction of air flow within the duct 50. In this embodiment, the heat exchanger 76 is arranged upstream of the heat-generating components, so that the heat-exchanger 76 is less likely to affect the heat exchange efficiency in the heat exchanger 76. Therefore, the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchange means 76 is maintained stably, and temperature fluctuations in the storage space 36 are also suppressed. Therefore, the heat shock of the stored items in the storage warehouse 30 is reduced, and the storage quality is improved. Moreover, by arranging the second control circuit 23 within the duct 50, the second control circuit 23 can be cooled without separately providing a configuration for cooling the second control circuit 23.

Further, in this embodiment, an auxiliary heating means 44 is provided as a heating means for heating the inside of the storage 30. This auxiliary heating means 44 is provided separately from the heat transfer unit 70 and operates independently of the heat transfer unit 70. Therefore, the inside of the storage 30 can be kept in a wide temperature range. Further, as in the present embodiment, when the heat source of the heat transfer unit 70 is the Peltier element 73 and the auxiliary heating means 44 is a resistance type heater, the power consumption for raising the temperature of the storage space 36 is the same as that of the auxiliary heating means 44. is smaller. Therefore, it is possible to heat the storage space 36 while saving energy. Moreover, when operating the auxiliary heating means 44 of this embodiment, it is not necessary to operate the blower 60. Therefore, by stopping the blower 60 when only the auxiliary heating means 44 is operated, noise accompanying the operation of the blower 60 is not generated, and the user is not made to feel uncomfortable due to the noise.

This embodiment includes a pressure reducing device 80 that reduces the pressure in the storage space 36 to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure. Therefore, the stored items in the storage space 36 can be stored under reduced pressure. By storing foods under reduced pressure and low oxygen conditions, oxidation of stored items can be suppressed, and the increase of bacteria, mold, etc. on the food surface can be suppressed, thereby improving hygiene.

In this embodiment, a heating coil 12 is provided in the housing 1 above the storage 30 for inductively heating a cooking container placed on the top plate 2. Further, an introduction port 7 that opens toward the side of the main case 3 of the housing 1 is provided in the main case 3. The opening direction of the introduction port 7 and the front side, which is the opening direction of the inlet 51 of the duct 50, are different directions. A cooling blower 13 is provided that supplies air sucked from the inlet 7 to the heating coil 12 as cooling air. In this way, the air sent to the heat exchange means 76 that affects the heat transfer performance of the heat transfer unit 70 of the storage 30 and the air that cools the heating coil 12 are drawn in from different directions. Therefore, when air is supplied to the heat exchange means 76 and air is supplied to the heating coil 12 at the same time, it is difficult for the supply air to affect each other. Therefore, fluctuations in storage temperature in the storage 30 are suppressed, and storage quality in the storage 30 can be improved.

In this embodiment, the outlet 52 of the duct 50 is connected to the exhaust air path 16, which is a flow path through which the cooling air after cooling the heating coil 12 flows toward the exhaust port 9. Specifically, the outlet 52 of the duct 50 is connected to the second opening 18 that is part of the exhaust air path 16 . Therefore, the air coming out of the outlet 52 of the duct 50 flows toward the exhaust port 9 along with the air flowing through the exhaust air path 16 toward the exhaust port 9, and is diffused to the outside of the exhaust air path 16 within the housing 1. Hateful. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a decrease in the cooling efficiency of the heating coil 12 due to the air coming out of the duct 50 diffusing into the sub-casing 11.

Embodiment 2.
The heating cooker 100 of this embodiment includes a device that supplies microwaves into the storage 30 instead of the auxiliary heating means 44 in the first embodiment. Further, the structure of the duct 50 is different from that of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, differences from Embodiment 1 will be mainly described. Except for the differences, a configuration similar to that of Embodiment 1 can be adopted in this embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the heating cooker 100 according to the second embodiment. The heating cooker 100 of this embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment in the structure around the front panel 6. As shown in FIG. 15, between the front panel 6 and the main body case 3, the storage air intake port 10 shown in FIG. 2 of the first embodiment is not provided at the top and sides. In this embodiment, the front panel 6 is attached to the front surface of the main body case 3 with substantially no gap, and the space between the front panel 6 and the main body case 3 does not function as an air intake port. Note that the introduction port 7 is provided on the front and side surfaces of the main body case 3 similarly to the first embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view from below of the cooking device 100 according to the second embodiment. The bottom of the main body case 3 is not flat, but has a step formed therein. In the front-rear direction of the bottom of the main body case 3, the front portion and the rear portion are located above the center portion. Among the front parts of the bottom of the main body case 3, the part located on the upper side is the high part 3b, the part located on the lower side is the low part 3c, and the part connecting the high part 3b and the low part 3c is connected. It is called part 3d. In this embodiment, the connecting portion 3d is inclined upward from the back toward the front. It can be said that the connecting portion 3d and the lower portion 3c form a convex shape that projects downward at the bottom of the main body case 3. The length of this convex shape in the left-right direction is the same as the length of the main body case 3 in the left-right direction in this embodiment, but may be shorter than the length of the main body case 3 in the left-right direction.

In this embodiment, the storage air intake port 10 is provided at the connecting portion 3d at the bottom of the main body case 3. Since the connecting portion 3d is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, the opening surface of the storage air intake port 10 is also inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. The storage air intake port 10 opens diagonally downward in front of the cooking device 100. The inlet 7 shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 opens toward the left and the front, whereas the storage air inlet 10 opens toward the front and lower. In this way, the opening direction of the introduction port 7 and the opening direction of the storage air intake port 10 are different.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view from below of the sub-casing 11 according to the second embodiment. The arrangement of the second opening 18 provided at the bottom of the sub-casing 11 in this embodiment is different from that in the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, two second openings 18 were provided at the bottom of the sub-casing 11, but in this embodiment, one second opening 18 is provided at the bottom of the sub-casing 11. Further, the second opening 18 in this embodiment is provided at approximately the center of the bottom of the sub-casing 11 in the left-right direction.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the cooking device 100 according to the second embodiment, with the top plate 2 and the exhaust port cover 4 removed. FIG. 18 shows a state in which the door 39 and the storage container 40 are taken out from the storage space 36. The partition plate 15 provided at the rear of the sub-casing 11 is not inclined as in the first embodiment, but extends approximately perpendicularly to the bottom of the sub-casing 11. This embodiment is the same as the first embodiment in that the first opening 17 is formed in the partition plate 15. The second opening 18 in this embodiment is located within the exhaust air passage 16 as in the first embodiment. The second opening 18 is preferably provided at a position corresponding to a portion of the partition plate 15 where the first opening 17 is not formed. In the example shown in FIG. 18 , a second opening 18 is provided behind the partition plate 15 located between the two first openings 17 . With this arrangement, the exhaust gas flowing into the exhaust air passage 16 from the second opening 18 flows upward along the rear surface of the partition plate 15, so that the exhaust air from the exhaust air passage 16 into the sub-casing 11 is prevented. The spread of is suppressed.

The storage container 40 has a partition wall 40a that partitions the inside into front and rear parts. In the storage container 40, a container formed on the front side of the partition wall 40a is called a front storage section 40b, and a container formed on the back side of the partition wall 40a is called a rear storage section 40c.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the cooking device 100 according to the second embodiment, with the sub-casing 11 removed from the main body case 3. A duct 50 and a blower 60 are provided at the rear of the storage 30. Unlike the first embodiment, one duct 50 in this embodiment is provided at the rear of the storage 30. The outlet 52 of the duct 50 opens upward. The outlet 52 of the duct 50 is connected to the second opening 18 shown in FIGS. 17 and 18.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view from the rear side of the storage 30 and the members attached thereto according to the second embodiment. A pressure reducing device 80 is provided on the right side of the storage 30. The pressure reducing device 80 is a device that reduces the pressure inside the storage 30, and has the same function as that described in the first embodiment.

A microwave supply device 90 is provided at the left and right rear portions of the outer wall 37 of the storage 30. The microwave supply device 90 is a device that generates microwaves to be supplied into the storage 30. The microwaves generated by the microwave supply device 90 are supplied to the stored items such as foods in the storage 30 and heat the stored items. The microwave supply device 90 of this embodiment includes a semiconductor type oscillator. The semiconductor oscillator includes a wide bandgap semiconductor such as GaN (gallium nitride), and generates microwaves at a frequency of about 2.45 GHz. The frequency of microwaves generated from a magnetron is distributed in a range of about 2.45±0.2GHz, but the frequency of microwaves generated from a semiconductor oscillator is stable with almost no fluctuations compared to 2.45GHz. It is the frequency. Further, a semiconductor oscillator differs from a magnetron in that the frequency can be variably controlled. By employing a semiconductor type oscillator in the microwave supply device 90, the phase of the generated microwave can be precisely controlled. Therefore, by supplying microwaves to stored items such as food, it is possible to precisely control the temperature of stored items.

In this embodiment, two microwave supply devices 90 are provided. Although the number of microwave supply devices 90 is not limited to this example, by providing a plurality of microwave supply devices 90, unevenness in the microwaves supplied into the storage 30 can be reduced. By individually controlling the plurality of microwave supply devices 90, the frequencies and phases of the microwaves output from the plurality of microwave supply devices 90 can be made to differ from each other.

A portion of the duct 50 in this embodiment is provided at the rear of the storage 30. A blower 60 is provided at the rear of the duct 50. The outlet of the blower 60 is the same as the outlet 52 of the duct 50.

FIG. 21 is an exploded perspective view of the storage 30 and its accompanying parts according to the second embodiment. FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the storage 30 from the rear, showing a state with the duct 50 removed. A heat exchange means 76 is arranged on the rear surface of the storage 30. The heat exchange means 76 is a heat sink having the same function as in the first embodiment. The heat exchange means 76 is housed within the duct 50 shown in FIG.

An antenna 91 is attached to the microwave supply device 90 to supply microwaves generated by the microwave supply device 90 into the storage 30 . Antenna 91 is provided on the left and right sides of storage 30.

An electromagnetic wave shielding member 92 is provided on the inner surface of the door 39, that is, on the rear surface of the door 39. The electromagnetic wave shielding member 92 is a member that prevents microwaves irradiated into the storage 30 from propagating to the outside from the door 39. The electromagnetic wave shielding member 92 may include, for example, a punched metal and a choke structure.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, an electromagnetic wave shielding member 93 is provided within the partition wall 40a of the storage container 40. The electromagnetic wave shielding member 93 in the partition wall 40a is a member that prevents microwaves from propagating from the rear storage section 40c side to the front storage section 40b side. Further, the position of the antenna 91 in the front-rear direction is on the rear side of the position of the partition wall 40a when the storage container 40 is housed in the storage 30. Therefore, when microwaves are irradiated from the antenna 91 while the storage container 40 is housed in the storage 30, the microwaves are blocked by the electromagnetic wave shielding member 93 in the partition wall 40a, and the microwaves are not transmitted to the front storage section 40b. Not reach. In this manner, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to distinguish between areas within the storage 30 where microwaves are supplied and areas where microwaves are not supplied.

Inside the storage 30, the tip of an intake pipe 81 extending from a pressure reducing device 80 is provided. When the pressure reducing device 80 operates, the air inside the storage 30 is sucked through the intake pipe 81, and the pressure inside the storage 30 is reduced to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure.

A second temperature sensor 48 is provided inside the storage 30. The second temperature sensor 48 is an infrared temperature sensor. The second temperature sensor 48 is provided on the ceiling of the storage 30 and detects the surface temperature of the stored items stored in the storage 30 in a non-contact manner. A signal corresponding to the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor 48 is input to a control circuit that controls the microwave supply device 90 and is used to control the microwave supply device 90.

FIG. 22 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the front and back of the heating cooker 100 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 22 shows a vertical cross section in the front-rear direction passing through the storage 30, and shows the antenna 91, the intake pipe 81, and the first temperature sensor 43 with broken lines. In addition, the air flow is conceptually indicated by broken line arrows. A portion of the duct 50 in this embodiment extends below the storage 30. Specifically, the inlet 51 of the duct 50 is the same as the storage inlet 10 on the lower side of the storage 30. A portion of the duct 50 disposed below the storage 30 is constituted by the bottom of the main body case 3 and the lower surface of the storage 30. A portion of the duct 50 continuous from the entrance 51 extends linearly rearward along the front-rear direction of the storage 30. The duct 50 has a flow path extending from the bottom to the top at the rear of the storage 30, and the heat exchange means 76 is arranged in the flow path extending from the bottom to the top. In a longitudinal cross-sectional view, the duct 50 has a generally L-shaped flow path extending from an inlet 51 to an outlet 52.

A blower 60 is provided behind the heat exchange means 76. The blower 60 has a centrifugal fan 63. Of the scroll casing of the centrifugal fan 63, the surface on which the suction port 64 is formed is referred to as a first surface 66, and the surface facing the first surface 66 with the centrifugal fan 63 interposed therebetween is referred to as a second surface 67. The first surface 66 is located further forward than the second surface 67. The first surface 66 and the second surface 67 are inclined with respect to the surface P. Specifically, the first surface 66 and the second surface 67 are sloped surfaces that rise from the front to the rear. The inclination angle of the first surface 66 and the second surface 67 with respect to the surface P is referred to as an inclination angle θ2. In this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, a sloped portion 3a is provided at the rear of the main body case 3. The angle of inclination of the inclined portion 3a with respect to the plane P is referred to as an inclination angle θ1. As shown in FIG. 22, the inclination angle θ2 of the first surface 66 and the second surface 67 is smaller than the inclination angle θ1 of the inclined portion 3a of the main body case 3. That is, the first surface 66 and the second surface 67 are inclined at an angle closer to the surface P than the inclined portion 3a. Therefore, the air sucked into the centrifugal fan 63 of the blower 60 flows out from the outlet 52 of the duct 50 located at the same position as the blower outlet 65 of the blower 60 in a direction closer to the vertical direction. The air flowing out from the outlet 52 in a nearly vertical direction flows linearly toward the exhaust port 9 located above. In this way, since the air flow path from the blower outlet 65 to the exhaust port 9 of the blower 60 is linear, pressure loss is reduced and the noise of the blower 60 can be suppressed.

When the blower 60 operates, air at room temperature in front of the cooking device 100 is sucked into the main case 3 through the storage air intake port 10 formed at the bottom of the main case 3 of the cooking device 100. The storage air intake port 10 is an entrance 51 of the duct 50, and the air that has flowed into the main body case 3 flows into the duct 50 from the entrance 51 and flows toward the rear. At the rear of the storage 30, the air flows from bottom to top, exchanging heat with the heat exchange means 76 in the process. After exchanging heat with the heat exchange means 76, the air is sucked into the centrifugal fan 63 from the first surface 66 of the scroll casing in which the suction port 64 is formed, and is sent upward. The air sent out from the centrifugal fan 63 flows into the exhaust air passage 16 from the outlet 52 of the duct 50 and then flows out of the cooking device 100 through the exhaust port 9.

The intake pipe 81 of the pressure reducing device 80 is provided at a position overlapping the front storage section 40b of the storage container 40 in the front-rear direction. By providing the intake pipe 81 near the front of the storage space 36, air from the front side of the storage space 36, which is easily affected by room temperature, is sucked into the pressure reducing device 80 from the intake pipe 81. Therefore, temperature fluctuations in the air in the storage space 36 are suppressed regardless of the room temperature.

FIG. 23 is a left and right vertical cross-sectional view of the cooking device 100 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 23 shows a vertical cross section in the left-right direction passing through the pressure reducing device 80, and the flow of air is conceptually shown by broken line arrows. When the cooling blower 13 operates, air outside the cooking device 100 is sucked into the main case 3 through the inlet 7 provided on the left side surface of the main case 3. Air sucked into the main body case 3 is sucked into the cooling blower 13 inside the sub-casing 11 through an inlet 111 provided at the bottom of the sub-casing 11. The air sucked into the cooling blower 13 is sent out from the cooling blower 13 as cooling air to cool the drive element 21 . This cooling air cools the first control circuit 20 and the heating coil 12 as described in the first embodiment.

The intake pipe 81 of the pressure reducing device 80 extends into the storage space 36 through the heat insulating material 38 between the outer wall 37 and the right side wall 33 of the storage 30 . The exhaust pipe 82 communicates with a duct 50 provided below the storage 30. When the pressure reducing device 80 operates, air in the storage space 36 is sucked into the pressure reducing device 80 from the intake pipe 81, and the sucked air is sent out from the exhaust pipe 82 to the duct 50. The duct 50 is under negative pressure when the blower 60 shown in FIG. 22 is operating. By connecting the exhaust pipe 82 to the duct 50 in this negative pressure state, the load on the pressure reducing device 80 when reducing the pressure in the storage space 36 can be reduced. By reducing the load on the pressure reducing device 80, the noise of the pressure reducing device 80 accompanying its operation can be suppressed, and deterioration of the pressure reducing device 80 over time can be delayed. Furthermore, by supplying the air in the storage space 36 to the duct 50, the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchange means 76 (see FIG. 22) arranged in the duct 50 can be increased.

FIG. 24 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the cooking device 100 according to the second embodiment. In this embodiment, the first portion 71, the second portion 72, and the Peltier element 73 that constitute the heat transfer unit 70 are provided at the rear of the storage 30. Specifically, the first portion 71 is thermally connected to the rear wall 31 of the storage 30. Further, the second portion 72 is thermally connected to a heat exchange means 76 arranged within the duct 50 . The Peltier element 73 is sandwiched between the first portion 71 and the second portion 72 in the front and back. As described above, in this embodiment, the heat transfer unit 70 transfers heat between the storage space 36 and the outside at the rear of the storage 30.

The storage container 40 of this embodiment is provided with a partition wall 40a that partitions the inside into front and rear parts. When the storage container 40 is housed in the storage space 36, the partition wall 40a partitions the storage space 36 into front and rear parts. Since the partition wall 40a prevents the flow of air before and after the storage space 36, it is possible to create a temperature difference between the space before and after the partition wall 40a. The temperature of the front storage section 40b is close to room temperature, and the temperature of the rear storage section 40c is close to that of the first portion 71 of the heat transfer unit 70. Further, since the partition wall 40a is made of a material having a lower thermal conductivity than air, heat transfer between the front storage section 40b and the rear storage section 40c via the partition wall 40a is also suppressed. In this way, since regions with different temperature zones can be formed in the storage space 36, objects with different storage temperatures can be stored in the storage 30 at the same time, improving convenience for the user.

FIG. 25 is a functional block diagram of cooking device 100 according to the second embodiment. The second temperature sensor 48 is electrically connected to the second control circuit 23 and inputs a signal corresponding to the detected temperature to the second control circuit 23 . The second control circuit 23 controls the frequency and phase of the microwave output from the microwave supply device 90 based on the signal from the second temperature sensor 48 . Note that the control circuits that control the microwave supply device 90, the heat transfer unit 70, the blower 60, and the pressure reduction device 80 may be mounted on different boards.

[Heating by microwave supply device 90]
The heating operation inside the storage 30 by the microwave supply device 90 will be explained. The microwave supply device 90 of this embodiment includes a semiconductor oscillator. The frequency and phase of the microwave oscillated by this semiconductor oscillator are variably controlled. By changing the frequency and phase of the microwave, the distribution of electric field strength within the storage 30 can be controlled. As a result, it is possible to increase the absorption rate of microwaves by the food that is the stored item, and also to reduce uneven absorption of microwaves in the stored item, so that the stored item can be heated more uniformly.

By operating the microwave supply device 90 and the heat transfer unit 70 simultaneously, it becomes possible to ripen and store food. Specifically, food such as meat, fish, cheese, etc. is stored in the storage space 36 as storage items. Then, the air temperature in the storage space 36 is controlled to about -5°C to 4°C by the heat transfer unit 70. This cools the surface of food such as meat, fish, cheese, etc., suppresses the growth of bacteria and mold on the surface of the food, and allows food to be stored while ensuring food hygiene. In conjunction with this, the microwave supply device 90 heats the inside of the food such as meat, fish, cheese, etc. By heating the inside of the food in this way, the temperature inside the food increases, and substances that contribute to ripening, such as enzymes, are activated, and the food can be ripened in a short period of time, thereby enhancing the flavor of the food.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, two microwave supply devices 90 are provided. Although one microwave supply device 90 may be used, by providing a plurality of microwave supply devices 90, the distribution of electric field strength within the storage 30 can be controlled more precisely. That is, by irradiating the inside of the storage 30 with microwaves from a plurality of microwave supply devices 90, it is possible to more finely change the density of the resonant region, so it is possible to control the temperature of the food more precisely. can.

The temperature of the food heated by the microwave supply device 90 is detected by the second temperature sensor 48, which is an infrared sensor. The second temperature sensor 48 detects the surface temperature of the food. Based on the surface temperature of the food detected by the second temperature sensor 48, the frequency and phase of the microwave supplied by the microwave supply device 90 are controlled. The infrared sensor may be of a monocular type or a compound eye type. A compound-eye type infrared sensor can detect the temperature of the stored object more accurately, and the more compound eyes there are, the more accurately the temperature of the stored object can be detected. By using a compound eye type infrared sensor, unevenness in the surface temperature of the food can be detected, and by controlling the microwave supply device 90 based on the detection result, the unevenness in the temperature of the food can be reduced.

When the second temperature sensor 48 detects the temperature inside the food, the operation of the heat transfer unit 70 may be temporarily stopped. For example, when the storage space 36 is being cooled by the heat transfer unit 70, the surface temperature of the food becomes close to the air temperature in the cooled storage space 36, but the operation of the heat transfer unit 70 is temporarily stopped. This allows the internal temperature of the food to be reflected in the surface temperature. Therefore, the temperature inside the food can be detected based on the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor 48 when the heat transfer unit 70 is temporarily stopped. Furthermore, the temperature inside the food can also be detected based on the amount of change in the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor 48 before and after the heat transfer unit 70 is stopped.

[Functions in storage 30]
(1) Temperature control under normal pressure and (2) temperature control under reduced pressure shown in Embodiment 1 are similarly realized in this embodiment. In this embodiment, the following functions are further realized.

(1-2) Control to the temperature determined for the mode (n) Acceleration of ripening: approximately -3°C to approximately 4°C
Here, the temperature of the storage space 36 is as described above, but the internal temperature of the food is controlled to be about 7°C to 15°C. In this ripening promotion mode, the inside of the food is heated by the microwave supply device 90, and the temperature of the storage space 36 is controlled by the heat transfer unit 70.

(2-2) Maintain the temperature and pressure determined for the mode (i) Accelerate ripening under reduced pressure: approximately -3°C to approximately 4°C
Here, the temperature of the storage space 36 is as described above, but the internal temperature of the food is controlled to be about 7°C to 15°C. In this reduced pressure ripening promotion mode, the inside of the food is heated by the microwave supply device 90, and the temperature of the storage space 36 is controlled by the heat transfer unit 70. At the same time, the storage space 36 is maintained at a pressure lower than normal pressure by the pressure reducing device 80. By storing food in the storage space 36 that is under reduced pressure and in a low oxygen state, the increase of bacteria, mold, etc. on the food surface is suppressed, and the food can be aged more hygienically.

As described above, in the heating cooker 100 of the present embodiment, the duct 50 is linearly connected to the inlet 51 provided at a position closer to the door 39 than the center of the storage 30 in the front-rear direction, and the exhaust port 9. It has an outlet 52. A portion of the duct 50 connected to the entrance 51 extends below the bottom of the storage 30 along the front-rear direction of the storage 30. The heat transfer unit 70 that transfers heat between the storage space 36 and the outside of the storage space 36 is disposed on the rear side of the rear wall 31 of the storage cabinet 30, and the first portion 71 is arranged to transfer heat to the rear wall 31. It is connected to the. A first surface 66 of the blower 60 in which the suction port 64 is formed faces a heat exchange means 76 that is thermally connected to the second portion 72 . Further, the blower 60 has an air outlet 65 disposed at the same position as the outlet 52 of the duct 50. In this embodiment, the duct 50 extends linearly from the inlet 51 toward the rear, and accommodates the heat exchange means 76 at the rear of the storage 30. The openings 64 are arranged oppositely. Therefore, when the blower 60 operates, the air sucked in from the inlet 51 flows linearly toward the rear, passes through the heat exchange means 76, and is sucked into the blower 60 from the suction port 64. Since the flow path of the duct 50 is straight, an increase in pressure loss is suppressed, and the load on the blower 60 is reduced, thereby reducing the noise of the blower 60.

The scroll casing of the blower 60 housing the centrifugal fan 63 has a first surface 66 provided with a suction port 64 and a second surface 67 facing the first surface 66 with the centrifugal fan 63 in between. The rear wall of the main body case 3 of the housing 1 has an inclined part 3a that is inclined with respect to the vertical direction, and the first surface 66 and the second surface 67 are arranged in the vertical direction at an angle closer to the vertical than the inclined part 3a. It is slanted against. Since the first surface 66 of the scroll casing, on which the suction port 64 is provided, is arranged in a direction close to the vertical direction, air is blown out from the blow-off port 65 in a direction close to the vertical direction. The air outlet 65 located at the same position as the outlet 52 of the duct 50 communicates linearly with the exhaust port 9, and the air flow path from the blower 60 to the exhaust port 9 has a small bend. Therefore, the pressure loss in the region from the blower 60 to the exhaust port 9 is reduced, and the load on the blower 60 is reduced, thereby reducing the noise of the blower 60.

In this embodiment, the storage container 40 has a partition wall 40a that partitions the inside of the container into front and rear parts. Since the heat transfer unit 70 is arranged at the rear of the storage space 30, the temperature of the rear part of the storage space 36 is close to that of the first part 71 of the heat transfer unit 70, whereas the front part where the door 39 is located is at room temperature. It gets closer. By providing this storage space 36 with a storage container 40 partitioned into the front and back by a partition wall 40a, regions with different temperature zones can be formed in the storage space 36. Therefore, even if the storage temperature range suitable for the stored items is different, the items can be stored.

Further, the bottom of the main body case 3 of the housing 1 has a low part 3c, a high part 3b located on the front side and higher than the low part 3c, and a connecting part 3d that connects the low part 3c and the high part 3b. ing. A storage air intake port 10 that communicates with the inlet 51 of the duct 50 is provided at this connecting portion 3d. Since the storage air intake port 10 provided at the connecting part 3d that connects the low part 3c and the high part 3b located in front of the low part 3c opens toward the front, it is not necessary to remove heat inside the kitchen cabinet 200 where heat tends to accumulate. Instead of air, room temperature air can be sucked in from the front side of the heating cooker 100. An opening for accommodating the front part of the cooking device 100 is formed on the front side of the kitchen cabinet 200 in which the cooking device 100 is installed, so that the air can flow from this opening to the storage air intake port 10 with little pressure loss. You can breathe air.

In addition, in Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2, although the heat transfer unit 70 provided with the Peltier element 73 was illustrated, the specific structure of the heat transfer unit 70 is not limited to this example. A device using a heat pump may be provided in the cooking device 100 as the heat transfer unit 70. Further, in addition to the microwave supply device 90 shown in the second embodiment, the auxiliary heating means 44 shown in the first embodiment may be provided in the storage 30. Further, in the first and second embodiments, the built-in cooking device 100 is illustrated, but the heating cooking device 100 may be a stationary type that is placed on a stand.

1 Housing, 2 Top plate, 3 Main body case, 3a Inclined part, 3b Rear part, 3c Lower part, 3d Connection part, 4 Exhaust port cover, 5 Heating port, 6 Front panel, 7 Inlet port, 8 Filter, 9 Exhaust port , 10 storage intake port, 11 sub-casing, 12 heating coil, 13 cooling blower, 14 cooling duct, 15 partition plate, 16 exhaust air path, 17 first opening, 18 second opening, 20 first control circuit, 21 Drive element, 22 heat sink, 23 second control circuit, 24 operation unit, 25 display unit, 30 storage, 31 rear wall, 32 side wall, 33 side wall, 34 ceiling, 35 bottom, 36 storage space, 37 outer wall, 38 heat insulation material , 39 door, 40 storage container, 40a partition, 40b front storage section, 40c rear storage section, 41 container support section, 42a movable rail, 42b fixed rail, 43 first temperature sensor, 44 auxiliary heating means, 45 packing, 46 intake air Pipe hole, 47 Heat transfer unit storage section, 48 Second temperature sensor, 50 Duct, 51 Inlet, 52 Outlet, 60 Air blower, 61 Winding end section, 62 Straight section, 63 Centrifugal fan, 64 Suction port, 65 Air outlet, 66 First surface, 67 Second surface, 70 Heat transfer unit, 71 First part, 72 Second part, 73 Peltier element, 74 Attachment member, 76 Heat exchange means, 80 Pressure reducing device, 81 Intake pipe, 82 Exhaust pipe, 83 pressure sensor, 90 microwave supply device, 91 antenna, 92 electromagnetic wave shielding member, 93 electromagnetic wave shielding member, 100 heating cooker, 111 inlet, 200 kitchen cabinet.

Claims (17)

a casing having an exhaust port;
a storage cabinet provided within the housing and having a wall forming a storage space;
a heating device that is provided within the housing and heats an object to be heated that is placed outside the storage;
a door provided at the front of the storage to open and close the storage;
It has an entrance provided at a position closer to the door than the center of the storage in the front-rear direction, and an outlet that communicates linearly with the exhaust port, and a portion connected to the entrance is located closer to the door than the center of the storage in the front-rear direction. A duct placed along the
a blower having an air outlet disposed on a straight line connecting the exhaust port and the outlet or at the same position as the outlet, and generating an airflow within the duct;
heat exchange means disposed within the duct;
A heat transfer device having a first part thermally connected to the wall and a second part thermally connected to the heat exchange means, for transferring heat between the storage space and the outside of the storage space. A heating cooker equipped with a unit. The wall of the storage includes a rear wall facing the door,
The heat transfer unit is arranged on the rear side of the rear wall,
the first portion of the heat transfer unit is thermally connected to the rear wall;
The cooking device according to claim 1, wherein a suction port of the blower faces the heat exchange means. The blower includes a scroll casing having the blowout port and the suction port, and a centrifugal fan housed in the scroll casing,
The scroll casing has a first surface provided with the suction port, and a second surface facing the first surface with the centrifugal fan in between,
The rear wall of the housing has an inclined part inclined with respect to the vertical direction,
The cooking device according to claim 2, wherein the first surface and the second surface of the scroll casing are inclined with respect to the vertical direction at an angle closer to the vertical than the inclined portion. comprising a storage container accommodated in the storage space,
The heating cooker according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the storage container has a partition wall that partitions the inside of the storage container into front and back. The bottom of the casing has a low part, a high part located on the front side and higher than the low part, and a connecting part connecting the low part and the high part,
The cooking device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the connecting portion is provided with an intake port that communicates with the inlet of the duct. The wall of the storage includes side walls extending back and forth;
the first portion of the heat transfer unit is thermally connected to the side wall;
A portion of the duct that connects to the inlet is located on a side of the side wall,
The cooking device according to claim 1, wherein at least two of each of the side wall of the storage, the duct, the blower, the heat exchange means, and the heat transfer unit are provided. The blower includes a scroll casing having the air outlet, and a centrifugal fan housed in the scroll casing,
The scroll casing has a wall extending linearly from a winding end portion of the scroll casing,
The rear wall of the housing has an inclined part inclined with respect to the vertical direction,
The linearly extending wall of the scroll casing includes:
The cooking device according to claim 6, which is inclined with respect to the vertical direction at the same angle as the inclined portion, and is disposed at a position facing the inclined portion. The cooking device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the entrance of the duct is arranged on a side of the door. a filter provided at the inlet of the duct or downstream of the inlet;
and a heat generating component provided in the duct,
The cooking device according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the heat exchange means is disposed in the duct downstream of the filter and upstream of the heat generating component. The cooking device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a heating means for heating the inside of the storage. The cooking device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a pressure reducing device that reduces the pressure in the storage space to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure. The cooking device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising a microwave supply device that supplies microwaves to the storage space. The cooking device according to claim 12, wherein any one or more of the output, frequency, and phase of the microwave emitted by the microwave supply device is variably controlled. a first temperature sensor that detects air temperature in the storage space;
and a second temperature sensor that detects the surface temperature of the stored items stored in the storage space,
the heat transfer unit lowers the air temperature in the storage space to less than 10°C based on the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor;
The microwave supply device supplies microwaves to the storage space based on the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor, and
The heating cooker according to claim 12 or 13, which is dependent on claim 11, wherein the pressure reducing device operates in a mode of reducing the pressure of the storage space to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure. A plurality of the microwave supply devices are provided,
The cooking device according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the frequencies and phases of the microwaves emitted from the plurality of microwave supply devices are different from each other. a heating coil that is provided above the storage and generates a high-frequency magnetic field that inductively heats a cooking container that is placed on the top plate of the housing;
The cooking device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, further comprising a cooling blower that supplies the heating coil with air sucked from an inlet opening in a direction different from the inlet of the duct. The heating cooking device according to claim 16, wherein the outlet of the duct is connected to an exhaust air path that is a flow path through which cooling air that has cooled the heating coil flows toward the exhaust port.

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