JPH0126452B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to improvements in food heating devices.

In recent years, high-frequency heating devices such as microwave ovens have become increasingly complex due to demands for expanding the cooking repertoire and effectively utilizing space. That is, in addition to a high-frequency heating function, a complex food heating device has become a device that incorporates multiple heating functions such as an oven function, a grill function, and a steam function. In addition to being able to use each of the functions of such a complex food heating device independently, the high frequency heating function and other functions can be used consecutively, simultaneously or alternately, and in that case, the heating time It has the characteristics of shortening the time and exhibiting the effect of energy saving.

However, if it is possible to use several types of functions individually or in combination, operations such as selecting and setting the heating function become more complicated than before, and it becomes difficult to associate the heating function with the object to be heated. This has the disadvantage that the user is confused and the usability is significantly reduced. In order to solve this problem, the main body of the food heating device is equipped with a control device using a microcomputer, and by operating a cooking card or magnetic card with appropriate holes, or a menu switch installed on the operation panel, BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Food heating devices that use a control device to automatically select a heating method, heating temperature, and heating time suitable for a menu selected by the user are becoming popular. However, it is only possible to automatically set the heating method, heating time, etc. for a certain amount of food.
For example, in the case where the amount for four people is automatically set, it is very inconvenient that a user who wants to make two servings cannot use it. Also,
If cooking for 2 servings were to be performed using the automatically set heating conditions for 4 servings, there was a problem that the food would become overcooked and become inedible.

The present invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and
In addition to the convenience of automatically setting the heating function and heating time for a certain amount, the aim is to make it even more practical and easy to use by making it possible to change some of the automatic settings in a simple way. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a food heating device.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides means for automatically setting a heating function, heating time and heating temperature,
It has a means to manually set the heating time and heating temperature,
After the heating function, heating time, and heating temperature are automatically set, the automatically set heating time and temperature can be changed by operating a manual operation means.

The present invention will be explained below along with examples.

In the figure, 1 is a cooking card that records heating cooking conditions by combination of perforation positions, and is a sheet-like card made by laminating printed synthetic paper or waterproof paper and hard vinyl chloride sheet. As shown in FIG. 3, two rows of holes are drilled in the upper part of the card. When the card 1 is loaded into the card holder 3, the positions of these holes are opposite to each of the select keys 2 provided on the panel side. do.
The upper row of holes 1-1 is for selecting a heating function such as high frequency heating, grill heating, oven heating, etc., and setting the heating temperature. Lower hole row 1-2
is for setting the heating time. 1-3
is a color-coded section categorized by food group, 1-4 is a column showing the name of the dish, 1-5 is a column showing the photo of the dish, 1-6 is a column displaying the heating time, and the number is divided by the quantity of the dish. Marks and amounts are displayed. Third
In the case of the card shown in the figure, the times for the four amounts enclosed by the line frames are automatically set. Other quantity marks are marks for manual adjustment, unrelated to automatic setting. 1
-6a is a temperature display column, and for menus that require temperature display, the temperature is displayed here. A C-cut 1-7 is formed at the lowermost corner of the card 1, and a notch 1-8 is formed at the center, and an inclined portion 3 is provided at a position corresponding to the lower part of the card holder 3 shown in FIG. -6 and the convex portion 3-7. These structures are intended to prevent the card 1 from being loaded upside down, from loading a card other than a regular card, and from erroneously operating the select key. On the back side of the card 1, information regarding the cooking method, such as how to prepare the dish, how to use ingredients, containers, and accessories, is written.
(Not shown) The card holder 3 into which the card 1 is loaded is shown in FIG.
It has a structure as shown in Figs. 2, 4, and 5, including a frame 3-1 made of opaque plastic material, a viewfinder 3-2 made of transparent plastic material, and a frame 3-1 made of opaque plastic material, and a It consists of a push handle 3-8. Card holder 3
When card 1 is loaded into the card 1, the dish name 1-
4. Photos of food 1-5, time display for each portion 1-
5 and a temperature display 1-6a are visible through the viewfinder. The back side of frame 3-1 has a structure that allows card 1 to be easily loaded and unloaded.
3 is a card loading guide composed of an inclined surface;
3-4 is a mounting portion for the hinge device 4 attached to the back of the main body panel, and 4-1 is a hinge fulcrum. The through hole 3-5 is in the viewfinder 3-2 of the card holder 3.
is provided so that the manual select button 6 provided on the panel can be operated in a state where no card is loaded. At the top of the card holder 3, there are two rows of holes 1-1 and 1-2 in the card 1.
There are recesses 3-9, 3-1 on the back side of the parts corresponding to
0 is formed so that when the card holder 3 is pressed against the panel, the head of the opposing select key 2 enters into this recess.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a switch group including a select key group 2 and a switch group.This switch group 5 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 is a front view of the switch assembly, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line A-A' in FIG. The switch set consists of a total of 16 select key groups 2 and switches that are opened and closed via coil springs 5-2 in response to individual operations of the select key groups 2. Each switch is attached to a printed circuit board 5-1 and is composed of a contact rubber 5-3 and its cover 5-4. Five of the nine select keys on the upper row are integrated with the manual select button 6 and operate around a fulcrum 5-5, and the two keys on the left and right sides are not provided with manual operation buttons. First, it is operated only by the card 1 or the card holder 3. The remaining two keys on the top row and the seven keys on the bottom row are cylindrical with flanges. 5-6 is a casing.

Select key group 2 is used to select a single function from among high-frequency heating, steam heating, grill heating, and oven heating, or to select an appropriate combination of these, and in some cases, a function to set the heating temperature. 2-f1, 2-f which is the key
2, 2-f3, 2-f4, 2-f5, and time keys 2-t1, 2-t2, for setting the heating time.
2-t3, 2-t4, 2-t5, card detection keys 2-c1, 2-c2 that detect the presence or absence of card 1 when pressing the card holder 3, and importing information held by card 1 into the control circuit. an automatic intake key 2-s1 for giving an instruction for automatic cooking in which heating is automated by detecting the temperature of the object to be heated by the operation of a temperature sensor when the card 1 is not used; 2-s2, and parity keys 2-p1 and 2-p2 for preventing malfunction.

In this embodiment, function keys 2-f1 are for selecting strong microwave heating, 2-f2 are for selecting weak microwave heating, 2-f3 are for selecting steam heating, and 2-f4 are for selecting steam heating.
is for grill heating selection, and 2-f5 is for oven heating selection, both of which operate integrally with the manual operation select button. In addition, when oven heating is selected by card 1, 2-f
The built-in microcomputer is programmed so that the three keys 2, 2-f3, and 2-f4 operate as 3-bit heating temperature setting keys. The card detection keys 2-c1 and 2-c2 are electrically configured in parallel, and the automatic import keys 2-s1 and 2-c2 are electrically configured in parallel.
-s2 are electrically connected in series. In the unlikely event that
Even if the card holder 3 is twisted and pressed,
The above card detection key 2-c1 or 2-c2
One of them quickly detects the presence or absence of card 1,
In addition, normal operation is not possible unless the automatic import keys 2-s1 and 2-s2 are both connected. The automatic import keys 2-s1 and 2-s2 are distributed on both sides of the switch set 5, and even if the card holder 3 is twisted and pressed, when these two keys are operated together, other The operation keys are arranged with consideration given to ensuring that they have been operated.

The parity keys 2-p1 and 2-p2 are used to check the number of select keys that operate when key input is performed using the card 1, and operate them appropriately to avoid malfunctions. The part of the card holder 3 that faces the automatic import keys 2-s1 and 2-s2 is
Contrary to the part facing the other select keys, no recess is formed, and the key is always operated when the card holder is pressed. This structure also serves to provide restoring force to the card holder 3 and prevent the switches from remaining pressed when the pressure is stopped. A play of dimension L (approximately 1 mm) is provided between the coil spring 5-2 for operating the switch of the automatic import key and its operating section.

Next, to explain the protrusion height of each key, the height from the reference plane F shown in FIG.
Next, card detection keys 2-c1 and 2-c2 are 4.3
mm, and the other keys are 4.0mm.
Regarding the operating force of the switch, the card detection keys 2-c1 and 2-c2 are lighter than other keys, and the automatic import keys 2-s1 and 2-s2 are heavier than other keys. . Due to the above-mentioned interaction between the difference in key protrusion height and the difference in operating force of the switch, a clear ordering of switch operations is established, with the card detection key 2-c operating first, followed by the function. key 2-f, time key 2-
t, the parity key 2-p, and finally the automatic capture key are activated. All coil springs have the same specifications.

In addition, 7 is a display window that displays the selected heating function, heating time, heating temperature, etc., 8 is a cooking start button, 9 is a cooking lamp that displays the start of cooking, and 10 is when reselecting a heating function. or a cancel button used to stop the cooking process, 11
12 is a 5-bit code switch and is a timer for manual setting, and is also used to adjust the automatically set heating time according to your preference or the amount of food to be heated. 12 is a 5-bit code switch,
This is a temperature regulator for manual setting, and is also used when adjusting the automatically set heating temperature according to preference. In addition, 11-1 is a timer indicator lamp, 12-1 is a temperature adjustment scale,
12-2 is an illumination lamp with a temperature control scale.

Reference numeral 13 denotes a control device incorporating a microcomputer, and FIG. 7 shows a flowchart of a part of its operation.

The operation of the control device will be explained using Fig. 7.
Insert the card 1 into the card holder 3 and press the push handle 3-8, then the card detection key 2-c
Either or both of keys 1 and 2-c2 operate, followed by function key 2-f, time key 2-t, parity key 2-p, and finally automatic capture key 2-p.
Both s1 and 2-s2 operate. Here, a parity check is performed by the microcomputer in the control device, and if it is defective, an error message (E) is displayed on the display window 7, and from now on, no input other than the cancel button 10 will be accepted. parity check
If OK, the heating function, temperature, and time selected and set by the card are displayed on the display window 7, and when the start button 8 is pressed, the heating function can be executed.

Here, if the user moves the timer to change the automatically set heating time depending on the amount of food or preference, the lamp on the timer pointer will light up when the timer moves by two or more codes, and the timer will turn on. The automatically set heating time is changed according to the instruction and displayed on the display window. In addition, the user can use the temperature controller 12 to increase the dark color of the food.
When the temperature controller 12 moves 2 codes, the illumination lamp of the temperature control scale lights up.
The temperature control scale is lit up, and the heating temperature that was automatically set according to the instructions from the temperature controller is changed and displayed on the display window. From now on, start button 8
If you press , heating will be performed according to the changes made by the user.

On the other hand, when attempting to heat manually without using the card 1, the card detection keys 2-c1, 2-
c2 is not operated, and function key 2-f is operated by operating the select button. Next, the control device checks whether the oven function requires temperature adjustment, and if it is the oven function, it is necessary to operate the timer 11 and temperature regulator 12, so the timer indicator lamp 11-1 lights up. Then, the temperature control scale 12-1 is lit up. When the oven function is not used, there is no need to operate the temperature controller, and only the timer needs to be operated, so only the timer indicator lamp 11-1 is lit.

Next, the operation when cooking using card 1 will be explained. The card used is a combination of microwave heating and grill heating. When the card 1 shown in Fig. 3 is inserted into the card holder 3 and the push handle 3-8 at the top of the card holder is pressed, the card detection keys 2-c1 and 2-c2 are operated at the same time or in sequence. , followed by the function keys 2-f1, 2-f4 and the time key 2-, which correspond to the holes 1-1, 1-2 of the card 1 that do not have holes.
t2, 2-t3 turn on, and finally automatic import key 2
-s1, 2-s2 turns on. In response to this, the control device 13 displays the heating function and heating time on the display window 7. When the start button 8 is pressed, the cooking lamp 9 lights up and cooking as instructed on the card 1 is performed. That is, after rapid heating is performed using strong microwave heating, the food is browned using strong grill heating over high heat, and cooking is completed after a predetermined period of time.

The above-mentioned automatic setting using the card is for a certain standard amount of the object to be heated, so when cooking other amounts, move the timer 11 by two cords or more (approximately 4 mm in this example). The timer pointer lamp 11-1 lights up, and the timer pointer lamp 11-1 can be set to the time mark for each quantity on the card 1. This timer adjustment is effective not only for adjusting the quantity but also for adjusting the finished state according to your preference.

Note that when the type of food changes and the oven is heated, the heating temperature will be automatically set. , the temperature adjustment scale 12-1 is lit up, and the heating temperature can be changed by adjusting the temperature adjustment scale.

As explained above, according to the present invention, the heating function, heating time, and heating temperature are automatically set, and in addition to making it possible to easily enjoy cooking with a single touch for a predetermined amount, even after the automatic setting, the heating function, heating time, and heating temperature are automatically set. Since the heating time can be changed by operating the timer or temperature controller, it is now possible to easily cook items other than the amount automatically set, making it extremely practical and easy to use. There is. Another great feature is that even if the amount is automatically set, you can change the time and temperature according to your preference. In addition, since we use a timer and temperature controller for manual settings, there is no need to install a separate switch to adjust the amount or preference, the cost is low, and there is no need to provide extra knobs on the operation panel, which is very useful. The effect is great.

Although this embodiment has described a method of automatically setting the heating function and heating time using a perforated card, it goes without saying that the card may be a magnetic card.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the operation panel of the food heating device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view of FIG. 1, and FIG.
The figure shows an example of the card, Figure 4 is a detailed view of the card holder, Figure 5 is a detailed view of the switch assembly, Figure 6 is a sectional view of Figure 5, and Figure 7 shows the operation of the control device. This is a partial flowchart. 1...Card, 2-f...Card detection key, 2
-s...Automatic import key, 5...Switch group, 3...
...Card holder, 7...Control device, 11...Timer, 11-1...Timer indicator lamp.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. It has a switch set consisting of a group of select keys for selecting one or more heating functions from a plurality of heating functions, and selecting and setting the heating time and heating temperature, and a group of switches that respond to these key groups. Automatic setting means for automatically setting information held by the card to a control circuit when the set is pressed by a punched card, and manually changing the heating time and heating temperature set by the automatic setting means. 1. A food heating device comprising a manual setting operation means for.