JPH0132413B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Recently, cooking appliances that use microcomputers to program complex cooking sequences and can cook each dish using the optimal cooking sequence are becoming popular. For example, a microwave oven is an example of such a cooking device. Generally, in such a microwave oven, the operation for programming the cooking sequence is to input data such as heating power, cooking temperature, and heating time by operating keys and knobs corresponding to each content. , the input settings are entered into a microcomputer and executed, and by combining these key operations, it is possible to program fairly complex cooking sequences. However, as the heating sequence becomes more complex, it has the advantage of allowing more detailed cooking, but has the disadvantage that it requires more input operations using keys, etc., making it less user-friendly. Therefore, as a way to improve these shortcomings, the cooking sequence for each dish can be stored in advance on a magnetic card.
Methods for extracting and executing the contents as appropriate have been developed, and some have been commercialized. However, this magnetic card type requires one magnetic card for each dish, making it extremely troublesome for the user to manage the magnetic cards, and also requiring the use of magnetic readers such as magnetic heads. It was not fully satisfactory as a component of a cooking device in terms of cost, reliability, etc. In view of these points, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cooker that is easy to use.
Microcomputers, whose cost has become extremely low, are actively used as data storage means.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on drawings in which the present invention is implemented in a microwave oven.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the microwave oven. 1
2 is a microwave oven main body, and 2 is a door provided on the front surface of the microwave oven so as to be openable and closable, and the food placed in the heating chamber can be seen through a transparent window. Reference numeral 3 designates an operation panel that is also provided on the front of the appliance, and its surface is comprised of a display section 4 for displaying numbers, letters, etc., and keys for calling up pre-programmed cooking sequences. You can see the keyboard 5.

FIG. 2 shows the operation panel 3 in more detail. The display section 4 is a fluorescent display tube, liquid crystal, and LED.
The contents of the display are mainly a first display means 4a for displaying numbers, such as for displaying timers, clocks, etc., and mainly dish names and cooking advice information. It is comprised of a second display means 4b for displaying characters, such as used as a display such as.

In the keyboard 5, 5a is a group of dish name search keys for searching for a dish name and calling it up as characters on the second display means 4b, in which several keys are arranged according to the dish name category. For example, when searching for and calling up a meat dish, if the "MEATS" key is repeatedly pressed or pressed, the names of the meat dishes are displayed one after another on the second display means 4b, and the user selects a predetermined You can deepen the name of the dish. At this time, the first display means 4a displays the second
The cooking time indicating the cooking sequence of the dish name displayed on the display means 4b is displayed on a timer.

5b is a quantity key for inputting the quantity, 5c
is the erase key for erasing entered contents, 5d
is the start key.

Further, reference numeral 11 denotes a cooking capsule, which is a storage means in which data such as cooking sequences, dish names, and various cautionary information are stored, and has a detachable structure so that the user can replace it as needed.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the control circuit.

Reference numeral 9 denotes a first microcomputer constituting a main control circuit, and its input/output terminals are connected to a cooking capsule via a first display means 4a, a keyboard 5, a heating device 12 of a microwave oven, and a connection part 10. It is connected to the microcomputer 11 of No. 2. The input/output terminals of the second microcomputer 11 are connected to the first microcomputer 9 and the second display means 4b via the connection section 10.

The operation of the above configuration will be explained. The first microcomputer 9 requests the second microcomputer 11 to search for a predetermined cooking sequence using an input signal from the keyboard 5. The second microcomputer 11 has a ROM
This is a one-chip microcomputer with a built-in ROM, which extracts the requested cooking sequence from the data pre-stored in the ROM, transfers it to the first microcomputer 9, and also inputs the name of the dish corresponding to the cooking sequence into the first microcomputer 9. 2 on display means 4b. The first microcomputer 9 displays the cooking sequence transferred from the second microcomputer 11 in numbers as a timer display on the first display means 4a, and controls the heating device 12 by the built-in timer means. It is. The second microcomputer 11 is
They are removable and the user can set new cooking sequences by replacing them, making it possible to limitlessly expand the repertoire of dishes.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize an easy-to-use cooking device that does not require the user to program any complicated cooking sequences by simply pressing the dish search key. Furthermore, since the built-in ROM in the second microcomputer is used as a data storage means for storing cooking sequences, there is no need to provide a separate data storage means.
Cooking capsules can be produced at low cost. In addition, by using a one-chip microcomputer that is equipped with comparison calculation, storage, and input/output functions as a cooking capsule, and which has recently become extremely inexpensive, it can not only store data but also input from the keyboard. Search for predetermined cooking sequence data based on the content, and display the content.
Since it can also have the function of displaying the name of the dish, cooking advice, etc. in text, it is possible to provide a cooking device that is extremely easy to use for housewives.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a microwave oven embodying the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a control circuit. 9...first microcomputer, 11...
Second microcomputer.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A keyboard for searching the name of the dish to be heated and inputting the quantity, a display section for displaying numerical values of a timer and clock, and character display of the dish name and cooking advice information, and a dish name display. a removable second microcomputer that stores data, cooking advice display data, and cooking sequence data, displays the dish name and cooking advice on the display section, and can be replaced as appropriate by the user; and input from the keyboard. By inputting information such as the name of the dish and quantity, the second microcomputer is instructed to search for the optimal cooking sequence data and display the searched cooking name and cooking advice, and also to perform heating based on the searched cooking sequence data. A cooking device equipped with a first microcomputer that controls the device. 2. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the display section is comprised of a numerical display section for displaying the cooking sequence and a character display section for displaying the name of the dish and cooking advice. 3. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein a one-chip microcomputer is used as the second microcomputer.