JPH0145199B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to an automatic high-frequency heating device, and more particularly to an automatic high-frequency heating device that can select between automatic weight defrosting using a weight sensor and manual defrosting using a timer using a common defrosting key. It is related to.

Configuration of conventional examples and their problems Conventional automatic high-frequency heating devices that automatically control heating time have been widely put into practical use, and automatic microwave ovens, for example, have been highly praised for their convenience and have accounted for a considerable portion of the microwave oven market. It has reached the point where it occupies the majority. Among the automatic heating methods, there are two methods currently in practical use for automatic defrosting. One is equipped with an infrared sensor that detects the surface temperature of the heated object, and the other one is equipped with an infrared sensor that detects the surface temperature of the heated object.
This is weight thawing, from which the heating time is calculated. The former is a method of microwave heating at a constant low output while monitoring the surface temperature of the object to be heated, and the finish is not affected no matter what temperature the object is frozen and stored. However, since the temperature on the surface of the object to be heated can only be detected in a narrow range, when thawing a large frozen food, there is a noticeable temperature difference between the center and the surface of the food, and partial boiling is likely to occur. Also, because the microwave is heated at a constant low power, usually around 90 to 200 watts, the heating time is quite long.
Furthermore, infrared sensors have expensive peripheral circuits, a large number of parts, and are not reliable.

On the other hand, the latter (gravitational thawing) focuses on the fact that the thawing time using microwaves is almost uniquely determined by the weight, regardless of the type of object to be heated. When combined, thawing can be completed in a short time. The quality after thawing is good, and the handling is good even when the quantity changes. Also, no expensive sensors are required. On the other hand, the user must measure and set the weight of the object to be heated using a scale or the like.

In addition, no matter which method is used, automatic defrosting may not suit the user's tastes, so manual defrosting, which leaves the degree of defrosting to the user's discretion, must be used in conjunction with automatic defrosting.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automatic high-frequency heating device equipped with such a weight thawing function, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the operation panel thereof. A door body 2 is provided on the front surface of the main body 1 so as to be openable and closable, and an operation panel 3 is provided. Various select keys 4 are arranged on the operation panel 3, and the heating method can be selected depending on the food. The select key 4 is further divided into an auto key A for automatic heating and a manual key B for manual heating.

Now, when the user wants to defrost automatically, he first presses the automatic defrost key 5, and then operates the timer 6 to set the weight. Next, when the start key 7 is pressed, heating is started, and thawing is performed in an optimal heating sequence according to the weight.

On the other hand, when the user wants to defrost the food manually, the user presses the "low electric" (low output of microwave heating) key 8 of the manual key, and then operates the timer 6 to set the heating time. Next, when the start key 7 is pressed, heating is started, and thawing is performed for a set time at a constant low output.

As described above, in the past, the keys to be operated were different for automatic heating and manual heating, and setting the weight was particularly troublesome for weight defrosting.

Purpose of the Invention The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks, and aims to provide an automatic high-frequency heating device that is easy to use by reducing the number of keys on the operation panel and making the operation feel simple. .

Structure of the Invention In order to achieve the above object, the automatic high-frequency heating device of the present invention is equipped with a single defrosting key that combines manual defrosting and automatic defrosting, a weight sensor, and a timer, and when the defrosting key is selected and the timer It is configured to discriminate between manual defrosting and automatic defrosting depending on whether or not the above operations are performed at the same time, and to appropriately use a weight sensor and a timer for control, simplifying the operation and alleviating the sense of complication given to the user.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an operation panel showing an embodiment of the present invention. An auto and manual decompression key 9 according to the present invention is disposed on the operation panel 3. When a user wants to automatically decompress, first select this auto&
Press manual defrost key 9. Then start
When key 7 is pressed, heating is started, and thawing is performed in an optimal heating sequence according to the weight of the food detected by the weight sensor.

On the other hand, when the user wants to manually defrost the food, he or she first presses the auto & manual defrost key 9 and then operates the timer 6 to set the heating time. Next, press the start key 7 to start heating.
Defrosting is performed for a set amount of time at a constant low power level.

FIG. 4 illustrates this relationship. When heating is started without operating the timer 6, A in the figure, that is, automatic defrosting by weight, is performed.
This method divides heating into a plurality of steps with different outputs, and calculates the time for each step according to the weight W of the food detected by a weight sensor. In this embodiment, the steps are divided into four, and the first step operates at full power for T ₁ =K ₁ W. This means that until the frozen food partially melts, it is better to use full power to shorten the total time.
This is because the quality after thawing is good. The subsequent second step is a pause cycle in which the microwave is stopped for T ₂ =T ₁ /2. This is a cycle to equalize the temperature unevenness inside the food that occurred in the first step. Furthermore, in the third step, the power is lowered.
Decompression continues for T3=K ₂ W. Here, the parts of the food that have returned to water and the parts that remain as ice coexist, so the parts that have returned to water quickly are prevented from boiling while the unthawed parts are thawed. In the subsequent fourth step, the power is further reduced and thawing is continued slowly and carefully by T ₄ = K ₃ W.

By such weight thawing, thawing can be performed effectively without setting the weight as in the conventional method and without taking a long time as in the case of an infrared sensor.
In particular, a short time is important for improving the quality of thawing, and since the maximum ice crystal formation zone can be quickly passed through, the cell membrane of the food is less likely to be damaged.

Now press auto & manual defrost key 9,
Subsequently, when the timer 6 is operated, manual defrosting as shown in FIG. 4B is performed. This is a constant low output as shown in the figure, and the time T ₀ set by timer 6
only works. Therefore, the user can decompress as desired. As described above, according to the present invention, the user can select the same defrosting key whether he wants to defrost automatically or manually, and when using manual defrosting, he does not have to worry about choosing the type of heat source and its power. There is no need to use .

In the example shown in FIG. 3, keys other than defrosting are also grouped by function, and there is no manual key like in the past, but the configuration is such that, like the defrosting key, the operation is switched between manual and automatic depending on whether or not the timer 6 is operated. For example, reheating is grouped into a "reheat" key 10, which function keys include three menu keys. After the desired menu is selected, if the start key 7 is pressed, automatic heating is started and the food is heated for a time corresponding to the weight of the food. The weight and heating time vary depending on the menu, so T ₀ = AW + B (A,
B is a constant). Therefore, each menu key is written on the key as a group of menus that are grouped by the same constant.

Further, after the menu is selected, if the timer 6 is operated, the heating time is set, and the subsequent start key 7 starts manual heating. This corresponds to the conventional "electronic strong" operation, that is, full power operation using microwaves.

Next, the configuration of the automatic high-frequency heating device will be explained. In FIG. 5, various commands inputted from the function keys on the operation panel 3 are decoded by the control section 11, a predetermined display is performed, and the progress of heating is further controlled. The control unit 11 is implemented by a microcomputer or the like, and after decoding the function keys, the presence or absence of operation of the timer 6 is detected, and it is determined whether the heating is manual heating or automatic heating.

An object to be heated 13 is placed in the heating chamber 12, and a magnetron 14 and an electric heater 1 serving as heating means are placed inside the heating chamber 12.
5. Power supply to these heating means is controlled by the control section 11 via the driver 16. The blower 17 cools the magnetron 14 and also ventilates the inside of the heating chamber 12. Reference numeral 18 denotes an exhaust guide that sends the exhaust gas out of the aircraft body.
A thermistor 19 is disposed within the exhaust guide 18 and is used to control the temperature inside the heating chamber 12 during oven cooking.

A weight sensor 20 is provided at the bottom of the heating chamber, and measures the weight of the mounting table 21 and the object to be heated 13 placed thereon. The mounting table 21 is rotated by a motor 22 to improve uneven heating of the object 13 to be heated. The weight sensor 20 can be implemented by detecting the amount of displacement of the mounting table 21 using a strain gauge, a variable capacitor, or the like, or by measuring the natural vibration of the mounting table 21 using a magnetic coil, a Hall element, or the like.
All of these have features such as simpler circuits than infrared sensors, high reliability, low cost, and excellent pollution resistance. In particular, contamination resistance is the most important point for infrared sensors and gas sensors, but it is difficult to avoid deterioration over time, and weight sensors, which are structurally free from contamination, are excellent as cooking sensors. The weight sensor 20 transmits data to the control unit 11 via the detection circuit 23.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) There is no distinction between automatic heating and manual heating, and users can select the same heating key depending on what kind of cooking they want to do, making key selection easy.

(2) The number of keys on the operation panel can be reduced, and the sense of complication given to the user can be alleviated.

(3) Automation is achieved using a weight sensor, a sensor that is unrelated to contamination (oil smoke and various gases generated from heated objects), so reliability is extremely high.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the main body of an automatic high-frequency heating device, FIG. 2 is a front view of an operation panel showing a conventional example, and FIG. 3 is a front view of an operation panel showing an embodiment of the present invention.
4A and 4B are chart diagrams showing the decompression sequence, and FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the same embodiment. 6...Timer means, 9, 10...Decompression key, 1
1... Control unit, 13... Heated object, 14, 15...
...Heating means, 20... Weight sensor.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A heating chamber for accommodating an object to be heated, a high-frequency wave generating means coupled to the heating chamber, a control section for controlling power supply to the high-frequency generating means, and a weight sensor means for detecting the weight of the object to be heated; It consists of a timer means for setting a heating time, and a thawing key for instructing defrosting of the object to be heated, and when the thawing key and the timer means are operated, the control section controls the timer when the set heating time has elapsed. The high frequency generating means is operated at a constant low output until the decompression key is operated and the timer means is not operated, the control section automatically calculates the heating time using the weight sensor means. Based on this, the automatic high-frequency heating device is configured to appropriately switch the power supply to the high-frequency generating means and operate the high-frequency generating means sequentially.