JPH0315313B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (b) Industrial application fields The present invention relates to a heating cooker.

(B) Prior Art A cooking device having a control function for changing the heating output during cooking is already known (for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 52-5374). That is, in this case, the heating power is changed from high power to low power.

(C) Problems to be Solved by the Invention The present invention attempts to diversify cooking by making the output changes during cooking more complex in heating cooking performed using a single heating means. .

(d) Means for Solving the Problems The cooking device of the present invention includes one heating means for cooking an object to be heated, and a control means for controlling the heating output of this heating means, is characterized by having means for repeatedly increasing and decreasing the heating output within a predetermined range so that the food temperature repeatedly rises and falls.

The heating means includes an electric heater, a microwave oscillation means, or a gas flame.

(E) Effect According to the present invention, the control means repeatedly increases and decreases the heating output, so that the food to be cooked repeatedly changes between a high temperature state and a lower temperature state.
Therefore, in stewing cooking, the flavor tends to soak into the food during the process of moving the food from high temperature to low temperature, and as a result, the cooking time can be shortened.

The form in which the heating means includes a microwave generating means is as follows:
This is preferable because it has relatively good responsiveness to changes in microwave output and changes in food temperature.

(f) Embodiment FIG. 2 shows a circuit diagram of a cooking device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
A control means 1 including a microcomputer and an input/output interface gives on/off commands to a switching circuit 3 in response to input information from a keyboard 2. This switching circuit includes a bidirectional thyristor which, when in its on state, transmits commercial power to the heating means 4. The heating means 4 is composed of an electric heater, a microwave generating means, a gas flame generating means, or the like, and when driven, supplies heating energy to the heating chamber.

On the other hand, the control means 1 causes the display means 5 to display input information from the keyboard 2, remaining time of the timer, etc. The commercial frequency signal TB is used as the reference time signal for calculating the timer remaining time by the waveform shaping means 6.
A 1-second signal is used, which is converted into a pulse signal of the same frequency and frequency-divided.

The cooking device of this embodiment has, for example, both normal cooking functions in which cooking is performed with a constant heating output for a predetermined timer period, and special cooking functions in which the heating output is repeatedly increased and decreased during a predetermined timer period. . The change in the heating output in the above-mentioned special cooking is based on so-called duty control, which is performed by sequentially changing the length of time during which the heating means 4 is driven within a fixed period T.

FIG. 1 shows details of this duty control. In the first period after the start of heating, the heating means 4 is driven for period A during period T, and the driving period is extended by ΔP in the subsequent second, third, and fourth periods, and then in the subsequent period. 5. It becomes shorter by △P in the 6th period. Therefore, the first to sixth periods are considered as one cycle,
During one cycle, the heating output gradually increases from the first to the fourth period, and gradually decreases from the fifth to the sixth period. This cycle is then repeated for a predetermined timer period. The period length T is fixed as described above, but the period length A and the timer time are set by inputting from the keyboard 2. Note that the output change width ΔP is fixed.

FIG. 3 shows a program for executing the above cooking mode. This program is in control means 1.
It is stored in ROM. S1 in standby state
It cycles through each step of ~S5.

For example, when performing normal cooking for 15 minutes, key input is performed on keyboard 2 in the order of normal cooking □1 □5 start. The control operation at that time is as follows.

The number input that follows the normal cooking key in the S1 step is regarded as the timer time, and until the start key is operated, the input number (15 in this case) is displayed in the S3 step during the cycle of steps S1 to S5.
If there is a start key operation, it is determined in step S5, and after passing through step S6, normal cooking is executed. That is, in this case, the heating means 4 is driven for only 15 minutes, and then the process returns to step S1. Since such normal cooking control itself is well known,
Further explanation will be omitted.

Next, for example, when executing special cooking for 20 minutes with 50% output as the reference, key inputs are performed on keyboard 2 in the order of special cooking □2 □0 output □5 □0 start. The control operation at that time is as follows.

In the S1 step, the number input following the special cooking key is regarded as the timer time, and until the output key is operated, the input timer time (currently 20) is input in the S3 step.
is displayed. Similarly, the number input following the output key in step S1 is regarded as the reference output, and the reference output value (50 in this case) is displayed in step S3 until the start key is operated. If there is a start key operation, it will be determined in step S5,
Move to S6 step. In step S6, it is determined that the special cooking key has already been input, and in step S7
The step sets the cooking flag.

Next, in step S8, the fixed cycle T is set in the cycle counter TC, the duty variable A is set in the duty counter DC, and the memory register RM. Note that the duty variable A is set to satisfy the relationship: A/T×100=reference output. Now, the fixed period T is 24 (seconds)
Then, at the above standard output (50%), A=12
(seconds).

Thereafter, the process goes through steps S9 and S13, and then reaches step S14. At step S14, an on command is given to the switching circuit 3, and heating starts from this point. After step S14, the process returns to step S1 via step S16. From then on S1~S4, S9, S13,
Each step of S14, S16, and S1 is cycled.

When one second elapses during such circulation, after the step S9, the process goes through steps S10 to S12, and then enters the step S13. In step S11 and step S12, the contents of the duty counter DC and period counter TC are decremented by "1" (ie, 1 second), respectively.

After that, in the same way, S1 to S4, S9, S13, S14,
The contents of the duty counter DC and the period counter TC are counted down by cycling through the steps S16 and S1 and passing through the steps S10 to S12 every 1 second. Also, during the above circulation,
The remaining time of the timer is calculated in step S2,
It will be displayed in the S3 step.

Eventually, the content of duty counter DC becomes “0”
, it is determined in step S13, and step S15
Move to step. At step S15, an OFF command is given to the switching circuit 3 to stop heating, and then the process returns to step S1 from step S16. From then on,
Each step of S1 to S4, S9, S13, S15, S16, and S1 is cycled, and the contents of the period counter TC are counted down by passing through S10 and S12 every second. Also, the remaining time of the timer is displayed in the same way.

When the content of the cycle counter TC becomes "0", the first cycle ends at that point, and preparations for the second cycle begin. That is, from step S16 to step S17
The program moves to step S1, where the fixed cycle T is set again in the cycle counter TC, and then returns to step S1 through steps S18 to S21 and S27. In step S19, the duty variable in the previous cycle is increased by ΔP and set as a new duty variable in the duty counter DC. In this example, ΔP is 2 seconds, so the new duty variable is 14 seconds. In step S20, the new duty variable is stored in the memory register RM. In step S21, it is determined whether the new duty variable is greater than or equal to the upper limit value (K ₁ A). In this example, K ₁ =1.5. In step S27, it is checked whether the timer remaining time is "0".

The second cycle starts from the following S1 step. Second
The period is the same as the first period, but one period (24
The heating time during (seconds) increases by △P (2 seconds)
It has changed to 14 seconds.

When the second cycle ends, the duty variable is further increased by ΔP by passing through the steps S17 to S21 and S27 again, and then the third cycle is executed.

Thereafter, in the same way, as each cycle progresses, the duty variable increases, and when it eventually reaches the upper limit value, it is determined in step S21,
The output flag is set in step S22. Therefore, in the present example, the above judgment is made after the third period, and after the fourth period, S17, S18, S23-S25,
After passing through each step of S27, the process returns to step _S1 . S23
In step 23, the duty variable of the immediately preceding cycle is decreased by ΔP and set as a new duty variable in the duty counter DC. S24
In step, the new duty variable is stored in the memory register RM. In the S25 step,
It is determined whether the new duty variable is less than or equal to the lower limit value (K ₂ A). In this example, K ₂
= 1.0.

Thereafter, the duty variable decreases as each cycle progresses in the same manner, and when it eventually reaches the lower limit value, this is determined in step S25, and the output flag is reset in step S26. Therefore, in this case, the above determination is made after the end of the sixth cycle, and the subsequent cycle will be in the same state as the first cycle described above. That is, at this point, the second cycle begins.

As long as the timer remaining time is not "0", each cycle described above is executed repeatedly, and when the timer time has elapsed, it is determined in step S27, and then in step S28.
In this step, all the internal states of the control means are returned to their initial states, the special cooking is completed, and the cooker enters the standby state described above.

In the above cooking, the heating output as a cooking condition was set to 50%, but this output value is set as appropriate depending on the cooking content. For stewing cooking, the heating output is set to a level that does not cause the food to boil. In this case, the food to be cooked repeats high and low temperatures without boiling, so the flavor tends to soak into the food during the transition from high temperature to low temperature.

Moreover, if the heating output is set so that the food to be cooked boils at high temperatures and does not boil at low temperatures, the food to be cooked will cycle between boiling and non-boiling states, which is convenient for making chicken soup, for example. It is.

In the above embodiment, the fixed period T and the variation range ΔP of the duty variable may be changed as appropriate. Also, the constant K ₁ that determines the upper and lower limits of the duty variable
K ₂ may be changed as appropriate within the range of K ₁ >1 _and K ₂ ≦1. Furthermore, the change in the duty variable can also be determined by multiplying the duty variable in the immediately preceding cycle by a constant ratio.

In the above embodiments, the heating output is increased or decreased gradually, but it may also be increased or decreased steeply.

In the above embodiment, the heating output was changed by duty control, but the absolute value of the heating output may be increased or decreased.

(G) Effects of the Invention According to the present invention, in a configuration in which cooking is performed using one heating means, the heating output is periodically and actively repeatedly increased and decreased within a predetermined range, thereby heating the food. For example, during simmering, food can be brought into high temperature and low temperature conditions repeatedly, making it easier for flavor to soak into the food during the transition from high temperature to low temperature. diversity can be achieved.

Furthermore, such cooking versatility can be achieved with a simple configuration that simply increases and decreases the heating output periodically within a predetermined range, which is extremely practical.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The figures show an embodiment of the present invention, in which Figure 1 is a time chart of heating output, Figure 2 is an electric circuit block diagram,
FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the program. 1... Control means, 2... Keyboard, 4... Heating means.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. One heating means for cooking an object to be heated;
a control means for controlling the heating output of the heating means, the control means having means for repeatedly increasing and decreasing the heating output within a predetermined range so that the temperature of the food increases and decreases repeatedly. Cooking device. 2. The cooking device according to claim 1, wherein the heating means includes microwave oscillation means.