JPH0540704U - microwave - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] To enable optical signal transmission between the door side and range body side. A microwave oven including a cooker body 1 having a heating chamber 3 and a door 2 for opening and closing an opening 4 of the heating chamber 3, and a cooking switch 16 attached to the door 2.
A door side optical signal coupler 21 and a door side optical signal coupler 2 for outputting the signal from the cooking switch 16 as an optical signal to the abutting portions of the door 2 and the range main body 1.
Each of the main body side optical signal couplers 24 receives the optical signal from 1 and transmits it to the control means 28 for controlling various devices.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a microwave oven, and more particularly to a signal transmission mechanism in a microwave oven in which a cooking switch is provided on the door side.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 In a general microwave oven, the opening of the heating chamber can be opened and closed by a door, and a cooking switch etc. is attached to the operation panel section provided on the heating chamber side of the range main body. (See, for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 3-83708).

By the way, in recent years, a microwave oven of a type in which the entire front surface of the range main body is covered with a door has been developed in consideration of design requirements, user convenience, etc. If the cooking switch is attached to the operation panel on the heating chamber side of the cooker as in the example, the door will have to be opened and closed each time the switch is operated, resulting in poor operability. Become.

[0006] Therefore, in order to deal with the above problem, it may be possible to install a cooking switch or the like on the door side. In that case, signals from the switches on the door side to the controller on the range main body side are provided. If transmission is attempted via a lead wire, there is a problem in the durability of the lead wire due to the problem of microwave ovens that the frequency of opening and closing the door is extremely high.

[0005]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to enable signal transmission between a door side and a range main body side by an optical signal. ..

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In the invention of claim 1, as a means for solving the above-mentioned problems, a range main body 1 having a heating chamber 3 and a door 2 for opening and closing an opening 4 of the heating chamber 3 are provided. In a microwave oven equipped with a cooking switch 16, a door-side optical signal coupler 21 for outputting a signal from the cooking switch 16 as an optical signal to the abutting portion of the door 2 and the range main body 1 and the A main body side optical signal coupler 24 is provided which receives an optical signal from the door side optical signal coupler 21 and transmits it to a control means 28 for controlling various devices.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, as means for solving the above-mentioned problems, in the microwave oven according to the first aspect, the optical signal coupler is provided in the range main body 1 or the door 2 in a door open state. A safety means 26 is provided for preventing the optical signal transmission between the optical signals 21 and 24 and permitting the optical signal transmission between the optical signal couplers 21 and 24 when the door is closed.

[0008]

[Action]

 According to the first aspect of the invention, the following effects can be obtained by the above means.

That is, the signal from the cooking switch 16 provided on the door 2 side is transmitted to the range main body 1 side via the optical signal couplers 21 and 24 as an optical signal.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the following effects can be obtained by the above means.

That is, when the door 2 is in the open state, the signal transmission between the optical signal couplers 21 and 24 is blocked by the safety means 26, and the malfunction of the microwave oven when the door 2 is opened is prevented.

[0012]

[Effect of the device]

 According to the invention of claim 1, the range main body 1 having the heating chamber 3 and the door 2 for opening and closing the opening 4 of the heating chamber 3 are provided, and the cooking switch 16 is attached to the door 2. In the microwave oven according to the present invention, a door side optical signal coupler 21 for outputting the signal from the cooking switch 16 as an optical signal and an optical signal from the door side optical signal coupler 21 to the contact portions of the door 2 and the range main body 1 The main body side optical signal couplers 24 for receiving the received signals and transmitting them to the control means 28 for controlling various devices are provided respectively, and the signals from the cooking switch 16 on the door 2 side can be transmitted to the range main body 1 side as optical signals. Since this eliminates the need for arranging lead wires for signal transmission between the door 2 and the range main body 1, the structure can be simplified and the durability is greatly improved. There is a practical effect say.

According to the invention of claim 2, in the range body 1 or the door 2, when the door is open, transmission of an optical signal from the light emitting portion 21 to the light receiving portion 24 is blocked and when the door is closed. Since the safety means 26 which allows the transmission of the optical signal from the light emitting portion 21 to the light receiving portion 24 is additionally provided, the signal can be transmitted from the door 2 side to the range main body 1 side only when the door is closed. It has a practical effect that it can reliably prevent malfunctions when opened.

[0014]

【Example】

 Hereinafter, some preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Embodiment 1 FIGS. 1 to 4 show a microwave oven according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. This embodiment corresponds to the inventions of claims 1 and 2.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the microwave oven of the present embodiment covers a range main body 1 having a heating chamber 3 that opens laterally and an opening 4 of the range main body 1 so as to be openable and closable. Door 2 is provided.

A heater 5 is attached to the ceiling of the heating chamber 3 for heating the object to be heated Y by radiant heat in addition to heating by high frequency. At the bottom of the heating chamber 2, there is provided a rotary table 6 on which the object to be heated Y is placed.

One side portion on the front surface of the range main body 1 is an operation panel portion 7 to which cooking switches 8, 8 and the like are attached. The cooking switches 8 and 8 installed here are used when performing or stopping special cooking, and are used infrequently.

The door 2 is openably and closably connected to the lower end of the front surface of the range main body 1 via a hinge 9. Further, in the case of this embodiment, the door 2 is sized so as to cover the entire front surface of the range main body 1 (that is, the same size as the front surface shape of the range main body 1).

The door 2 has a double wall structure having a space 12 between the outer wall 10 and the inner wall 11, and the inner wall 11 has an area slightly smaller than the opening 4 of the heating chamber 3. A glass window 13 is provided. On the front surface of the glass window 13, a perforated plate (not shown) for high frequency shielding is provided. The outer peripheral portion of the inner wall 11 closes the front surface of the rim of the opening 4 of the heating chamber 3 over the entire circumference when the door is closed.

On the other hand, the outer wall 10 of the door 2 is provided with a see-through window 14 for looking into the heating chamber 3 from the outside of the door 2. Reference numeral 15 is a handle for opening and closing the door.

Further, below the see-through window 14 in the door 2, various cooking switches 16, 16 ... For executing or stopping a cooking menu are provided. The cooking switches 16, 16 ... Installed here are frequently used such as "toast", "thaw", "warm", and "cancel".

The cooking switch 16 includes a board 18 inside a switch box 17 attached to the inner surface of the door outer wall 10, a tact switch 19 provided on the board 18, and the outer wall 10 attached to the door outer wall 10. It is composed of an operation button 20 for operating the tact switch 19 by a pressing operation from the side.

Then, at a portion of the inner wall 11 of the door 2 corresponding to the operation panel portion 7 on the range main body 1 side, a door side for outputting a signal from the cooking switch 16, 16 ... As an optical signal. An optical signal coupler 21 is provided. The door side optical signal coupler 21 is built in a cylindrical portion 22 protruding from the closing surface of the door 2 and has a structure capable of outputting an optical signal toward the range main body 1 side (see FIG. 1). ..

On the other hand, the operation panel section 7 of the range main body 1 has an opening 23 having a size into which the tube section 22 can be inserted at a position facing the door side optical signal coupler 21 when the door 2 is closed. A main body side optical signal coupler 24 for receiving an optical signal output from the door side optical signal coupler 21 is provided inside the opening 23. Reference numeral 25 is a bracket for mounting the main body side optical signal coupler 24. The optical signal couplers 21 and 24 are capable of exchanging optical signals with each other.

The opening 23 can be opened and closed by a lid 26 hinged to the upper edge of the opening 23. When the door 2 is closed, the lid 26 is pushed open by the cylindrical portion 22 inserted into the opening 23 as shown by a chained arrow M, whereby the optical signal couplers 21 and 24 are separated from each other. It is now possible to send and receive optical signals. That is, in the case of the present embodiment, the lid 26 blocks the optical signal transmission between the optical signal couplers 21 and 24 when the door 2 is open, and the optical signal coupler 21 when the door 2 is closed. It constitutes a safety means that allows the transmission of the optical signal between the optical path 24 and the optical path 24. The lid 26 is closed by its own weight when the door 2 is opened.

The correlation between various switches and various devices in the microwave oven according to this embodiment is as shown in the block diagram of FIG.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 27 is a microcomputer provided on the door 2 side, which receives signals from the operation switches 16, 16 ... And outputs an optical signal of a frequency corresponding to each cooking switch 16. The optical signal coupler 21 on the door side is instructed to output. Reference numeral 28 is a microcomputer provided on the range body 1 side, which is an optical signal output from the door side optical signal coupler 21 and input via the body side optical signal coupler 24, or the operation panel section 7 of the range body 1. In response to the electric signals from the cooking switches 8 and 8 provided in, the drive control of the magnetron 29, the heater 5, the motor 30, which is the drive source of the rotary table 6, the cooling fan drive motor 31, and the range lamp 32 is performed. Acts as a control means to perform. Reference numeral 33 is an AC power supply, and 34 is an AC / DC converter.

The microwave oven configured as described above operates as follows.

When the door 2 is closed, the lid 26 of the opening 23 formed in the operation panel portion 7 of the range main body 1 is opened by inserting the tubular portion 22 of the door 2, and the door side optical signal is transmitted. The optical signal from the coupler 21 can be received by the optical signal coupler 24 on the main body side, and if one of the cooking switches 16, 16 ... Which corresponds to the desired cooking menu is operated, the cooking switch 16 is supported. The optical signal to be output is output from the door side optical signal coupler 21, and the optical signal is received by the main body side optical signal coupler 24. Then, the microcomputer 28 receiving the signal from the main body side optical signal coupler 24 drives and controls the equipment (for example, the magnetron 29 etc.) necessary for the designated cooking menu.

On the other hand, when the door 2 is in the open state, the opening 23 formed in the operation panel portion 7 of the range main body 1 is closed by the lid 26, so that even if the door 2 is cooked by mistake. Even if the switch 16 is operated to output the optical signal from the door side optical signal coupler 21, the signal is not transmitted to the main body side optical signal coupler 24. Therefore, the malfunction of the microwave oven is prevented.

When the cooking switch 8 is operated, the door 2 is opened, but this is not a problem because the frequency of use of the cooking switch 8 is low.

Embodiment 2 FIGS. 5 and 6 show a main part of a microwave oven according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The present embodiment corresponds to the invention of claim 1.

In the case of the present embodiment, in the recess 37 formed at the position corresponding to the main body side optical signal coupler 24 in the door 2, various cooking switches 16, 16, ... An operation panel A for remote operation, which includes a display lamp 35 and a liquid crystal display unit 36, is detachably attached. The operation panel A is fixed to the recess 37 by the attractive force of the magnet 38 attached to the inner bottom of the recess 37.

In FIG. 6, reference numerals 39, 40, 41 and 42 are transparent bodies, and 43 is an iron plate attracted to the magnet 38.

Other configurations, functions and effects are similar to those of the first embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

Third Embodiment FIG. 7 shows a main part of a door in a microwave oven according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The present embodiment corresponds to the invention of claim 1.

In the case of this embodiment, the light emitting diode 44 is provided adjacent to the main body side optical signal coupler 24, and the light emitting diode 44 is connected to the display lamp 35 by the optical fiber 45. The display lamp 35 is turned on in response to the light emission of. In this embodiment, the display lamp 35 and the liquid crystal display unit 36 are attached to the door 2.

Other configurations, functions, and effects are similar to those of the first embodiment, and thus description thereof will be omitted.

The invention of the present application is not limited to the configuration of each of the above-described embodiments, and it goes without saying that the design can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an enlarged sectional view of an essential part (II enlarged sectional view of FIG. 2) of a microwave oven according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the microwave oven according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a correlation between various devices in the microwave oven according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a main part of a door in a microwave oven according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a door in a microwave oven according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a main part of a door in a microwave oven according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 is a range body, 2 is a door, 3 is a heating chamber, 4 is an opening,
7 is an operation panel section, 8 and 16 are cooking switches, 21 is a door side optical signal coupler, 23 is an opening, 24 is a main body side optical signal coupler, 26 is a safety means (lid), 28 is a control means (microcomputer). ).

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A range main body (1) having a heating chamber (3),
A microwave oven comprising a door (2) for opening and closing an opening (4) of the heating chamber (3), and a cooking switch (16) attached to the door (2). ) And the range body
A door side optical signal coupler for outputting the signal from the cooking switch (16) as an optical signal at the contact portion in (1).
(21) and a main body side optical signal coupler (24) for transmitting an optical signal from the door side optical signal coupler (21) to a control means (28) for controlling various devices, respectively. microwave. 2. The range main body (1) or the door (2) is provided with the optical signal couplers (21), (2) when the door is open.
4) A safety means (26) is provided for preventing optical signal transmission between the optical signal couplers and allowing optical signal transmission between the optical signal couplers (21), (24) when the door is closed. Item 1. A microwave oven according to item 1.