JPH0875172A - Heating cooking apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a heating cooking apparatus which can sense the weight of food and automatically cook even in any cooking in the apparatus such as a microwave oven etc. CONSTITUTION: The heating cooking apparatus comprises a heating cooking unit 12, a weight sensing unit 16. The unit 12 is placed on the unit 16, and the unit 12 is coupled to the unit 16 by a signal transmission line 19. Thus, even in any cooking, the weight of the food can be sensed and automatic cooking can be realized.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cooking device such as a microwave oven.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional cooking device of this type has a structure as shown in FIG. 7 in which a food storage portion 2 with a door for storing food is provided in an exterior portion 1, and a food 3 is stored in the food storage portion. 2 is placed on a rotating cooking round plate 4 provided inside 2, and a total weight of the food 3 and the cooking round plate 4 is detected by a weight detecting unit 6 via a load transmitting unit 5 that supports the round plate 4. Had detected. 7 is
A driving motor for rotating the cooking pan 4 during cooking is shown. In such a configuration, the control unit 8 controls the operation of the magnetron 9 or the electric heater 10 according to the weight of the food 3 detected by the weight detection unit 6 to realize automatic cooking. The radio waves emitted from the magnetron 9 are
The food 3 was radiated into the food storage unit 2 to heat and cook the food 3. Alternatively, the food 3 is heated and cooked by the electric heater 10 provided on the ceiling of the food storage unit 2.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned structure, the food 3 placed on the round plate 4 for cooking is used.
Only the weight was detected before or during cooking, and the weight was used for automatic cooking. Therefore, in cooking without using the round plate 4 for cooking, for example, in the case of cooking with a square plate fixed to the side wall of the food storage unit 2 such as cookies and ovens such as bread, the heating cooker operates the weight detection unit 6. Despite having it, there was a problem that automatic cooking cannot be performed because the weight of food cannot be detected. Further, when detecting the weight of food being cooked, since the round plate 4 for cooking is rotating, noise such as vibration due to the rotation causes the weight to be detected in synchronization with the rotation, or one rotation average. Therefore, a complicated detection mechanism and complicated signal processing are required (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-8509).

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and can be used for any kind of cooking, that is, using a rotating circular plate for cooking, and fixing it to the side wall of a food storage unit. It is possible to detect the weight of food by using the square plate used.
An object of the present invention is to provide a heating cooker capable of automatic cooking in which heating cooking can be controlled by the detected weight of food. Another object of the present invention is to provide a heating cooker that does not require a complicated detection mechanism and complicated signal processing because there is no noise due to the rotation of the cooking plate when detecting the weight of food.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a heating cooker according to the present invention comprises a food storage unit for storing food, and a heating unit for heating and cooking the food stored in the food storage unit. A heating and cooking section composed of a control section for controlling the heating section, a weight of the food stored in the food storage section, and a weight detection section for detecting the weight of the heating and cooking section, A heating and cooking unit is installed on the weight detecting unit, and a signal transmission line is connected between the heating and cooking unit and the weight detecting unit, and the food storage unit is detected by the weight detecting unit. The weight of the stored food and the total weight of the cooking unit are transmitted to the control unit of the cooking unit via the signal transmission line.

Further, the heating cooker of the present invention is an exterior part including a food storing part with a door for storing food in the heating cooking part, a heating part for heating and cooking the food, and a control part for controlling the heating part. And a weight detection unit is installed between the food storage unit and the exterior unit, the door of the food storage unit is fixed to the exterior unit, and the door is not in contact with the storage unit.

[0007]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the weight detection unit can detect the total weight of the food and the weight of the cooking unit, it is possible to detect the weight before and after the start of cooking. . Therefore, the weight of the food can be easily detected regardless of whether the cooking is performed using the round plate or the rectangular plate. Further, since the weight during cooking can be easily detected, the change in the weight of food during cooking can also be easily detected. Therefore, weight loss due to steam generated from food can be easily detected. Therefore, the weight of the food before cooking,
It is possible to realize automatic cooking in which heating cooking is controlled based on the degree of reduction in food weight due to cooking. Further, even if the cooking pan is rotated at the time of weight detection, noise such as vibration due to the rotation does not act as a weight detection error, so that the weight of food can be easily and accurately detected.

Further, according to the second aspect of the present invention, since it is not necessary to support the heavy food container door, the heavy power source for the magnetron which constitutes the heating section, and the like by the weight detecting section, it is possible to weigh relatively. Since the weight detection unit with a narrow range can be used, the food weight can be detected with relatively high accuracy, and more appropriate automatic cooking can be realized. Further, even if an object is placed on the exterior part 1 during cooking, there is no error in the detected weight value. Further, since the weight detection unit having a relatively narrow weighing range can be used, the cost can be reduced. Moreover, since a weight detection unit having a comparatively narrow weighing range can be used, even a minute weight change can be detected accurately.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is an external view of a heating cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention. The same components as those in the conventional example are designated by the same reference numerals. Reference numeral 11 denotes a door with a window 13 that can be opened and closed to allow food to be taken in and out of the heating and cooking section 12, 14 and 15 denote a display section showing a cooking state such as cooking time of the heating and cooking section 12, and a selection section for selecting a cooking menu or the like. Are shown respectively. 16
Is a weight detection unit, and 17 and 18 are a weighing unit and a display unit of the weight detection unit 16. Reference numeral 19 denotes a signal transmission line for transmitting the detected weight value obtained by the weight detection unit 16 to the cooking unit 12. In the heating cooker having such a configuration, when the door 11 of the food storage section of the heating cooking section is opened / closed and the food is taken in and out, the weight detection section 16 easily detects the weight of the food and the weight of the heating cooking section. Can be detected, and the weight value can be transmitted to the control section of the heating and cooking section 12 by using the signal transmission line 19. The control unit can easily detect the weight of food by calculating the weight change before and after opening and closing the door 11. The weight of a well-known cooking device such as a microwave oven is about 20k even if it is heavy.
Since it is about g, a normal weight detector can easily measure about 1 g.
The weight value of food can be detected with a resolution of a certain degree.
Therefore, in the case of thawing cooking, automatic cooking can be easily performed by detecting the weight value of the frozen food. In this case, it is possible to easily detect whether the food is on the rotating round plate for cooking or on the square plate fixed to the side wall of the food container. Further, even if the circular plate is rotated by the motor, the vibration due to the rotation does not affect the detected weight value. Therefore, a complicated detection mechanism such as detection in synchronization with rotation is unnecessary. Further, complicated signal processing such as averaging the detected weight value for one rotation according to the rotating circular plate is not necessary. Therefore, the weight value of the food can be accurately detected. With the heating cooker of the present invention, the weight of the frozen food can be easily detected even when the frozen food is thawed, and therefore the thaw cooking can be automatically performed.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a heating cooker according to another embodiment of the present invention. The same components as those in the conventional example are designated by the same reference numerals. Reference numeral 20 denotes a weight detection unit provided between the exterior unit 1 and the food storage unit 2, and 21 denotes a grounding wire connecting the exterior unit 1 and the food storage unit 2.

It should be noted that at least three weight detecting units such as 20 are used, and they are arranged in a triangular shape so that the weight of the food and the food storing unit can be stably received, and the heavy food storing unit 2 is inside the exterior unit 1. Supported by (the other two are not shown).

In this case, the food storage unit 2 and the bottom surface of the exterior unit 1 are connected by a coil spring or the like, and the food storage unit 2 is connected to the bottom surface of the exterior unit 1 via the three weight detection units. The food storage part 2 may be stabilized inside the exterior part 1.

The round plate 4 and the driving motor 7 are supported by a support frame 22 fixed to the bottom surface of the food storage unit 2.

A door 11 for opening and closing the food storage unit 2 is freely openable.
As shown in FIG. 3, the exterior part 1 was fixed with a hinge 23, and a gap of about 2 mm was provided so as not to contact the food storage part 2. If the gap is about 2 mm,
The microwaves radiated from the magnetron into the food storage unit 2 did not leak into the exterior unit 1, and therefore the weight detection unit 20 did not malfunction. Further, there was no leakage from the exterior part 1 to the outside. Reference numeral 11 'indicates a state in which the door 11 of the food storage unit 2 rotates around the hinge 23 and is opened. In addition, when closed, the door 11 is the exterior part 1
Approximately 2 mm so that it will be in close contact with the food storage unit 2
The gap is formed to some extent.

In FIG. 2, the weight of the food 3 placed in the food storage unit 2 is detected by the weight detection unit 20 installed between the exterior unit 1 and the food storage unit 2. Therefore, as compared with the case of the first embodiment, the structure can be made more compact.

Further, since the heavy door 11 and the heavy power source for the magnetron 9 can be supported by the exterior part 1, it can be constituted by a weight detection part having a comparatively narrow weighing range of about 5 kg. . Therefore, the food storage unit 2
The weight of the food placed inside could be easily detected with a resolution of about 0.5 g. The detected weight value of the food 3 is transmitted to the control unit 8 through the signal transmission line 19. Therefore, as compared with the first embodiment, the automatic cooking can be performed with more detailed control.

Further, as in the first embodiment, there is no noise when the weight is detected due to the rotation of the circular plate 4. Further, the weight of the food placed on the square plate can be easily detected. Further, even if an object is placed on the exterior part 1, the weight of the food can be accurately detected, unlike the first embodiment. In addition, by connecting the exterior part 1 and the food storage part 2 with the conductive wire 21, the magnetron 9
Even when is operating, the weight of the food 3 can be accurately detected by the weight detection unit 20 without being disturbed by electromagnetic noise such as radio waves. This could be achieved by connecting the magnetron power source ground side (exterior part 1) and the food storage part 2.

Next, FIG. 4 shows an electrostatic capacitance type weight sensor 24, which is optimal as a weight detecting portion of this kind and can be constructed in a flat shape. The weight sensor 24 includes two disk-shaped alumina plates (plate thickness: about 0.6 mm) 2 having a diameter of about 30 mm.
5 and 26, each with a diameter of about 15 mm in the center
An upper electrode 27 and a lower electrode 28 made of a circular conductive thin film are formed and face each other. The alumina plates 25 and 26 are
The peripheral portion is adhered with an adhesive glass 29. The inner diameter of the adhesive glass 29 was about 24 mm, its width was about 2 mm, and its height was about 50 μm. Reference numeral 30 denotes a bullet-shaped load receiver fixed to the central portion of the alumina plate 25. The load receiver supports the food storage unit 2 and the alumina plate 26 is fixed on the bottom surface of the exterior unit 1. Therefore, the weight sensor 2
No. 4 can be configured to have a flat thickness of about 5 mm or less, and is suitable for this type of weight detection unit. In addition,
A flat motor normally used for microwave ovens is about 10
It has a thickness of mm, and can be made thinner than that. Therefore, the heating cooker can be constructed very compactly. When the shell-shaped load receiver 30 is pressed by the food storage unit 2, the alumina plate 25 is deformed and the electrodes 27 and 28 are
The distance between and changes, and the capacitance formed by the electrodes 27 and 28 changes. The load applied to the load receiver 30 is detected from the change in the electrostatic capacitance.

Although the electrostatic capacitance type weight sensor has been described in the above embodiment, any strain gauge type sensor may be used as long as it can be flatly configured.

Next, FIG. 5 shows the case where the cooking by the weight of food is automated by using the cooking device of the present invention.
And it demonstrates using FIG.

First, the case of "warm" heating in the case of radio wave heating will be described with reference to FIG. 31 is
The door 11 of the food storage unit 2 is opened, the food 3 is put in, the door 11 is closed, the "warming" menu is selected, and the start switch is pushed. 32, the food weight value W before cooking
s is detected and used as the initial value of the food weight value (W = Ws). Three
At 3, the cooking time t is set to t = 0. At 34, the cooking time t is the maximum heating time tm (t
m = axWs + b: It is determined whether or not a and b have exceeded a predetermined constant). At 35, it is judged if the weight value change dW of the food exceeds a predetermined minimum weight value change Wk. If the weight value change dW of the food is smaller than Wk in 35, the radio wave heating is continued in 36 and the process returns to 34.

The minimum weight value change Wk is generated when food is heated and water vapor evaporates, and is about several grams, which is a weight that can be sufficiently discriminated by the heating cooker of the present invention. If no change in weight value dW is observed at 35, the maximum heating time tm is exceeded at 34, and the process ends at 37. Therefore, it means that the heating is not performed for more than the maximum heating time tm determined by the initial weight value Ws. At 35, if the food weight value change dW exceeds the minimum weight value change Wk, go to 38 for additional heating. 38
Then, the additional heating time dt (= cxt) determined by the time tk at which the minimum weight value change Wk is recognized and the predetermined constant c.
Only k) is additionally heated (constant c is a value between approximately 0 and 2), and heating cooking by radio waves is completed.

In this case, instead of performing the additional heating for the additional heating time dt, the food weight value W is the initial weight value W.
Finished weight value Wf determined by s (Wf = dxWs + e: d,
Additional heating may be performed until e reaches a predetermined constant).

Next, the case of "cake" heating in the case of oven heating with a heater will be described with reference to FIG. Three
Reference numeral 8 shows a state in which the door 11 of the food storage unit 2 is opened, the food 3 is put in, the door 11 is closed, the oven menu "cake" is selected, and the cooking start switch is pushed. The initial weight W = Ws of the food is detected at 39 and 40, and the cooking time t = 0
Is set and the oven is heated by a heater at 41, and the temperature is raised to a predetermined temperature Tm. In the case of sponge cake, Tm is around 150 ° C. At 42,
It is determined whether the set temperature Tm has been reached. When the set temperature Tm is reached, at 43, the food weight W = Wh and the cooking time t = th.
Is newly set.

In this case, it is possible to determine whether the elapsed time th is abnormally long or short from the set temperature Tm, the elapsed time th, the initial weight value Ws of the food, the food weight value Wh when the set temperature is reached, and the like. It is possible. In 44, the heating time t is
It is determined whether the maximum heating time te at the set temperature Tm determined from the food weight value Wh when the set temperature Tm is reached is exceeded. The maximum heating time te is determined by predetermined constants d and f (te = dxWh + f). At 45, it is determined whether the weight value change dW of the food exceeds a predetermined minimum weight value change Wh. If it is 45, the weight value of the food changes dW
Is less than Wh, heating control is continued at 46,
The heating temperature is controlled to be Tm, and the process returns to 44. The minimum weight value change Wh occurs when food is heated and water vapor evaporates. For cake, about 10 g
It is a degree. At 45, change in weight value dW
If not, the maximum heating time t e is exceeded at 44 and the process ends at 47. Therefore, the set temperature T
This means that the food will not be heated for more than the maximum heating time te determined by the food weight value Wh when reaching m. At 45, if the food weight change dW exceeds the minimum weight change Wh, 4
Go to 8 additional heating.

The additional heating is carried out until the food weight value decreases to the finished weight value. In the case of sponge cake, when the food material is about 500g, the weight reduction value is about 50g.
Then, the cooking is completed. In the case of pound cake, the weight reduction value is about 30g when the food material is about 700g.
Then, the cooking is completed. In this way, the additional heating is determined by the menu selected at the start and the weights Ws and Wh of the food.

As described above, according to the heating cooker of the present invention, automatic cooking can be realized by detecting the weight of food being cooked.

[0029]

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

(1) Even if the food stored in the food storage portion is placed on a square plate fixed to the side wall of the food storage portion, the weight of the food can be easily detected.

(2) Even if the round plate rotates, the weight of the food can be accurately detected without being disturbed by noise such as vibration.

(3) "Warm" and "cake" can be automatically cooked. (4) The weight of food can be detected without being disturbed by electromagnetic noise such as microwaves even during cooking.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view of a heating cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a heating cooker according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of a heating cooker according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a capacitance type weight sensor.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of heating cooking by the heating cooker of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing another embodiment of the same cooking.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a conventional cooking device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Exterior part 2 Food storage part 3 Food 8 Control part 11 Food storage part door 12 Heating / cooking part 16 Weight detection part 19 Signal transmission line 20 Weight detection part 21 Conductor

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A heating and cooking unit comprising a food storage unit for storing food, a heating unit for heating and cooking the food stored in the food storage unit, and a control unit for controlling the heating unit.
It is composed of a weight detection unit that detects the weight of the food stored in the food storage unit and the weight of the heating and cooking unit, and the heating and cooking unit is installed on the weight detection unit, and the heating and cooking unit is provided. A signal transmission line is connected between the weight detection unit and the weight of the food stored in the food storage unit detected by the weight detection unit and the total weight of the heating and cooking unit,
A cooking device which is transmitted to the control unit via the signal transmission line. 2. The heating and cooking section comprises a food storage section with a door for storing food, a heating section for heating and cooking the food, and an exterior section including a control section for controlling the heating section. A heating cooker in which a weight detection unit is installed between the storage unit and the exterior unit, the door of the food storage unit is fixed to the exterior unit, and is not in contact with the storage unit. 3. The heating cooker according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the heating cooking in the heating unit is controlled by the weight value detected by the weight detecting unit. 4. The heating cooker according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the weight detector is a flat electrostatic capacitance type weight detector. 5. The heating cooker according to claim 1, wherein the food storage section and the exterior section are connected by a ground wire.