JPS5993125A - Oven range - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent burning loss of a color sensor and lowering of reliability therefor by transmitting the color change in foods to the sensor through a glassfiber in the oven range in which finishing of foods is detected by a semiconductor color sensor. CONSTITUTION:Foods are heated by the oscillation of a magnetron 2, and then the foods are further heated by sending heated air due to a heater (not shown) into the range. The state of progress in the discoloration of the foods in accordance with heating is transmitted to the semiconductor sensor 8 of a control substrate 4 through the glassfiber 6. As a result, the semiconductor sensor 8 discriminates that the level of the surface discoloration of foods has reached a predetermined level, and current supply to the heater is stopped. According to this arrangement, the sensor 8 can be disposed apart from the heating chamber, and hence the protection of the sensor can be performed to thereby improve the reliability of the sensor.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a microwave oven that detects the finished state of food cooked in a heating chamber through glass fibers.

In recent years, microwave ovens using a hot air circulation method that forcibly circulates hot air into the heating chamber have been commercialized, and the temperature inside the heating chamber is about 3o.

In some cases, the range of use for oven cooking has become extremely wide and it has become highly practical.

By the way, semiconductor color sensors have been used as elements to detect the finished state of food in such high-temperature heating chambers by detecting color changes on the surface of the food. It has been difficult to directly detect the condition of the food inside the heating chamber due to the risk of burnout.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned points, and uses glass fibers to detect the color change of food in a heating chamber, and indirectly detects the color transmitted by the glass fibers using a semiconductor color sensor. This is characterized by preventing the color sensor from burning out and reducing its reliability.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

The figure is a perspective view from the rear of a microwave oven showing an embodiment of the present invention, in which 1 is a heating chamber, 2 is a magnetron,
3 is a high voltage transformer, 4 is a control board that controls heating and cooking,
Reference numeral 5 represents an operation panel, and reference numeral 6 represents a glass fiber whose one end is inserted into the approximate center of the top plate 7 of the heating chamber 2 and whose other end is connected to the control board 4 via a connector 9. Here, the semiconductor color sensor 8 is mounted within the control board 4.

Next, an overview of the operation of the microwave oven of the present invention having the above configuration will be explained in the case of hot air circulation heating. After placing the food to be heated in the heating chamber 1, when the heating button is pressed, the magnetron 2 starts oscillating. After heating the food using microwaves for a predetermined period of time, power to the magnetron is stopped, and at the same time power is turned on to the heater.The heated air is forcibly circulated through the heating chamber by a fan, and the food is heated. When heated, the surface of the food gradually begins to bake and discolor. When this state is transmitted through the glass fiber 6 to the semiconductor sensor 8 mounted on the control board 4, the level of discoloration on the surface of the food is detected. The output voltage of the semiconductor color sensor 8 changes, but it is compared with the output voltage corresponding to the color of the food when the desired cooking is completed, and if it matches, the power to the heater is stopped and cooking is automatically started. Complete r
can be done.

In addition, with the color sensor 8 according to the present invention, it is possible to automatically heat and cook food by comparing the output voltages of the color sensor 8 even in cooking using only microwave heating or heater heating.

As explained above, the present invention is capable of transmitting the color change of the finished food in the heating chamber to the semiconductor color sensor via the glass fiber. This eliminates the need for additional placement, increasing the degree of freedom in design. For example, by mounting it inside the control board Φ attached to the back side of the operation panel, it is hardly affected by temperature during heating and heats in an extremely stable state. Color changes on the surface of food indoors can be reliably detected.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The figure is a rear perspective view of a microwave oven illustrating an embodiment of the invention. l... Heating chamber, 3... High voltage transformer, 4... Control board, 5... Operation panel, 6... Class fiber, 7
...Top plate, 8...Semiconductor color sensor, 9...Connector.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An oven range characterized by transmitting the color change of the finished food in the heating chamber to a semiconductor color sensor via glass fiber.