JPS60232430A - Heat-cooking apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the finish of cooking by detecting a contact pressure of a probe and a food-stuff and controlling the same. CONSTITUTION:When data on the hardness of a food-stuff 13 is requested from a control part 11, an operating signal is transmitted to expanding and contracting means 21 through a driver 22. As a result, the probe 19 extends within a heating chamber 12 through a small hole 18 and comes into contact with the surface of the food-stuff 13 to push up a holding plate 20 against a force exerted by a spring mechanism. The magnitude of this pushing up force is detected by a volumeter 24 connected to the holding plate 20. When the food 13 is heated and softened, the probe 19 is inserted into the food-stuff 13 by the pressure of the spring mechanism 23. This state is momentarily detected by the volumeter 24. The control part 11 stops heating at a time point wherein the probe 19 is sufficiently inserted into the food-stuff 13 or by data on the speed of the probe 19 to be inserted. Thus, vegatables such as potatoes which have been completely cooked or thawed food-stuff are softly finished.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cooking device, and more particularly, to a cooking device that automatically finishes cooking using a sensor.

Conventional structure and its problems Traditionally, heating cookers that use sensors to automatically cook food typically use a humidity sensor or gas sensor to detect the atmosphere in the heating chamber, such as humidity, or the state of gases generated by the food. be. These controls are as follows.

For example, in the case of a humidity sensor, when heating cold rice, the heating is completed as soon as the humidity is detected, and when heating is stopped, the food is finished to a suitable level.

However, even with the same heating, when the humidity is detected (heating time T1) for rice bowl dishes, the heating is insufficient and T2
(=KT1, K=0.6) is additionally heated to achieve appropriate heating. This is commonly called value control. Similarly, additional heating (K=1.2) is required when cooking raw foods such as potatoes. Now,
In this way, the experimental finishing time of 9 hours for ~0 cooking is an extremely effective control method when the prediction of finishing time 'r='r1moT2=TI+KT1 holds true as a function of the humidity detection time T1. I can say that. However, in reality, predicted energization does not always occur. Taking potatoes as an example, new potatoes that have just been harvested can be optimally heated at K = 1.0, but old potatoes that have passed through the year have a K value of 1.0.
= 1.2 to 1.5 provides almost optimal heating. This is actually the most difficult point of value control mentioned above.

In actual design, the value is determined so that all potatoes are soft, but of course, for new potatoes,
It becomes too much.

Purpose of the Invention The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks, and provides a heating cooker that detects the completion of cooking of food that is generally softened and that can always perform optimal heating even if the storage conditions of the food change. The purpose is to

Structure of the Invention In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has a small hole provided in a wall of a heating chamber, a device installed in a machine room attached to the heating chamber, and capable of expanding and contracting into the heating chamber through the small hole. A configuration comprising a probe configured to come into contact with the food surface, a means for detecting contact between the probe and the food, and a means for maintaining contact pressure, and controlling the finished cooking of the food by changing the contact pressure over time. To provide a cooking device that can reliably and reproducibly finish cooking foods, such as heating and thawing potatoes and frozen foods, in which cooking and heating can be stopped when they become soft.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the main body of the cooking device according to the present invention. A door body 2 that can be opened and closed is pivotally supported on the front surface of the main body 1. A menu key 4 for selecting a cooking menu is provided on the operation panel 3. FIG. 2 is a detailed view of such operating spring/I/3. The user selects a desired menu using the menu key 4. For example, press "potato" for cooking from raw. Then, the display window 5 shows (t
A: 7%1 appears in the first two digits of the four-digit number display section, indicating that the potato has been decoded by the control section and has been validly input. Subsequently, when the start button 6 is pressed, automatic cooking is started.

In addition, the operation panel 3 is provided with a mode setting key 7 for manual cooking, a timer knob 8, and a temperature setting key 9. 10 is a cancel key for canceling a preset menu or heating pattern and stopping cooking in progress. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the cooking device according to the present invention. The cooking command instructed by the operation spring /I/3 is decoded by the control unit 11, a predetermined display is made, and the progress of heating is controlled. Food 13 is placed in the heating chamber 12, and a magnetron 1 serving as a heating means is placed inside the heating chamber 12.
4. Magnetron 14 is driver 1
5, the control unit 11 controls the energization. The blower 16 cools the magnetron 14 and also ventilates the inside of the heating chamber 12. 17 is its exhaust guide. A telescopic probe 19 is inserted into the heating chamber through a small hole 18 in the upper wall of the heating chamber 12, and when not in use,
It shrinks so that it does not get in the way of the user. ).

The lobe 19 is a telescopic driving means 21 supported by a holding plate 20.
It is connected to the control unit 11 through a driver 22 that moves it. The holding plate 20 is connected to a spring mechanism 23 which is a contact pressure holding means, and the holding plate 20 is connected to a volume 24 which is a means for detecting the value of the contact pressure. The signal of the volume 24 is sent to the A/D converter 2.
5, it is connected to the control section 11.

When the control unit 11 requests hardness information of the food 13,
An operation signal is transmitted to the telescopic drive means 21 through the driver 22. The prog 19 then extends through the small hole 18 into the heating chamber 12 and contacts the surface of the food product 13. After contact, the holding plate 20 stretches for a short time, but this stretching overcomes the force of the spring mechanism and pushes the holding plate 20 upward. The magnitude of this push-up is detected by a volume 24 connected to the holding plate 20. When the food 13 is heated and becomes soft, the prong 19 is inserted into the food 13 by the pressure of the spring mechanism 23.

This situation is detected moment by moment by the volume 24, and the control unit 11 stops heating when the probe 19 is fully inserted into the food or based on information such as how quickly it is inserted.

Potatoes cooked in this way are soft, and there is no distinction between new and old potatoes.
The softness of the finish is always constant. Furthermore, unlike conventional methods, the skin does not become severely wrinkled due to overheating, and a satisfactory finish is guaranteed.

In these experiments, the inventor used a probe made of a material that is not significantly heated by radio waves, namely plastic,
Alternatively, if it is made of ceramic, the heating by radio waves will be concentrated on the food. Furthermore, it has been found that having the tip of the probe sharply pointed is disadvantageous when applying pressure to the probe, and that it is necessary to have an appropriate roundness. Furthermore, it has been found that in a type of cooker with a rotating turntable, it is desirable to arrange the small hole at a position opposite to the center of the table.

Although the present invention has been described above using the example of detecting the finish of potatoes, it is generally effective as a means for detecting the finish of foods that become soft when heated. In other words, it is best suited for heating root vegetables and defrosting frozen foods.

Conventionally, there was no means for detecting the hardness of food to determine its finish, so the finish of the food had to be determined by predictive control, and the finish was often unsatisfactory.

The present invention has great significance in that it has found a means to eliminate this inconvenience and brought it to a practical stage.

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

(1) As a result of conventional control based on prediction because it was not possible to detect the finished product, it is possible to prepare an automatic cooker that can guarantee the optimal finish for thawing root vegetables and frozen foods, which were unsatisfactory with the finished product.

■) It is possible to create an automatic cooking device that can always guarantee the optimal finish, regardless of whether the heated food is new or old.

[BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS] Fig. 1 is an external perspective view of a cooking device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is an enlarged front view of the operation panel of the cooking device, and Fig. 3 is a control of the cooking device. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram including blocks. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11... Control part, 12... Heating chamber, 13... Food, 14... Magnetron, 19... Prologue, 20
... Holding plate, 21... Telescopic drive means, 23... Spring mechanism, 24... Volume. Name of agent: Patent attorney Toshio Nakao and 1 other person No. 1
figure

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) In a cooker that automatically detects the cooking finish of food using a sensor, the food is heated through a small hole provided on the wall of a heating chamber and a machine room attached to the heating chamber, and the A probe configured to extend and contract within the heating chamber and contact the food surface, a means for detecting contact between the probe and the food, and a means for maintaining the contact pressure. A heating cooker configured to control the finish. (2) The cooking device according to claim 1, wherein the glove is made of a material with low dielectric loss, such as plastic or ceramic. (3) The heating cooker according to claim 1, which is configured such that the prog or a part of the prog can be easily removed. 4) The cooking device according to claim 1, characterized in that the tip of the prong is rounded. @) The heating cooker according to claim 1, wherein the small hole is arranged directly above the turntable.