JPS6151214B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to food heating equipment such as cooking ovens, and is intended for automatic cooking. In other words, a sensor that detects gas and humidity is installed in the exhaust duct installed at the exhaust port, the exhaust flow rate is selected depending on the type of food being cooked, and the detection pattern is changed by switching between gas detection and humidity detection at the optimal level. To provide a device that determines the end point of cooking.

When food is cooked in a food heating device, such as a cooking oven, it releases gases or moisture in a unique pattern over time. Patterns vary depending on the type of food to be cooked, but the correlation between the cooking end point and the pattern can be divided into those with a good gas pattern, those with a good moisture humidity pattern, and those with a high moisture content and those with a low moisture content. Gas detection and humidity detection will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a humidity detection method in an electric oven. The food to be cooked 5 on the saucer 4 is heated by the upper heater 2 and lower heater 3 in the housing 1.
When heated, water vapor 6 is released. The water vapor 6 is pushed out as exhaust air together with the heated air in the housing 1, exits from the exhaust port 7, enters the duct 8, and proceeds toward the duct lower outlet 9 while decreasing the exhaust temperature, and a temperature sensor is installed at an intermediate position. 10 is detected as relative humidity. For humidity detection, the exhaust temperature should be at least 80
Since relative humidity cannot be detected unless the temperature is lowered below ℃, the duct should be configured compactly so that it faces downward. 11 in the figure is an oil pan. However, when trying to detect the gas content, even if the gas sensor is installed in the downward duct 8 shown in Fig. 1, the gas tends to flow upward. Not detected.

Therefore, the gas detection system must be configured as shown in FIG. Here, the oven housing 1, upper heater 2, lower heater 3, saucer 4, and food to be cooked 5 are the same as in FIG. Gas 2 from food 5
If 1 is output, it is necessary to cause the exhaust gas pushed out from the exhaust port 23 to flow upward through the upward duct 22. If the gas sensor 24 is installed in the upward duct 22 in this manner, gas will be detected at this position. In this case, the convection of the heated exhaust gas allows the exhaust to be carried out smoothly, and the sensor 24
When the temperature inside oven housing 1 is 250℃ at position ,
The exhaust temperature will be 100-120℃. Therefore, there was a trade-off problem in that humidity detection was impossible at this position, contrary to the case shown in FIG. As mentioned earlier, in order to determine when cooking is complete, it is best to measure the gas detection pattern depending on the type of food to be cooked, and the humidity detection pattern is best to measure. Among the cases where the humidity detection pattern is suitable, it is best to measure the released moisture. The biggest point in automating oven cooking was to be able to detect both large and small amounts. Furthermore, in the case of the humidity detection method shown in Fig. 1, the amount of exhaust air from the lower duct outlet 9 is opposite to the direction of convection due to heat, so the amount of exhaust air is small. This also caused problems such as moments when air was being blown directly towards the user, disrupting the humidity detection pattern and causing malfunctions.

The present invention solves these problems all at once. The first embodiment shown in FIG. 3 has almost the same configuration as that in FIG. 1, and includes a downward duct 8 whose upper end is connected to the exhaust port 7 on the back surface of the oven housing 1.
A rearward lower outlet 9 is formed between the oil receiving tray 11 and the duct 8 to be opened to the outside. Inside duct 8,
A sensor 31 and a fan 32 constituting flow rate control means are mounted in the middle. The sensor 31 uses a P-type semiconductor sensor (trade name: HUYUMICERAM) that can detect both gas and humidity by switching between ON and OFF of the indirect heater. The P-type semiconductor sensor (Hyumi Ceram) works as a humidity sensor through physical adsorption during cold temperatures, and as a gas sensor through chemical changes during heating. For gas detection,
The gas and humidity 33 released from the food to be cooked 5 are strongly pulled by the fan 32 and forcibly exhausted, and the indirect heater is turned on.
Gas can be detected by turning it on and applying it to the P-type semiconductor sensor 31, which serves as a gas sensor. For humidity detection, gently rotate the fan 32 to exhaust the air with a gentle breeze, and turn off the indirect heater.
P-type semiconductor sensor 3 made into a humidity sensor
Passing 1 enables relative humidity detection. Furthermore, since the way the heat is generated inside the oven housing 1 changes by changing the air volume, it is also possible to change the relative humidity level with the same sensor 31, and the optimum relative humidity level can be set depending on the type of food 5 to be cooked. humidity patterns can be detected. Furthermore, by providing the fan 32 constituting the flow rate control means outside the sensor 31, the exhaust flow is prevented from becoming turbulent, and the sensor 31 can perform stable detection.

FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the invention. Extend the oil pan 11 upward longer in FIG. 3 to form a duct 41
The duct 41 is configured in an almost U-shape and the exhaust flow rate is controlled by the duct 41.
This is achieved by generating convection using the heat generated by a heater 42, which is provided near an open end 43 to the outside and constitutes a flow rate control means. Sensor 31 is the third
Same position as in the figure. In this case, it is desired that the heat of the heater 42 is not transferred to the duct 41 much;
When the amount of heat generated by the heater 42 is large, the exhaust flow rate in the duct 41 increases and gas detection is performed, so the heat of the heater 42 does not affect gas detection. Further, in the case of humidity detection, since the exhaust flow rate in the duct 41 is reduced, the amount of heat generated by the heater 42 is almost small, there is no rise in the temperature of the duct, and the relative humidity detection is not affected.

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, humidity detection and gas detection can be carried out at an arbitrary optimum relative humidity level depending on the type of food to be cooked in a heating cooker such as a cooking oven. Further, by using the humidity gas multifunctional sensor (trade name: HUYUMICERAM) shown in the example, there is an advantage that the above detection can be performed with one sensor and one duct.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a humidity sensing configuration in an electric oven, FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a gas sensing configuration in an electric oven, and FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view showing a humidity gas sensing configuration of an embodiment according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view showing a humidity gas detection structure of another embodiment according to the present invention. 1... Housing, 7... Exhaust port, 8, 41... Duct, 31... Sensor, 32, 42... Flow control means (fan, heater).

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An exhaust duct having one end connected to an exhaust port communicating with the inside of the casing and the other end open to the outside of the casing;
A food product comprising: a sensor located within the exhaust duct to detect gas and humidity; and a flow rate control means located within the exhaust duct and located outside of the sensor to vary the exhaust flow rate. heating equipment. 2. The food heating device according to claim 1, wherein the flow rate control means is a fan. 3. The food heating device according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust duct is substantially U-shaped and exhausts air upward, and the flow rate control means is a heater.