KR102287895B1 - A cooker and a controlling method of it - Google Patents

Abstract

A cooker according to an aspect of the present invention can include: a heating module for heating and discharging an incoming liquid; an inlet-side sensor for sensing an inlet-side temperature of the heating module; a discharge-side sensor for sensing a discharge-side temperature of the heating module; a flow rate control device for controlling the flow rate of the liquid supplied to the heating module; a control unit for controlling the heating module to generate steam or hot water by controlling the heating amount of the heating module and the flow rate of the flow control device using a temperature signal sensed by the inlet-side sensor and a temperature signal sensed by the discharge-side sensor.

Description

A cooker and its control method

The present invention relates to a cooker and a method for controlling the same. More particularly, it relates to a cooker for providing a warm meal to a user in a convenient way by supplying hot water and steam to semi-cooked food, convenience food, and the like, and a control method thereof.

The market for semi-cooked food and home-cooked substitute food (HMR) has exploded, and has now grown to a level that replaces home-cooked food. Usually, HMR is cooked in a microwave. There are many people who have concerns that microwave-cooked food is harmful, and providing these people with a cooker that cooks with hot water or steam could alleviate these concerns. Cooking with a microwave oven may also raise concerns among users that environmental hormones come out of the container, or that there is a possibility of a fire if a metal container is put.

A cooker in which one appliance supplies hot water and steam is disclosed in Korean Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-2016-0134198 (published on November 23, 2016). Since this cooker is a instant-heating rice cake steamer that doubles as a coffee machine, you can make coffee with hot water and heat the rice cake with steam. If this device is used for a wider variety of foods, applications such as making soup by pouring hot water into dry HMR or making hot food by supplying steam to frozen HMR are also possible.

This instantaneous heating type rice cake steamer combined with a coffee machine can generate hot water and steam with a single heater 120 . That is, by heating the heater 120 at a higher temperature when supplying steam than when generating hot water, it is possible to supply hot water and steam without separately providing a hot water heater and a steam heater.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2016-0134198 (published on November 23, 2016)

Embodiments of the present invention provide a cooker capable of instantaneously generating and providing hot water and steam according to a user's instruction, and using a common heating unit when generating hot water and generating steam, and a method for controlling the same.

A cooker according to an aspect of the present invention includes: a heating module for heating and discharging an incoming liquid; an inlet-side sensor for detecting an inlet-side temperature of the heating module; a discharge side sensor for detecting the discharge side temperature of the heating module; a flow control device for controlling the flow rate of the liquid supplied to the heating module; Controlling the heating module to generate steam or hot water by controlling the heating amount of the heating module and the flow rate of the flow control device using the temperature signal detected by the inlet side sensor and the temperature signal detected by the discharge side sensor control unit; may include.

In addition, the heating module is installed vertically so that the liquid is introduced from the lower side and discharged to the upper side, the inlet side sensor is located below the heating module, the discharge side sensor is located above the heating module, and the heating It may further include a supply unit connected to the module to provide the user with steam or hot water generated by the heating module.

In addition, the control unit operates the flow control device at a low level when the temperature value detected by the inlet sensor is lower than the preset temperature, and operates the flow control device when the temperature value detected by the inlet sensor is higher than the preset temperature It can be operated at a high level.

In addition, the control unit may control the amount of the liquid supplied to the heating module to increase in proportion to the temperature value sensed by the inlet side sensor.

In addition, the control unit operates the heating module at a low level when the temperature value detected by the discharge-side sensor is higher than the preset temperature, and sets the heating module to a high level when the temperature value detected by the discharge-side sensor is lower than the preset temperature. can make it work

In addition, the control unit controls the heating module and the flow rate control device in a steam mode providing steam to the user or a hot water mode providing hot water, and in the steam mode, the temperature value detected by the inlet sensor is higher than the preset temperature. If it is low, the flow control device is operated at a low level, and when the temperature value detected by the inlet side sensor is higher than the preset temperature, the flow control device is operated at a high level, and the temperature value detected by the discharge side sensor is higher than the preset temperature If it is high, the heating module is operated at a low level, and when the temperature value detected by the discharge side sensor is lower than the preset temperature, the heating module is operated at a high level, and in the hot water mode, the temperature value detected by the discharge side sensor is the preset temperature If higher, the heating module may be operated at a low level, and if the temperature value sensed by the discharge-side sensor is lower than the preset temperature, the heating module may be operated at a high level.

In addition, a control method of a cooker according to an aspect of the present invention includes: a water storage tank for temporarily storing water; a heating module for receiving water from the water storage tank and discharging it after heating; an inlet-side sensor for detecting an inlet-side temperature of the heating module; a discharge side sensor for detecting the discharge side temperature of the heating module; a flow sensor for detecting the flow rate of the water tank; a flow control device for controlling a flow rate of the liquid supplied from the water storage tank to the heating module; Steam mode or the heating in which the heating module generates steam by controlling the heating amount of the heating module and the flow rate of the flow control device using the temperature signal detected by the inlet side sensor and the temperature signal detected by the discharge side sensor A control method of a cooker comprising: a controller for controlling the module in a hot water mode for generating hot water, the control method comprising: determining whether the controller is in a steam mode or a hot water mode; In the case of the steam mode, receiving the flow signal from the flow sensor to determine whether the flow rate is sufficient, and when the flow rate is sufficient, operating the flow control device and the heating module in the steam mode; In the case of the hot water mode, receiving a flow signal from the flow sensor to determine whether the flow rate is sufficient, and when the flow rate is sufficient, operating the flow control device and the heating module in the hot water mode; It may include; providing a water shortage alarm to the user when the flow rate is not sufficient.

In addition, in the case of the steam mode, determining whether the inlet temperature received from the inlet sensor is lower than a preset temperature T1; operating the flow control device at a low level when the inlet temperature is lower than a preset temperature, and operating the flow control device at a high level when the inlet temperature is higher than the preset temperature; determining whether the discharge-side temperature received from the discharge-side sensor is higher than a preset temperature T2; When the discharge side temperature is higher than the preset temperature, operating the heating module at a low level, when lower than the preset temperature, operating the heating module at a high level; may include.

In addition, in the case of the hot water mode, determining whether the discharge-side temperature received from the discharge-side sensor is higher than a preset temperature T3; When the discharge side temperature is higher than the preset temperature, operating the heating module at a low level, when lower than the preset temperature, operating the heating module at a high level; may include.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide both hot water and steam even with one heating module. In addition, since it is possible to immediately generate and supply steam or hot water of one company capacity in a short period of time by receiving one instruction, it is possible to reduce cooking time and reduce standby power at the same time. In particular, in the steam mode, since the flow rate is increased or decreased according to the temperature of the inflow side, steam can be reliably supplied in a short time.

1 is a perspective view showing a cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention;
2 is a block diagram conceptualizing the internal configuration of a cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention;
3 is a block diagram conceptualizing a fluid movement path of a cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention;
4 is a block diagram conceptualizing a control system of a cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention;
5 to 7 are flowcharts illustrating a method for controlling a cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings show exemplary forms of the present invention, which are only provided to explain the present invention in more detail, and the technical scope of the present invention is not limited thereby.

In addition, regardless of the reference numerals, the same or corresponding components are given the same reference numerals and redundant description thereof will be omitted, and for convenience of explanation, the size and shape of each component shown may be exaggerated or reduced. there is.

On the other hand, terms including an ordinal number, such as first or second, may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms, and the terms refer to one component from another. It is used only for distinguishing purposes.

1 is a perspective view showing a cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram conceptualizing the internal configuration of the cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a block diagram conceptualizing a control system of a cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 5 to 7 are flowcharts illustrating a cooker control method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the cooker according to the embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1 , the operation unit 7 is installed on the front surface of the outer panel 9 . A cooking space 3 may be formed at a lower side of the manipulation unit 7 . The operation unit 7 is a space that receives a user's command and displays the state of the cooker to the user. The cooking space 3 may be concave inwardly from the front surface of the cooker. The bottom surface of the cooking space 3 is formed to be flat, and a container C containing food to be cooked can be placed there. A supply unit 5 configured as a long rod-shaped nozzle may be installed on the upper side of the cooking space 3 to supply hot water or steam. The inside of the supply unit 5 is hollow, and hot water or steam flows through this space and can be discharged.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the cooker according to the embodiment of the present invention may have a water storage tank 11 installed therein. The water tank 11 may temporarily store tap water or water that has passed through a water purifier. To this end, a supply pipe from the outside may be connected to the side of the water storage tank 11 . A flow sensor 12 may be installed in the water storage tank 11 . The flow sensor 12 may be employed by selecting a sensor capable of detecting the water level in the water storage tank 11 or the presence or absence of water in the water storage tank 11 .

2 and 3 , water stored in the water storage tank 11 may be converted into steam or hot water through the flow control device 13 and the heating module 14 . This steam or hot water may reach the supply unit 5 and may be discharged from the lower end of the supply unit 5 to the outside. To this end, the water storage tank 11 , the flow control device 13 , the heating module 14 , and the supply unit 5 may be connected in series through a fluid pipe.

For example, the flow control device 13 may be a pump that supplies water to the heating module 14 by forcibly pushing the water stored in the water storage tank 11 . In addition to the pump, the quantity supplied to the heating module 14 may be controlled by a valve or the like.

The heating module 14 heats water from the water storage tank 11 through the flow control device 13 . To this end, a heating unit 25 is installed inside the heating module 14 . The heating unit 25 may include a heating wire heated by electricity, and the heating module 14 may include a sealed housing in which the heating unit 25 is installed. The heating module 14 of this embodiment may be installed to stand up and down. At this time, the pipeline on the inlet side connected to the flow control device 13 is connected to the lower side of the heating module 14 , and the pipeline on the discharge side connected to the supply unit 5 may be connected to the upper side of the heating module 14 . . Accordingly, the water supplied to the lower side of the heating module 14 gradually fills the heating module 14 by the pressure of the pump, and passes through the heating unit 25 as the water level rises. Steam or hot water heated by the heating unit 25 moves to the supply unit 5 through the discharge side pipe. To this end, the heating unit 25 may be disposed elongated in the vertical direction along the longitudinal direction of the heating module 14 .

An inlet-side sensor 21 capable of measuring the temperature of incoming water may be installed on the lower side of the heating module 14, and an outlet-side sensor capable of measuring the temperature of the outgoing water on the upper side of the heating module 14 ( 22) can be installed. The inlet-side sensor 21 and the outlet-side sensor 22 do not necessarily need to be installed inside the heating module 14, and are installed at any location where the temperature of inflow and outflow water can be measured. can be That is, it may be installed in a pipe connecting the flow control device 13 and the heating module 14 and a pipe connecting the heating module 14 and the supply unit 5 . If the inlet sensor 21 installation position is close to the central side of the heating module 14, the inlet temperature value will increase due to the influence of the hot water remaining inside the heating module 14 and the heating unit 25, If the side sensor 21 is installed away from the center side of the heating module 14 or is installed in the pipeline, the residual hot water and the heating unit 25 have little effect, so the temperature value detected by the sensor will be almost the same as the temperature of the water coming from the water tank. . In consideration of the overall system configuration of the cooker, the difficulty of assembling, and the required control level, the developer can derive the exact and optimal positions of the inlet side sensor 21 and the outlet side sensor 22 through experiments.

2 and 4 , the controller 20 of the cooker includes an inlet side sensor 21 , an outlet side sensor 22 , a flow rate sensor 12 , a manipulation unit 7 , a flow rate control device 13 , and a heating unit (25) may be electrically connected. The control unit 20 may receive a temperature value signal of the inflow water from the inflow side sensor 21 , and may receive a temperature value signal of the outflow water from the discharge side sensor 22 . In addition, the water level of the water storage tank 11, ie, a flow rate signal, may be transmitted from the flow sensor 12 . In addition, it is possible to receive a command signal from the user from the operation unit (7). The control unit 20 receives signals from the inlet side sensor 21 , the discharge side sensor 22 , the flow rate sensor 12 , and the manipulation unit 7 and uses them to the flow rate control device 13 and the heating unit 25 . It is possible to control the supplied electrical output.

The heating unit 25 and the flow rate control device 13 may determine the heating degree and the flow rate supply degree according to the amount of power supplied. That is, since the control unit 20 can control the amount of power supplied to the flow control device 13 and the heating unit 25 from an external power source, it is possible to control the flow rate supplied from the water storage tank 11 to the heating module 14 . and it is possible to control the amount of heating of the heating unit 25 .

Although not shown in FIG. 2 , the control unit 20 may be configured integrally with the operation unit 7 by being installed inside the operation unit 7 . Through this, the control unit 20 that receives the user's command through the operation unit 7 may be directly connected to the display unit and the input button of the operation unit 7, and may be integrated and installed as an electrical unit.

5 to 7 , the controller 20 of the cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention may receive a user's input signal (S1). When the user selects the steam mode or the hot water mode through the operation unit 7 , the control unit 20 may receive this signal.

The cooker control method according to an embodiment of the present invention also includes the step (S2) of the controller 20 determining whether the command input from the user is in the steam mode or not. In this step, it is determined whether the user commands the steam supply or the hot water supply, so that an operation suitable for each mode can be performed thereafter.

In S3 and S4, the control unit 20 determines whether the flow rate is sufficient. That is, it is determined whether there is enough water in the water storage tank 11 before the full-fledged heating module 14 and the flow control device 13 are driven, whether in the steam mode or the hot water mode. When the heating module 14 and the flow control device 13 are driven even if water falls or there is no water from the beginning while the heating module 14 and the flow control device 13 are being driven, the heating module 14 or the flow control device 13 ) to prevent overheating, damage, and overload. Whether the flow rate is sufficient is determined by the control unit 20 receiving the signal value of the flow rate sensor 12 of the water storage tank 11 . In advance, the control unit 20 has enough quantity data to drive the hot water mode or the steam mode once, and compares it with the water level signal value of the flow rate sensor 12 and determines it. The preset sufficient water quantity for the hot water mode and the steam mode may be the same or different. The sufficient quantity data may be set in advance in consideration of various cases, that is, a cooking target, a cooking method, a type of food, and the like. If the cooker has a variety of objects that can be cooked and the optimal amount of hot water or steam is set according to the type of food or HMR product, the flow rate is sufficient according to the type of food or HMR product selected by the user in the control unit (7). This can be set.

When the control unit 20 determines that the flow rate is sufficient in S10 and S20, it is driven in earnest in steam mode or hot water mode. When the flow rate is not sufficient, a water shortage can be warned through the operation unit 7 while the flow control device 13 and the heating module 14 are kept in the OFF state (S9). To this end, the control unit 20 transmits a water shortage signal to the operation unit 7 , and the operation unit 7 may notify the user through a display or sound to inform that water is to be injected because the water is insufficient.

Referring to FIG. 6 , the steam mode driving ( S10 ) starts from supplying power to the flow control device 13 and the heating module 14 ( S11 ). Power to be initially supplied to the flow control device 13 and the heating module 14 may be set according to the initial supply flow rate and the initial heating amount. There may be cases where the heating unit 25 of the heating module 14 is maintained at a high temperature because the cooker has just been operated, but in general, the steam mode operation may start while the heating module 14 is cooled there is. Therefore, by initially operating the flow control device 13 at a low level and the heating module 14 at a high level, it is possible to quickly generate steam by strongly heating with a small amount of water.

The initial driving (S11) of the flow control device 13 and the heating module 14 is continued for a preset time, after which it can proceed to the next step. Conversely, the initial driving (S11) step may be skipped and driving may be performed from the immediately following step (S12).

In S12, the control unit 20 of the cooker compares the obtained temperature information received from the inlet side sensor 21 with a preset temperature T1, and determines whether the inlet side temperature is lower than T1 (S12). When the inlet temperature is lower than T1, the flow control device 13 is driven to a low level (S13), and when the inlet temperature is higher than T1, the flow control device 13 is driven to a high level (S14).

This is to ensure the generation of steam rather than hot water by measuring the temperature of water flowing from the water storage tank 11 and supplying a small amount of water when the temperature is low. If the amount of water is large, the output of the heating unit 25 must be as high as that to evaporate this large amount of water. Since the maximum output and safety output of the heating unit 25 are fixed, instead of increasing the output, the amount of water is reduced. In this way, it is possible to reliably generate steam.

In general, the inlet temperature may be lowered in winter when the ambient temperature of the cooker is low, and may be increased even in winter when residual heat remains inside the cooker by generating steam or hot water just before winter. When the flow control device 13 is a pump, the low-level operation and the high-level operation can be distinguished and driven by performing a low RPM drive at a low level and a high RPM drive at a high level. In this way, even when low-temperature water flows into the heating module 14, steam can be reliably generated.

The reference inflow flow rate of each of the low level and the high level may be set according to the capability of the heating module 14 . For example, when the reference temperature T1 is set to 10 degrees and the heating module 14 is driven at a medium output while supplying the influent water at 5 degrees for 5 minutes, 80% of the supplied water is small enough to be converted into steam. The flow rate can be set as a low level reference flow rate. If the set flow rate at the low level is too small, the steam supply time may be too long or the heating module 14 may be overheated, and if the flow rate is too high, steam may not be generated and hot water may be supplied.

On the other hand, in this embodiment, the flow rate is set to be divided into a preset high level and a preset low level based on whether it is higher or lower than the reference temperature, but it is also possible to control the driving level of the flow control device 13 in proportion to the inlet temperature. do. That is, the lower the inlet temperature is, the smaller the flow rate is, and the higher the inlet temperature is, the higher the flow rate is.

In S15, the controller 20 of the cooker compares the discharge side temperature signal received from the discharge side sensor 22 with the reference temperature T2, and when the discharge side temperature is higher than T2, operates the heating module 14 at a low level (S16) and, when the discharge side temperature is lower than T2, the heating module 14 is operated at a high level (S17). In the preceding S12 to S14, control was performed to prevent the heating module 14 from discharging hot water, not steam, when low-temperature water was introduced based on the inlet side temperature. This time, the control is based on the exhaust side temperature, not the inlet side temperature.

Since the water flowing into the heating module 14 from the water storage tank 11 is heated while passing through the heating part 25 of the heating module 14, when it reaches the discharge side sensor 22, it has the highest temperature, and the steam mode In the case of driving, it passes through the discharge side sensor 22 in the form of steam having a temperature exceeding 100 degrees. The result of the work of the heating module 14 can be calculated from the exhaust side temperature. At this time, when the discharge side temperature is lower than the reference temperature, the heating module 14 can be operated at a high level to quickly generate steam. This is to prevent overheating of the cooker and to supply steam at an appropriate temperature by operating it at a low level.

The reference temperature T2 may be set to a temperature of 100 degrees or more, specifically, a temperature between 140 and 160 degrees. If T2 is too high, the durability of the heating module 14 and the pipelines may be reduced, and if it is too low, the phase may be converted into hot water while steam moves from the heating module 14 to the supply unit 5 through the pipeline. When the heating unit 25 of the heating module 14 is a hot wire, a low-level operation is possible by reducing the amount of electric power applied to the hot wire, and a high-level operation is possible by supplying the electric energy at a high level. The water entering the heating module 14 is in a liquid state at the inlet side, but is already converted into vapor when it passes through the outlet side sensor 22 . Therefore, unlike the hot water mode, where the discharge side is filled with liquid, the reference temperature T2 can be set to 100 degrees or more.

Driving the heating module 14 to a low level in S16 may include turning off the heating module 14 at all, that is, cutting off the power supplied to the heating unit 25 of the heating module 14 . That is, it is possible to control that the heating module 14 is turned off during low-level operation and operated at maximum output during high-level operation.

In addition, in S15 to S17, when this temperature is exceeded based on the preset reference temperature T2, the heating module 14 is operated at a low level, and when this temperature is not exceeded, the high level is operated, but the output of the heating module 14 is proportional to the reference temperature. Reduced control is also possible. That is, it is possible to control the amount of power supplied to the heating module 14 by subtracting the reference temperature value from the discharge side temperature and multiplying it by a constant value.

Next, the control method of the cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention may include determining whether a set time has elapsed ( S18 ). When the set time has elapsed, the flow control device 13 and the heating module 14 are turned off (S19), and if the set time has not elapsed, the flow returns to S12 to determine whether the inlet temperature is less than T1.

As a result, only an amount of steam sufficient to produce a predetermined flavor of one semi-cooked food or HMR may be supplied and the steam supply may be terminated. The set time may vary depending on the type of food. In the input signal receiving step (S1), not only the hot water mode or the steam mode, but also the user can set the steam supply time and command the cooker. If the user specifies a specific food type or specific HMR product, the corresponding steam supply time is set The controller 20 may read from the memory device. In some cases, the steam supply time may be increased by compensating for the amount of time that the flow control device 13 operates at a low level.

Even if the inlet temperature is initially lower than T1, the inlet temperature may increase as time increases. A method of installing a heating device in the water storage tank 11 and simultaneously heating the water in the water storage tank 11 during steam mode operation may be considered. Even if the water storage tank 11 is not heated by a separate device, the heat of the heating module 14 is transferred to the water storage tank 11 side, so that the water temperature at the inlet side may rise. In addition, even if the water temperature of the water storage tank 11 is low, it may be mixed with the hot water already remaining in the heating module 14 to become a temperature higher than T1. In this way, when the inlet temperature is higher than T1, the control unit 20 operates the flow control device 13 at a high level (S12, S14). When the flow control device 13 is operated at a high level, the water level of the hot water remaining inside the heating module 14 is gradually increased, and these may be provided as steam as they are evaporated.

As described above, the control method of the cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention includes steam mode operation (S10), and according to the steam mode, the operation level of the flow control device 13 is controlled according to the inlet side temperature, and The operating level of the heating module 14 is controlled according to the discharge side temperature. Accordingly, steam can be reliably provided in a short period of time regardless of the temperature of the water flowing into the heating module 14 . Some of the existing steam supply devices employ a method of storing hot water and then heating the hot water to provide steam. In contrast, the cooker according to the embodiment of the present invention does not need to have a separate hot water tank, so it is possible to miniaturize the appliance and reduce standby power. In addition, the cooker and the control method thereof of the present invention can immediately provide steam for one cooking batch according to the demand with only one heating module 14 .

Referring to FIG. 5 , the cooker control method according to an embodiment of the present invention may include hot water mode operation ( S20 ). Referring to FIG. 7 , hot water mode operation ( S20 ) includes the flow rate control device 13 and It can start from supplying power to the heating module 14 (S21). Like the steam mode, this initial operation may be omitted or may last for a certain period of time. As in the steam mode, the flow control device 13 can be operated at a low level and the heating module 14 at a high level. can be different. Since hot water can be supplied even if the water temperature is lower than that in the steam mode, the flow rate of the flow control device 13 may be supplied slightly higher than in the steam mode.

Next, the control method of the cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the step (S21) of the controller 20 determining whether the discharge side temperature is higher than T3. The control unit 20 controls the heating module 14 to operate at a low level when the discharge side temperature is higher than T3 (S23), and controls the heating module 14 to operate at a high level when the discharge side temperature is lower than T3 (S24) ).

The preset reference temperature T3 on the discharge side can be set to 100 degrees. In the hot water mode, it is possible to provide hot water mainly for cup noodles, instant soup, tea, and coffee. If T3 is set too high, steam, not hot water, may be supplied through the nozzle of the supply unit 5, energy may be wasted, and the possibility of a burn accident to the user may increase. If the discharge side temperature is too low, the food may take too long to cook or it may not be cooked properly. T3 may be set differently for each food, and in response to a menu selected by a user, the controller 20 may read and utilize a corresponding temperature value from a table stored in the memory device.

High-level / low-level operation of the heating module 14 can select control of maximum output at high level and power cut-off at low level, similar to the steam mode, and can be controlled in inverse proportion to temperature. That is, when the discharge side temperature is lower than T3, the heating module 14 is controlled to operate at the maximum output, and when it exceeds T3, the output can be reduced by the value obtained by subtracting T3 from the discharge side temperature value and multiplying the value by a constant.

Next, the control unit 20 may determine whether the set time has elapsed (S25). If the set time has elapsed, the flow control device 13 and the heating module 14 are turned off and terminated (S26). If the set time has not elapsed, the heating module 14 is controlled again according to the discharge side temperature. (S22, S23, S24)

In the hot water mode, unlike the steam mode, water does not evaporate, and if the flow control device 13 supplies water at a constant rate, if the water is driven in the hot water mode for a predetermined time, a predetermined amount of hot water may be discharged. Depending on the condition that the flow rate sensor 12 of the water storage tank 11 lowers to a predetermined water level as well as the condition that a predetermined time elapses, and the flow control device 13 is a pump, the pump rotation speed fills the predetermined rotation speed. Even after finishing, the results are not significantly different. Like the steam mode, the set time may be set differently depending on the cooking target.

As described above, according to the cooker and the control method thereof according to an embodiment of the present invention, both hot water and steam can be provided even with one heating module. That is, even when the heating module for hot water and the heating module for providing steam are not separately provided, the hot water mode and the steam mode can be performed by changing only the control method. In addition, it is also possible to supply hot water and steam by using a single supply unit without having a separate supply unit for hot water and a supply unit for steam. Accordingly, it is possible to achieve miniaturization, weight reduction, and durability enhancement of the cooker. In addition, even when a separate hot water tank is not provided, steam or hot water of one company capacity can be immediately generated and supplied in a short period of time by receiving one instruction, so that it is possible to reduce cooking time and standby power at the same time. In particular, in the steam mode, since the flow rate is increased or decreased according to the temperature of the inflow side, steam can be reliably supplied in a short time.

In the above, although embodiments of the present invention have been described, those of ordinary skill in the art can add, change, delete or add components within the scope that does not depart from the spirit of the present invention described in the claims. The present invention may be variously modified and changed by, etc., and this will also be included within the scope of the present invention.

3; cooking space 5; supply
7; control unit 11; water tank
13; flow control device 14; heating module
20; control unit 21; Inlet side sensor
22; exhaust side sensor 25; heating part

Claims (9)

A cooker for simple cooked food for instantaneously generating and providing steam or hot water that is not prepared in advance according to a user's instructions,
a heating module for discharging steam or hot water by heating the inflowing liquid;
an inlet sensor installed inside the heating module to sense an inlet temperature of the heating module;
a discharge side sensor installed inside the heating module to sense a discharge side temperature of the heating module;
a flow control device for controlling the flow rate of the liquid supplied to the heating module;
Controlling the heating module to generate steam or hot water by controlling the heating amount of the heating module and the flow rate of the flow control device using the temperature signal detected by the inlet side sensor and the temperature signal detected by the discharge side sensor control unit; includes;
The control unit controls the heating module and the flow control device in a steam mode for providing steam or a hot water mode for providing hot water according to a user's instruction,
In the steam mode, when the temperature value sensed by the inlet sensor is lower than the preset temperature, the flow control device operates at a low level, and when the temperature value detected by the inlet sensor is higher than the preset temperature, the flow control device operates at a high level, and when the temperature value sensed by the discharge side sensor is higher than the preset temperature, the heating module is operated at a low level, and when the temperature value detected by the discharge side sensor is lower than the preset temperature, the heating module By operating at a high level, it is configured to prevent overheating of the cooker and at the same time supply steam at an appropriate temperature without a separate hot water tank as a single serving of cooking.
In the hot water mode, when the temperature value detected by the discharge side sensor is higher than the preset temperature, the heating module is operated at a low level, and when the temperature value detected by the discharge side sensor is lower than the preset temperature, the heating module is operated at a high level By doing so, it is configured to supply a predetermined amount of hot water for a predetermined time with the same hardware configuration as the steam mode,
A cooker that can instantly provide steam or hot water for one serving of cooking with one heating module. The method of claim 1,
The heating module is installed vertically so that the liquid is introduced from the lower side and discharged to the upper side,
The inlet side sensor is located on the lower side inside the heating module, the discharge side sensor is located on the upper side inside the heating module,
The cooker further comprising a supply unit connected to the heating module to provide steam or hot water generated by the heating module to a user. delete The method of claim 1,
The control unit controls the amount of the liquid supplied to the heating module to increase in proportion to the temperature value sensed by the inlet side sensor. delete delete a water tank for temporarily storing water at room temperature;
a heating module receiving water from the water storage tank and discharging steam or hot water after heating;
an inlet sensor installed inside the heating module to sense an inlet temperature of the heating module;
a discharge side sensor installed inside the heating module to sense a discharge side temperature of the heating module;
a flow sensor for detecting the flow rate of the water tank;
a flow control device for controlling a flow rate of the liquid supplied from the water storage tank to the heating module;
Steam mode or the heating in which the heating module generates steam by controlling the heating amount of the heating module and the flow rate of the flow control device using the temperature signal detected by the inlet side sensor and the temperature signal detected by the discharge side sensor As a control method for a simple cooking food cooker for instantly generating and providing steam or hot water that has not been prepared in advance according to a user's instruction, including;
determining whether the control unit is a steam mode or a hot water mode;
In the steam mode, receiving the flow rate signal from the flow sensor to determine whether the flow rate is sufficient, when the flow rate is sufficient, operating the flow control device and the heating module in the steam mode;
In the case of hot water mode, receiving the flow rate signal from the flow sensor to determine whether the flow rate is sufficient, and when the flow rate is sufficient, operating the flow rate control device and the heating module in the hot water mode;
Including; providing a water shortage alarm to the user when the flow rate is not sufficient;
In the case of the steam mode,
determining whether the inlet-side temperature received from the inlet-side sensor is lower than a preset temperature T1;
operating the flow control device at a low level when the inlet temperature is lower than a preset temperature, and operating the flow control device at a high level when the inlet temperature is higher than a preset temperature;
determining whether the discharge-side temperature received from the discharge-side sensor is higher than a preset temperature T2;
When the discharge side temperature is higher than the preset temperature, operating the heating module at a low level, and when it is lower than the preset temperature, operating the heating module at a high level; It can be supplied immediately as a single cooking batch without a separate hot water tank.
In hot water mode,
determining whether the discharge side temperature received from the discharge side sensor is higher than a preset temperature T3;
When the discharge side temperature is higher than the preset temperature, operating the heating module at a low level, and when it is lower than the preset temperature, operating the heating module at a high level; including a predetermined amount of hot water with the same hardware configuration as the steam mode It is configured to supply over time,
A control method of a cooker that can instantly provide steam or hot water for one cooking session with one heating module. delete delete

Images