KR20120071987A - A cooking apparatus and method for controlling the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A cooking apparatus and a control method thereof are provided to obtain high efficiency of heating by controlling the location of a support unit. CONSTITUTION: A cooking apparatus comprises a microwave generating unit, a support unit(610), and a control unit(310). The microwave generating unit generates microwaves and outputs the microwaves to inside a cavity. The support unit is placed inside the cavity, and supports food. The control unit changes the location of the support unit. Heating efficiency is calculated using the microwaves according to the location change of the support unit. The microwaves include waves supplied to the cavity and reflected from the cavity. The control unit controls the location of the support unit based on the calculated heating efficiency. An antenna unit emits the generated microwaves to inside the cavity. The antenna unit comprises one or more broadband antennas.

Description

A cooking apparatus and method for controlling the same}

The present invention relates to a cooking apparatus and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a cooking apparatus and a control method of improving the efficiency by moving the support in the cavity according to the heating target.

In general, when a cooking appliance stores and seals food and presses an operation button, a voltage is applied to the high pressure generator, and a commercial voltage applied to the high pressure generator is boosted to power the magnetron generating microwaves, and the magnetron is operated by the magnetron. The generated microwaves are transmitted to the cavity through a wave guide or the like.

At this time, the cooking appliance is to heat the food with friction heat generated by irradiating microwaves generated from the magnetron to the food and vibrating the molecules constituting the food 245 million times per second.

Such a cooking apparatus is easy to control the temperature, it is a situation that is widely spread in the general home due to various advantages such as saving of cooking time, ease of operation.

However, when cooking food using microwaves, the S11 characteristic value, which is the input reflection coefficient of the antenna, is continuously changed during the heating target, the cooking method, and the cooking degree, and the efficiency decreases when using a constant frequency. There is a problem.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cooking apparatus and a method of controlling the same, which are capable of improving energy efficiency by changing the position of the support inside the cavity, calculating the heating efficiency, and heating at the position of the support having good heating efficiency. There is this.

The cooking apparatus according to the present invention for solving the above problems, the microwave generating unit for generating a microwave and output the inside of the cavity, the antenna unit for radiating the generated microwaves into the cavity, and is located in the cavity , The support for supporting the object to be cooked, and the position of the support is changed, the heating efficiency is calculated for each frequency by using microwaves supplied into the cavity and microwaves reflected from the cavity according to the change in the position of the support, calculated heating efficiency And a controller for controlling the position of the support based on the control.

In addition, the control method of the cooking apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention for solving the above problems, generating and outputting a plurality of microwaves for heating the object in the cavity, and the position of the support portion in the cavity Calculating heating efficiency based on microwaves reflected from the inside of the cavity among the plurality of microwaves that are variable and output, and setting the position of the support and outputting the microwaves based on the calculated heating efficiency.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the heating efficiency is calculated by changing the position of the support according to the cooking conditions, and by controlling the position of the support, it is possible to improve the energy efficiency by heating with a heating microwave having a high heating efficiency. .

In addition, by heating the antenna in accordance with the cooking conditions to calculate the heating efficiency, by controlling the rotation of the antenna, it is possible to improve the energy efficiency by heating with a heating microwave having a high heating efficiency.

The energy efficiency can be improved to uniformly heat the cooking object.

1 is a partial perspective view of a cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cooking appliance of FIG.
3 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an example of the inside of the cooking appliance of FIG. 1.
4 is a block diagram schematically illustrating another example of the inside of the cooking appliance of FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram schematically illustrating the interior of the solid state power oscillator of FIG. 4.
6 is a perspective view of a cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a view schematically illustrating the inside of a cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a diagram illustrating the heating efficiency according to the height of the support.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The suffixes "module" and "unit" for components used in the following description are merely given in consideration of ease of preparation of the present specification, and do not impart any particular meaning or role by themselves. Therefore, the "module" and "unit" may be used interchangeably.

1 is a partial perspective view of a cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cooking appliance of FIG.

Referring to the drawings, the cooking appliance 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the door 106 is attached to the cooking window 104 in the front portion of the main body 102 is coupled to open and close, the main body ( The operation panel 108 is coupled to one side of the front of the 102.

The door 106 opens and closes the cavity 134, and although not shown in the drawing, a door choke (not shown) for shielding microwaves may be disposed inside the door 106.

The operation panel 108 includes an operation unit 107 for operating the operation of the cooking appliance, and a display unit 105 for displaying the operation of the cooking appliance, and the like.

The inside of the main body 102 is provided with a cavity 134 having an accommodation space of a predetermined size so that the heating target 140, for example, food is accommodated and cooked by a microwave.

The cavity 134 may be formed in a tubular shape of an approximately rectangular parallelepiped having at least one surface joined to each other and having an open front surface.

For example, the cavity 134 may include an upper plate forming a ceiling, a rear plate forming a rear surface of the cavity 134, and a bottom forming a bottom surface of the cavity 134. It can be formed by a bottom plate (side plate) and the side plate (side plate) forming the side of the cavity (134). On the other hand, the door 106 may be disposed on the front of the cavity 134. In this case, a front plate that forms the front surface of the cavity 134 may be formed in an area other than the door 106.

The microwave generator 110 for generating a microwave is installed on the outer surface of the cavity 134, the microwave generated from the microwave generator 110 on the output side of the microwave generator 110, the cavity A microwave transmitter 112 is disposed for guiding the inside of 134.

The microwave generator 110 may include a magnetron, a solid state power amplifier (SSPA) using a semiconductor, or a solid state power oscillator (SSPO) using a semiconductor. have.

Solid-state power amplifiers (SSPAs) have the advantage of taking up less space than magnetrons. On the other hand, SSPOs do not have a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) and a voltage controlled attenuator (VCA) as compared to a solid state power amplifier (SSPA), thereby providing space. It occupies less and has the advantage of simplifying the circuit configuration.

Meanwhile, the solid state power amplifier (SSPA) or the solid state power oscillator (SSPO) may include hybrid microwave integrated circuits including passive elements (capacitors and inductors) and active elements (transistors, etc.) for amplification; HMIC), or passive elements and active elements may be implemented as single high frequency integrated circuits (MMICs) implemented with one substrate.

The microwave generator 110 may implement a solid state power amplifier (SSPA) or a solid state power oscillator (SSPO) as one module, which may be referred to as a solid state power module (SSPM). .

Meanwhile, according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the microwave generator 110 may generate and output a plurality of microwaves. The frequency range of such microwaves may be around 900 MHz to 2500 Hz. In particular, it may be within a predetermined range around 915 MHz or within a predetermined range around 2450 MHz.

The microwave transmitter 112 transmits the microwave generated and output by the microwave generator 110 to the cavity 134. The microwave transmitter 112 may include a transmission line. The transmission line may be implemented by a waveguide, a microstrip line, a coaxial cable, or the like. In order to send the generated microwaves to the microwave transmitter 112, as shown in the figure, the feeder 142 may be connected.

On the other hand, the microwave transmission unit 112, as shown in the drawing can be implemented in the form of opening with the opening 145 into the cavity 134.

On the other hand, the opening 145 may be formed in various forms such as a slot form. Through the opening 145, the microwaves are released to the cavity 134.

Meanwhile, although one opening 145 is illustrated above the cavity 134 in the drawing, the opening 145 may be disposed below or on the side of the cavity 134, and a plurality of openings may be disposed. It is also possible.

In addition, an antenna may be coupled to the end of the microwave transmitter 112.

Below the microwave generator 110, a power supply 114 for supplying power to the microwave generator 110 is provided.

The power supply unit 114 may include a high voltage transformer for supplying power to the microwave generator 110 by boosting the power input to the cooking apparatus 100 to a high pressure, or generated by one or more switching elements performing a switching operation. An inverter for supplying a high output voltage of about 3500V or more to the microwave generator 110 may be provided.

Meanwhile, a cooling fan (not shown) for cooling the microwave generator 110 may be installed around the microwave generator 110.

Although not shown in the figure, a resonance mode converter (not shown) for resonant mode conversion in the cavity 134 may be disposed. Examples of the resonance mode converter (not shown) may include at least one of a stirrer, a rotation table, a sliding table, and a field adjustment element (FAE). Among them, the rotary table and the sliding table may be disposed under the cavity 134, and the stirrer may be disposed at various positions such as the lower, side, and upper portions of the cavity.

In the above-described cooking apparatus 100, after the user opens the door 106, puts the heating object 140 into the cavity 134, closes the door 106, or closes the door 106 and the operation panel 108. In particular, when the start button (not shown) is operated by operating the operation unit 107, the operation is performed.

That is, the power supply unit 114 in the cooking apparatus 100 boosts the input AC power to a high-pressure DC power supply to supply the microwave generator 110, and the microwave generator 110 supplies the corresponding microwave. It generates and outputs, the microwave transmitter 112 transmits the generated microwave to be emitted to the cavity 134. Accordingly, the heating target 140, for example, the food inside the cavity 134 is heated.

3 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an example of the inside of the cooking appliance of FIG. 1.

Referring to the block diagram of FIG. 3, the cooking apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may include a microwave generator 110, a microwave transmitter 112, a cavity 134, a controller 310, and It may include a power supply 114.

The microwave generator 110 includes a frequency oscillator 332, a level adjuster 334, an amplifier 336, a directional coupler 338, a first power detector 342, and a second power detector 346. , A microwave control unit 350, a power supply unit 360, and an isolation unit 364. This exemplifies a case composed of a solid state power amplifier (SSPA).

Such components may be configured by combining two or more components into one component, or by dividing one or more components into two or more components as necessary when implemented in an actual application.

The frequency oscillator 332 oscillates to output a microwave of a corresponding frequency by a frequency control signal from the microwave control unit 350. The frequency oscillator 322 may include a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO). According to the voltage level of the frequency control signal, the voltage controlled oscillator VCO oscillates a corresponding frequency. For example, the greater the voltage level of the frequency control signal, the greater the frequency generated by oscillation in the voltage controlled oscillator VCO.

The level adjuster 334 may oscillate the frequency signal oscillated by the frequency oscillator 332 to output a microwave at a corresponding power according to the power control signal. The level adjuster 334 may include a voltage controlled attenuator (VCA).

According to the voltage level of the power control signal, the voltage control attenuation unit VCA performs a correction operation so that microwaves are output at a corresponding power. For example, the greater the voltage level of the power control signal, the greater the power level of the signal output from the voltage control attenuation unit VCA.

The amplifier 336 amplifies the oscillated frequency signal based on the frequency signal oscillated by the frequency oscillator 332 and the power control signal by the level adjuster 334 to output a microwave.

 The directional coupler (DC) 338 transmits the microwaves amplified by the amplifier 336 to the microwave transmitter 112. The microwave output from the microwave transmitter 112 heats the object in the cavity 134.

Meanwhile, microwaves that are not absorbed and reflected by the object in the cavity 134 may be input to the directional coupler 338 through the microwave transmitter 112 again. The directional coupler 338 delivers the reflected microwaves to the microwave control unit 350.

On the other hand, the directional coupler 338 may include a first power detector 342 for detecting the power of the microwave output, and a second power detector 346 for detecting the power of the reflected microwaves. The first power detector 342 and the second power detector 346 may be disposed between the directional coupler 338 and the microwave controller 350 and may be disposed on the directional coupler 338 in a circuit.

The first power detector 342 detects the output power of the microwaves amplified by the amplifier 336 and output to the microwave transmitter 112 via the directional coupler 338. The detected power signal is input to the microwave control unit 350 to be used for calculating the heating efficiency. The first power detector 342 may be implemented with a resistor, a Schottky diode device, or the like for power detection.

Meanwhile, the second power detector 346 detects the power of the reflected microwaves reflected by the cavity 134 and received by the directional coupler 338. The detected power signal is input to the microwave control unit 350 to be used for calculating the heating efficiency. The second power detector 346 may be implemented with a resistor, a Schottky diode device, or the like for power detection.

The microwave control unit 350 operates by receiving driving power from the power supply unit 360 constituting the microwave generation unit 110. The microwave control unit 350 may communicate with the control unit 310 to control the operation of the components of the microwave generation unit 110.

The microwave controller 350 may calculate the heating efficiency based on the microwaves reflected without being absorbed by the object among the microwaves emitted into the cavity 134.

Here, Pt represents the power of the microwave emitted into the cavity 134, Pr represents the power of the microwave reflected from the cavity 134, he represents the heating efficiency of the microwave.

According to Equation 1, the heating efficiency he becomes smaller as the power of the microwave to be reflected increases.

On the other hand, when a plurality of microwaves are emitted into the cavity 134, the microwave control unit 350 calculates the heating efficiency (he) for each frequency of the plurality of microwaves. This heating efficiency calculation, according to an embodiment of the present invention, can be performed during the entire cooking period.

On the other hand, for efficient heating, the entire cooking section may be performed by dividing the scan section and the heating section. During the scan period, the plurality of microwaves may be sequentially output into the cavity 134 and the heating efficiency may be calculated based on the reflected microwaves. During the heating section, based on the heating efficiency calculated in the scan section, the output period of each microwave is outputted differently, or only a microwave of a predetermined frequency is output. The power of the microwave in the heating section is preferably significantly higher than the power of the microwave in the scan section.

The microwave controller 350 generates and outputs a frequency control signal to vary the output period of the microwave according to the calculated heating efficiency. The frequency oscillator 332 oscillates a corresponding frequency according to the input frequency control signal.

The microwave control unit 350 generates a frequency control signal so that the output period of the microwave is shortened when the calculated heating efficiency he is high. That is, while sequentially sweeping a plurality of microwaves, the output period of each microwave can be varied according to the calculated heating efficiency. In other words, the higher the heating efficiency he, the smaller the corresponding output period. Accordingly, the microwaves can be uniformly absorbed by the heating object in the cavity 134 for each frequency, and the heating object can be uniformly heated.

On the other hand, the microwave control unit 350, it is also possible to control to output the microwave of the corresponding frequency only when the heating efficiency (he) calculated for each frequency is more than the set reference heating efficiency. That is, the microwave of low frequency heating efficiency (he) is excluded from the actual heating period, it is possible to efficiently heat the heating object efficiently.

Meanwhile, the directional coupler 338, including the microwave control unit 350, the power supply unit 360, the frequency oscillator 332, the level control unit 334, and the amplifier 336 in the microwave generation unit 110 described above. The first power detector 342, the second power detector 346, and the like may be implemented as one module. That is, it is possible to be all disposed on one substrate, to be implemented as one module.

The microwave control unit 350 calculates the heating efficiency for each frequency based on the microwaves reflected from the inside of the cavity 134 without being absorbed by the food among the microwaves output into the cavity 134, and the calculated heating. A microwave of a frequency whose efficiency is equal to or greater than a set reference heating efficiency can be calculated. The heating time can be calculated based on the calculated heating efficiency of the microwave. For example, the heating efficiency is greater than or equal to the set reference heating efficiency, and the higher the heating efficiency is, the smaller the heating time of the microwave of the corresponding frequency can be set. Thereby, uniform heating of a heating object can be performed.

Meanwhile, the microwave control unit 350 outputs a microwave for heating the food in the cavity 134 to the cavity 134 based on the calculated heating efficiency. To control. At this time, when heating, the power of the microwave output to the cavity 134 is preferably significantly greater than the power of the microwave output to the cavity 134 when measuring the heating efficiency.

On the other hand, the microwave control unit 350, when the heating efficiency based on the microwaves reflected from the inside of the cavity 134 of the microwaves output in the heating section is less than the reference heating efficiency, and stops the output of the microwave of the frequency, The microwave generator 110 may be controlled to output the microwave of the next frequency. By this, efficient heating can be performed.

In addition, the microwave controller 350 calculates heating efficiency for each of the plurality of microwaves based on the microwaves reflected from the inside of the cavity 134 among the microwaves output by the amplifier 336. Depending on the heating efficiency, it is possible to set the heating time for each microwave during the heating period.

At this time, the microwave control unit 350, for example, when the first microwave of the plurality of microwaves has a higher heating efficiency than the second microwave, the heating time of the first microwave than the heating time of the second microwave It can be set shorter.

When heating, the microwave control unit 350 may output the same power control signal to the microwave generating unit 110 for each microwave. In addition, the level adjusting unit 334 may output a constant power level according to the input power control signal.

The power supply unit 360 supplies the driving power for the components inside the microwave generating unit 110. The driving power is supplied to the microwave control unit 350 and the amplifier 336. The external power is supplied from the power supply unit 114 to regulate power to the inside of the microwave generator 110.

The isolation unit 364 is disposed between the amplifier 336 and the directional coupler 338, and passes the microwaves when passing the microwaves amplified by the amplifier 336 to the cavity 134. The microwaves reflected from 134 block. The isolation unit 364 may be implemented as an isolator. The microwaves reflected from the cavity 134 are absorbed by the resistance inside the isolation 364 and cannot enter the amplifier 336. The reflected microwaves are prevented from entering the amplifier 336.

The microwave transmitter 112 transmits the microwave generated and output by the microwave generator 110 to the cavity 134. The microwave transmitter 112 may include a transmission line. The transmission line may be implemented by a waveguide, a microstrip line, a coaxial cable, or the like.

Meanwhile, in order to transmit the generated microwaves to the microwave transmitter 112, the feeder 142 may be connected as shown in the drawing.

The control unit 310 controls the entire system of the cooking appliance in response to the signal received from the operation unit 107. The controller 310 may communicate with the microwave controller 350 of the microwave generator 110 to control the operation of internal components of the microwave generator 110. The controller 310 may control the display unit 105 to externally display the current operation of the cooking appliance, the remaining cooking time, the type of cooking, and the like.

The power supply unit 114 may include a high voltage transformer for supplying power to the microwave generator 110 by boosting the power input to the cooking apparatus 100 to a high pressure, or generated by one or more switching elements performing a switching operation. An inverter for supplying a high output voltage of about 3500V or more to the microwave generator 110 may be provided. In addition, the power supply unit 114 supplies a driving voltage to the control unit 310.

Meanwhile, a block diagram of the cooking appliance 100 shown in FIG. 3 is a block diagram for one embodiment of the present invention. Each component of the block diagram may be integrated, added, or omitted according to the specifications of the cooking apparatus 100 that is actually implemented. That is, two or more constituent elements may be combined into one constituent element, or one constituent element may be constituted by two or more constituent elements, if necessary. In addition, the functions performed in each block are intended to illustrate the embodiments of the present invention, and the specific operations and apparatuses do not limit the scope of the present invention.

4 is a block diagram schematically illustrating another example of the inside of the cooking appliance of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, unlike the microwave generator 110 described above with reference to FIG. 3, a block diagram of a cooking apparatus including a solid power oscillator (SSPO) is shown.

The same components as those described above in FIG. 3 will be omitted.

The microwave generator 110 may include a microwave controller 350, a power supply unit 360, a phase shifter 362, an amplifier 336, an isolation unit 364, and a directional coupler 338.

As described above, the directional coupler 338 may include a first power detector 342 and a second power detector 346.

There is a difference in that the frequency oscillator 322 and the level adjuster 334 existing in the microwave generator 110 of FIG. 3 are not included, and a phase shifter 362 is added. Referring to the difference from FIG. 3, the microwave control unit 350 outputs the microwave unit 336 to output the microwave for heating the food in the cavity to the cavity 134 based on the calculated heating efficiency he. To control.

The amplifier 336 receives the DC power from the power supply unit 360 and performs its own frequency oscillation and amplification. That is, without an additional frequency oscillator for generating and outputting a frequency oscillation signal, it performs frequency oscillation by itself according to the input of the DC power supply and performs an amplification operation.

The amplifier 336 may include at least one RF power transistor, and when a plurality of RF power transistors are used, the amplifier 336 may be implemented in series, parallel, serial, or parallel mixing to implement multistage amplification. The amplifier 336 may be, for example, an RF power transistor. On the other hand, the output of the amplifier 336 may be approximately 100 to 1000W.

Next, the phase shifter 362 may feed back the output of the amplifier 336 to shift the phase. The amount of phase shift may be adjusted according to the phase control signal of the microwave controller 350. By phase shifting the amplified signal of the predetermined frequency output from the amplifier in this way, it is possible to generate microwaves of various frequencies as described above. For example, the frequency may increase in proportion to the amount of phase shift.

On the other hand, it is preferable that a signal corresponding to approximately 1 to 2% of the amplified signal level at a predetermined frequency is sampled and input to the phase shifter 362. This is considered to be amplified by the amplifier 336 again after the feedback.

Next, the isolation unit 364 supplies the phase shifted signal from the phase shifter 362 to the amplifier 336 again. On the other hand, when the level of the phase shifted signal by the phase shifter 362 is less than the set value, the isolation unit 364 may supply the phase shifted signal to the ground terminal instead of the amplifier 336.

The signal supplied from the isolation unit 364 is amplified again by the amplifier 336. Accordingly, a plurality of microwaves having different frequencies are sequentially output.

As such, since the amplifier 336 performs oscillation and amplification of itself, the microwave generator 110 may be simply implemented. In addition, a plurality of microwaves can be generated and output using the phase shifter 362.

FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram schematically illustrating the interior of the solid state power oscillator of FIG. 4.

Referring to the drawings, the solid state power oscillator SSPO of FIG. 5 includes an amplifier 336, a phase shifter 362, a first isolation unit 364, and a second isolation unit 366.

The amplifier 336 receives the DC power from the power supply unit 360 and performs its own frequency oscillation and amplification. That is, without an additional frequency oscillator for generating and outputting a frequency oscillation signal, it performs frequency oscillation by itself according to the input of the DC power supply and performs an amplification operation.

The amplifier 336 may include at least one RF power transistor, and when a plurality of RF power transistors are used, the amplifier 336 may be implemented in series, parallel, serial, or parallel mixing to implement multistage amplification. The amplifier 336 may be, for example, an RF power transistor. On the other hand, the output of the amplifier 336 may be approximately 100 to 1000W.

Next, the phase shifter 362 may feed back the output of the amplifier 336 to shift the phase. The amount of phase shift may be adjusted according to the phase control signal of the controller 310. By phase shifting the amplified signal of the predetermined frequency output from the amplifier in this way, it is possible to generate microwaves of various frequencies as described above. For example, the frequency may increase in proportion to the amount of phase shift.

On the other hand, it is preferable that a signal corresponding to approximately 1 to 2% of the amplified signal level at a predetermined frequency is sampled and input to the phase shifter 362. This is considered to be amplified by the amplifier 336 again after the feedback.

The first isolator 364 is located between the amplifier 336 and the directional coupler 338, and passes the microwave amplified by the amplifier 336 to the cavity 134, and passes through the microwave. The microwaves reflected from the cavity 134 are blocked. The first isolation unit 364 may be implemented as an isolator. The microwaves reflected from the cavity 134 are absorbed by the resistance inside the first isolation 364 and cannot enter the amplifier 336. The reflected microwaves are prevented from entering the amplifier 336. Specifically, the first isolator 364 allows the amplified microwave to be supplied to the microwave transmitter 112 via the directional coupler 338. On the other hand, when the signal level of the microwave supplied from the amplifier 336 is less than the set value, the first isolator 364 may supply the microwave to the ground terminal instead of the microwave transmitter 112.

Next, the second isolation unit 366 supplies the phase shifted signal from the phase shifter 362 to the amplifier 336 again. On the other hand, when the phase shifted signal level of the phase shifter 362 is less than the set value, the second isolator 366 may supply the phase shifted signal to the ground terminal instead of the amplifier 336.

The signal supplied from the second isolation unit 366 is amplified again by the amplifier 336. Accordingly, a plurality of microwaves having different frequencies are sequentially output.

The feedback transmission line 390 is a transmission line connecting the output terminal of the amplifier 336 and the phase shifter 362. The phase shifter 362 may be positioned in the feedback transmission line 390 and may be formed of an impedance element such as a switch and / or a diode.

6 is a perspective view of a cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The cooking apparatus 600 may include a cavity 134, a support 610, an antenna 620, and a tray 630.

The cavity 134 is a space where the food 640 is cooked, and may be molded into a rectangular box shape having an open front surface. The cavity 134 may adjust the height inside the cavity 134, and may include a support 610 that may support the tray 630, the food 640, and the like so that the food 640 is cooked evenly. A tray 630 for rotating the food 640 therein may be provided in the internal space.

The support 610 may be, for example, a rack, and by having the support 610, the food 640 may be closer to a heater (not shown), thereby reducing the cooking time. In addition, a change in frequency-specific heating efficiency of the microwave generated according to the height h of the support 610 from the bottom surface of the cavity 134 may occur.

The support part 610 is provided for wide dishes, such as steak, above the tray 630, and the upper surface of the support part 610 has a plurality of cylindrical shapes having a plurality of constant diameters such that the food 640 is supported. It may be formed into a rod, such a plurality of cylindrical rods may be formed into a rod having the same diameter, it may be fixed to the circular rim inner peripheral surface having a predetermined diameter and molded. In addition, the circular border may be formed by connecting a plurality of supports downward.

However, the shape of the support part 610 shown in the figure is only an example, It is not limited to drawing.

In order to adjust the height of the support part 610, the cavity 134 supports a holder (not shown) which can move up and down while supporting the support part 610, and a holder guide (not shown) which guides the vertical movement of the holder (not shown). It can be provided further.

The antenna unit 620 radiates the microwaves generated by the microwave generator 110 to the cavity 134. The antenna unit 620 may include at least one antenna. According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the antenna unit 620 includes one broadband antenna, the change in heating efficiency is particularly large according to the position of the support unit 610, and the food 640 only at a specific height h. ) Heating effect evenly.

In addition, the antenna unit 620 may include a rotating antenna. The controller 310 may calculate the heating efficiency while rotating the rotating antenna, and control the rotation of the rotating antenna when the number of frequencies having the heating efficiency higher than the reference heating efficiency is greatest.

The position change algorithm of the rotating antenna and the support unit 610 will be described later.

Although not shown, the tray 630 is rotated so that the food 640 can be cooked evenly by the rotary motor and the plurality of rotating members provided at the lower side of the cavity 134. In general, the tray 630 is shaped into a disc shape, and is recessed downwardly so that the bottom surface has a predetermined width so that food and beverage can be stored. The center portion of the lower surface of the tray 630 is provided with a fastening means which is fastened to the rotary motor and a plurality of rotating members so that the tray 630 is rotatable.

7 is a view schematically illustrating the inside of a cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The cooking apparatus 700 may include a control unit 310, a support unit 610, an antenna unit 620, a microwave control unit 350, an amplifier 336, and a directional coupler 338.

The control unit 310 may control the position of the support unit 610 and the rotation of the rotating antenna constituting the antenna unit 620 in addition to the above-described function, and the microwave control unit 350 inside the microwave generating unit 110 In communication, the position of the support unit 610 and the rotation of the rotating antenna constituting the antenna unit 620 may be controlled based on the heating efficiency calculated by the microwave control unit 350.

Specifically, the control unit 310 receives the information on the heating efficiency inside the current cavity 134 from the microwave control unit 350, if the current heating efficiency is lower than the reference heating efficiency, the position of the support 610 up and down By moving to, and controlled to calculate the heating efficiency inside the cavity 134 through the microwave control unit 350, to determine the position of the support 610 having a good heating efficiency to fix the position of the support 610 in the corresponding position do. Alternatively, even when the predetermined height is moved, the position of the support part 610 can be fixed.

If the support unit 610 has a predetermined height h from the bottom of the cavity 134, the control unit 310 includes information about the number of frequencies of which the calculated heating efficiency is higher than the reference heating efficiency if the number of frequencies is greater than or equal to the predetermined number. Received through the microwave control unit 350, it can be controlled to heat the food 640 to generate and output the microwave at the corresponding height.

In addition, when the support part 610 has a predetermined height h from the bottom of the cavity 134, when the calculated heating efficiency is not higher than the reference heating efficiency, the rotation constituting the antenna part 620 again at the corresponding position. By rotating the antenna, the microwave control unit 350 may be controlled to calculate the heating efficiency as the degree of rotation is changed.

The microwave control unit 350 determines a case where the calculated heating efficiency is the maximum number of frequencies higher than the reference heating efficiency, and transmits the information about it to the control unit 310, and the control unit 310 calculates the calculated heating efficiency. The rotation of the rotating antenna can be controlled when the frequency higher than the reference heating efficiency is maximum.

The controller 310 may control the microwave controller 350 to generate and output microwaves to heat the food 640 at a corresponding rotation.

Then, as the food 640 is heated, a change occurs in the input reflection coefficient S11 parameter, and the heating efficiency also changes continuously. Accordingly, the control unit 310 may control the microwave control unit 350 so as to search for microwaves having a high frequency of heating efficiency while moving the position of the support unit 610 upward or downward.

Even in this case, if there is no number of microwaves whose frequency is higher than the reference heating efficiency, the controller 310 may measure the heating efficiency while controlling the rotation of the rotating antenna constituting the antenna unit 620 again. If the frequency at which the heating efficiency at a specific rotation is higher than the reference heating efficiency is maximum, the rotation of the rotating antenna may be controlled to rotate at the specific rotation.

On the other hand, by comparing the heating efficiency calculated by varying the position of the support 610 and the heating efficiency calculated by rotating the rotating antenna constituting the antenna unit 620 separately, the frequency of the heating efficiency higher than the reference heating efficiency If the number is larger, the rotation of the rotating antenna constituting the antenna unit 620 or the position of the support unit 610 may be controlled.

In addition, the control unit 310 is the position of the support unit 610 or the antenna unit in a position where the heating efficiency calculated by the microwave control unit 350 has a frequency band of the heating mode composed of microwaves having a frequency higher than the reference heating efficiency is the widest. It is possible to control the rotation of the rotating antenna constituting (620).

The microwave control unit 350 may calculate the heating efficiency through the directional coupler directional coupler through the first power detector 342 and the second power detector 346, and controls the amplifier 336 to generate microwaves. , Can be controlled to output.

The microwave controller 350 may transmit the calculated information about the heating efficiency to the controller 310 and receive a command regarding the operation of the amplifier 336.

8 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of the cooking appliance according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The microwave generator 110 may generate and output a plurality of microwaves under the control of the microwave controller 350 (S810).

The control unit 310 controls the microwave control unit 350 to calculate the heating efficiency of the microwave currently output while moving the position of the support unit 620, the microwave control unit 350 calculates the heating efficiency. (S820)

The controller 310 may fix the support part 610 at the position where the number of frequencies having the heating efficiency higher than the reference heating efficiency is greatest. Alternatively, the control unit 310 may fix the support 610 to a position where the frequency band of the heating mode, in which the calculated heating efficiency is made of a heating microwave having a frequency higher than the reference heating efficiency, is widest.

The controller 310 may control the microwave control unit 350 to generate and output a plurality of microwaves to heat the food while the position of the support unit 610 is fixed.

9 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 controls the operation of the cooking appliance in consideration of heating efficiency that varies according to the degree of rotation of the rotating antenna constituting the antenna unit 620 instead of only moving the position of the support 610 in the flowchart shown in FIG. 8. Is a flowchart of how to do it.

Specifically, the control unit 310 controls the microwave control unit 350 to calculate the heating efficiency of the microwave currently being output while moving the position of the support unit 620, the microwave control unit 350 is heated Calculate the efficiency (S920).

The microwave control unit 350 compares the heating efficiency with the reference heating efficiency (S930) and when the heating efficiency is higher than the reference heating efficiency, the microwave control unit 350 generates and outputs a microwave having a corresponding frequency to produce the food 640 in the cavity 134. Heat (S970)

On the other hand, if the heating efficiency is lower than the reference heating efficiency, the control unit 310 rotates the rotating antenna constituting the antenna unit 620 in a state where the position of the support unit 610 is fixed (S940).

While rotating the rotating antenna, the heating efficiency of the microwave output in the cavity 134 is calculated (S950), and the calculated heating efficiency is higher than the reference heating efficiency by comparing the calculated heating efficiency with the reference heating efficiency (S960). When the microwave having a corresponding frequency is generated and output, the food 640 inside the cavity 134 may be heated (S970).

If the heating efficiency is less than the reference heating efficiency even if the rotating antenna constituting the antenna unit 620 is rotated, the controller 310 changes the position of the support 610 again, and calculates the heating efficiency inside the cavity 134. The process can be repeated.

That is, the support 610 is moved up and down by a predetermined height, and after determining whether the food 640 is uniformly heated at a predetermined height, if the heating is uniformly continued, and if the heating is not uniformly While rotating the rotating antenna constituting the antenna unit 620, it is again determined whether the food 640 is uniformly heated. Even in this case, if the food 640 is uniformly heated, the heating is continued, and if the food 640 is not heated uniformly, the support 610 is moved upward and downward by a predetermined height again to lower the cavity 134. The process of calculating the heating efficiency inside the cavity 134 is repeated while varying the height from.

Although not shown, the heating efficiency calculated by varying the position of the support 610 and the heating efficiency calculated by rotating the rotating antenna constituting the antenna unit 620 are compared to provide a heating efficiency higher than the reference heating efficiency. The position of the support 610 or the rotation of the rotating antenna constituting the antenna unit 620 may be adjusted to have a greater number of frequencies.

10 is a diagram illustrating the heating efficiency according to the height of the support.

Fig. 10 (a) shows the relationship between the frequency and heating efficiency when the height of the support is h1 from the bottom of the cavity, and Fig. 10 (b) shows the frequency when the height of the support is h2 from the bottom of the cavity; It is a figure which shows the relationship between heating efficiency.

In particular, when the number of antennas is one, the food 640 may be uniformly heated only when the support 610 is located at a specific height h2 in the cavity 134.

Referring to the heating efficiency curve when the height of the support part 610 is h1 as shown in FIG. 10 (a), the number of frequencies f1, f2 and f3 whose heating efficiency is higher than the reference heating efficiency is one f2, and the heating efficiency value Is not much higher than the reference heating efficiency. However, in the case of FIG. 10 (b), as the position of the support part 610 is moved from the bottom surface of the cavity 134 to the position having the height of h 2, the heating efficiency also changes, and the heating efficiency is higher than the reference heating efficiency. The number of frequencies having heating efficiency is also f2 and f3, and the heating efficiency value is higher than the reference heating efficiency value than in FIG.

However, this is a case where three frequencies generated and output are related to one period. The number of generated and output frequencies is not limited thereto, and the frequency of the output frequencies may be plural and is not limited to the drawings.

By having a plurality of cycles, a heating mode, which is a collection of frequencies having a heating efficiency higher than the reference heating efficiency, may also appear in plural, and the control unit 310 moves the position of the support 610 to a position where the frequency band of the heating mode is widest. The rotation of the rotating antenna constituting the antenna unit 620 can be controlled.

Meanwhile, the cooking apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described with reference to a cooking apparatus using microwaves, but is not limited thereto and may be combined with various cooking apparatuses. For example, a cooking appliance using a microwave according to an embodiment of the present invention may be coupled to a cooking appliance in the form of an oven using a heater as a heating source. As another example, as a heating source, a cooking appliance using a microwave according to an embodiment of the present invention may be combined with a cooking appliance using an induction heating heater. As another example, as a heating source, a cooking appliance using a magnetron may be combined with a cooking appliance using a microwave according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The cooking apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to the configuration and method of the embodiments described as described above, the embodiments are all or part of each embodiment can be selectively combined so that various modifications can be made It may be configured.

In addition, although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described above, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, but the technical field to which the invention belongs without departing from the spirit of the invention claimed in the claims. Of course, various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art, and these modifications should not be individually understood from the technical spirit or the prospect of the present invention.

100,600: cooking appliance 110: microwave generation unit
112: microwave transmission unit 114: power supply unit
134: cavity 310: control unit
338: directional coupler 342: first power detector
346: second power detection unit 364: second isolation unit
350: microwave control unit 336: amplifying unit
360: power supply 362: phase shifter
610: support portion 620: antenna portion
630: tray 640: food

Claims (17)

A microwave generator for generating a microwave and outputting the inside of the cavity;
Located in the cavity, the support for supporting the cooking object; And
Change the position of the support, and calculate heating efficiency for each frequency using microwaves supplied into the cavity and microwaves reflected from the cavity according to the change of the position of the support, and based on the calculated heating efficiency And a control unit for controlling the position of the support unit. The method of claim 1,
Further comprising an antenna for radiating the generated microwaves into the cavity,
The antenna unit, cooking apparatus characterized in that it comprises at least one broadband antenna. The method of claim 2,
The antenna unit,
Cooking apparatus comprising a rotating antenna. The method of claim 3, wherein
The control unit,
And cooking the heating efficiency by rotating the rotating antenna, and further controlling the rotation of the rotating antenna based on the calculated heating efficiency. The method of claim 3, wherein
The control unit is fixed to the position of the support, cooking apparatus, characterized in that for controlling the rotation of the rotary antenna based on the heating efficiency calculated by rotating the rotary antenna. The method of claim 3, wherein
The control unit,
And controlling the rotation of the rotating antenna so that the number of frequencies having a heating efficiency higher than a reference heating efficiency is greatest. The method of claim 3, wherein
The control unit,
And the heating efficiency is controlled to rotate the rotating antenna such that the frequency band of the heating mode, which is made of a heating microwave having a frequency higher than the reference heating efficiency, is widest. The method of claim 1,
The control unit,
And the heating unit controls the position of the support unit such that the frequency band of the heating mode including the microwave for heating having a frequency higher than the reference heating efficiency is widest. The method of claim 1,
The control unit,
Cooking apparatus, characterized in that for controlling the position of the support so that the maximum number of frequencies having a heating efficiency higher than the reference heating efficiency. The method of claim 1,
And a microwave transmitter for transmitting a plurality of microwaves from the microwave generator into the cavity. The method of claim 1,
The microwave generator,
And an amplifier for outputting microwaves amplified by performing frequency oscillation and amplification. Generating and outputting a plurality of microwaves for heating the object inside the cavity;
Calculating heating efficiency based on microwaves reflected from the inside of the cavity among the plurality of microwaves outputted while varying the position of the support inside the cavity; and
And setting the position of the support and outputting a microwave based on the calculated heating efficiency. 13. The method of claim 12,
The control method of the cooking apparatus, characterized in that for fixing the support at the position of the set support, to rotate the rotary antenna to set the rotation of the rotary antenna based on the calculated heating efficiency and to output a microwave. 13. The method of claim 12,
The position of the support portion, the control method of the cooking appliance, characterized in that the number of the frequency having a higher heating efficiency than the reference heating efficiency is set to the largest position. 13. The method of claim 12,
The position of the support portion,
The heating method is a control method of a cooking appliance, characterized in that the frequency band of the heating mode consisting of a heating microwave having a frequency higher than the reference heating efficiency is set to the widest position. The method of claim 13,
Rotation of the rotating antenna,
The control method of the cooking appliance, characterized in that the number of the frequency having a heating efficiency higher than the reference heating efficiency is set to the largest position. The method of claim 13,
Rotation of the rotating antenna,
The heating method is a control method of a cooking appliance, characterized in that the frequency band of the heating mode consisting of a heating microwave having a frequency higher than the reference heating efficiency is set to the widest position.

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