Cooking equipment and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of kitchen ware, in particular to cooking equipment and a control method thereof. A cooking space with a heat preservation function is defined in the cooking equipment, the cooking equipment is further provided with a dehumidification device and a water supplementing device, the dehumidification device is used for reducing the humidity of the cooking space, and the water supplementing device is used for increasing the water content of food in the cooking space. The control method comprises the steps that the heat preservation function is started; obtaining the water content of food in the cooking space; according to the water content, the operation states of the dehumidification device and the water supplementing device are adjusted, so that the water content of the food is kept within a set threshold value interval till the heat preservation stopping condition is met. Based on the method provided by the invention, the cooking equipment can bidirectionally adjust the water content of the food in the heat preservation process, so that the taste of the food is kept unchanged after heat preservation, and the problem that the taste of the food becomes poor due to excessive water absorption or insufficient water of the food caused by long-time heat preservation is avoided; and the use experience of the user is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of kitchenware, and in particular to a cooking device and its control method. Background Technology

[0002] As people's living standards improve, more and more people are paying attention to the quality of their food. Most rice cookers on the market have a keep-warm function. If the rice isn't eaten immediately after cooking, it will gradually lose moisture during the keep-warm process. As the keep-warm time increases, the softness or firmness of the rice changes, leading to a decline in flavor and texture, thus affecting the eating experience. Keeping rice warm for too long can significantly impact its texture, making it too soft and affecting the eating experience. To prevent the rice from becoming too dry and hard, some rice cookers include a water replenishment module to add moisture to the rice during the keep-warm process.

[0003] However, most rice cookers on the market only have a water replenishment function, which cannot reduce the moisture content of rice when it is too wet. This can easily lead to food absorbing too much water due to prolonged heat preservation, which seriously affects the taste of the food and results in a poor user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above problems, the present invention proposes a cooking device and a control method thereof that overcomes or at least partially solves the above problems.

[0005] A first aspect of the present invention aims to provide a method for controlling a cooking apparatus that ensures the taste of food remains unchanged after it has been kept warm.

[0006] A further objective of this invention is to ensure the accuracy of adjusting the moisture content of food, thereby further ensuring food quality.

[0007] Another further objective of this invention is to optimize the control logic and improve the accuracy of the assessment criteria for the moisture content of food.

[0008] The second aspect of this invention aims to provide a cooking device using the above-described control method to improve the user experience.

[0009] In particular, according to one aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling a cooking apparatus is provided.

[0010] The cooking equipment is designed with a heat-preserving cooking space. It also includes a dehumidifier and a water replenishment device. The dehumidifier reduces the humidity in the cooking space, while the water replenishment device increases the moisture content of the food within the cooking space. The control methods include:

[0011] Activate the heat preservation function;

[0012] To obtain the moisture content of food within the cooking space;

[0013] Adjust the operation of the dehumidifier and water replenishment device according to the moisture content to keep the moisture content of the food within the set threshold range until the conditions for terminating the heat preservation are met.

[0014] Furthermore, based on the moisture content, the operating status of the dehumidification device and the water replenishment device are adjusted to maintain the moisture content of the food within a set threshold range, including:

[0015] Determine whether the moisture content exceeds the upper limit of the set threshold range;

[0016] If so, the dehumidification device will be activated until the dehumidification conditions are met;

[0017] If not, determine whether the moisture content is less than the lower limit of the set threshold range;

[0018] If the value is less than the specified value, the water replenishment device will be activated until the water replenishment conditions are met.

[0019] Furthermore, the dehumidification device is controlled to start until the dehumidification completion conditions are met, including:

[0020] Control the dehumidifier to start and begin the dehumidification timer;

[0021] When the cumulative time of dehumidification reaches the preset dehumidification time, the system determines that the dehumidification completion condition has been met and controls the dehumidification device to stop operating.

[0022] Furthermore, the water replenishment device is activated until the conditions for water replenishment completion are met, including:

[0023] The water replenishment device is activated and a water replenishment timer begins.

[0024] When the cumulative duration of the water replenishment timer reaches the preset water replenishment time, it is determined that the water replenishment completion condition has been met, and the water replenishment device is controlled to stop operating.

[0025] Furthermore, prior to activating the heat preservation function, the control method also includes:

[0026] Update the set threshold range in response to the fulfillment of cooking completion conditions.

[0027] Furthermore, in response to meeting the cooking completion conditions, the set threshold range is updated, including:

[0028] In response to the cooking completion conditions being met, the dehumidification device is activated until the dehumidification completion conditions are met.

[0029] Obtain the initial moisture content of the food within the cooking space;

[0030] The difference between the initial moisture content and the preset moisture content is used as the lower threshold, and the sum of the initial moisture content and the preset moisture content is used as the upper threshold. The threshold range formed by the lower threshold and the upper threshold is updated to the set threshold range.

[0031] Furthermore, the cooking equipment pre-stores the correspondence between food types and set threshold ranges; and

[0032] In response to the fulfillment of cooking completion conditions, update the set threshold range, including:

[0033] In response to the fulfillment of cooking completion conditions, the type of food is obtained;

[0034] Based on the type of food, find the corresponding set threshold range and update the search results to the set threshold range.

[0035] Furthermore, the control methods also include:

[0036] In response to the fulfillment of the insulation termination conditions, the insulation function is turned off.

[0037] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a cooking apparatus is also provided, the cooking apparatus defining a cooking space with a heat preservation function, the cooking apparatus further comprising a dehumidifier and a water replenishment device, the dehumidifier being used to reduce the humidity of the cooking space, and the water replenishment device being used to increase the moisture content of food within the cooking space; and the cooking apparatus further comprising:

[0038] The system includes a processing module and a storage module. The storage module stores a machine-executable program. When the machine-executable program is executed by the processing module, it is used to implement any of the control methods mentioned above.

[0039] Furthermore, the dehumidification device includes:

[0040] A cooling device for lowering the temperature of the cooking space to condense the hot and humid gases within the cooking space; and

[0041] A drainage system is used to collect and drain condensate from the cooking space.

[0042] The cooking equipment and control method of the present invention, by incorporating a dehumidification device and a water replenishment device, achieves bidirectional regulation of food moisture content during the heat preservation process. This is achieved by reducing the humidity of the cooking space and thus lowering the moisture content of the food within the cooking space via the dehumidification device, and simultaneously increasing the moisture content of the food within the cooking space via the water replenishment device. Simultaneously, the control method of the cooking equipment of the present invention, after activating the heat preservation function, acquires the moisture content of the food within the cooking space and adjusts the operating states of the dehumidification device and the water replenishment device accordingly to maintain the food moisture content within a set threshold range until the heat preservation termination condition is met. This bidirectional regulation of food moisture content ensures that the moisture content is maintained within the set threshold range. Therefore, the control method of the cooking equipment of the present invention enables the cooking equipment to automatically and bidirectionally regulate the moisture content of the food, ensuring that the taste of the food remains unchanged after heat preservation. This avoids the problem of food deteriorating in taste due to excessive or insufficient moisture absorption during prolonged heat preservation, thus improving the user experience.

[0043] Furthermore, the cooking device and control method of the present invention compare the moisture content with an upper and lower threshold of a set threshold range. When the moisture content is greater than the upper threshold of the set threshold range, the dehumidification device is activated until the dehumidification completion condition is met. Conversely, when the moisture content is less than the lower threshold of the set threshold range, the water replenishment device is activated until the water replenishment completion condition is met. Therefore, the cooking device and control method of the present invention can bidirectionally regulate the moisture content of food by combining dual control of the dehumidification device and the water replenishment device. This allows the cooking device of the present invention to more accurately regulate the moisture content of food, thereby further ensuring food quality.

[0044] Furthermore, the cooking device and control method of the present invention, by updating the set threshold range in response to the fulfillment of cooking completion conditions before activating the heat preservation function, achieves real-time updating of the set threshold range for each heat preservation operation. Therefore, the cooking device and control method of the present invention optimize the control logic and improve the accuracy of setting the evaluation standard for food moisture content, so that the moisture content of the food can be maintained within the most suitable range for each heat preservation operation, thereby further improving the user experience.

[0045] The above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0046] The following sections will describe some specific embodiments of the invention in detail by way of example and not limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar parts or portions. Those skilled in the art should understand that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the drawings:

[0047] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of a cooking device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 2 This is a schematic block diagram of a cooking apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a control method for a cooking apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 4 This is a control flowchart of a control method for a cooking device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0051] Exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the invention may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0052] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of a cooking apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, the cooking apparatus 10 of the present invention generally includes a housing 100.

[0053] In this embodiment, an inner liner 200 may be provided inside the shell 100. The interior of the inner liner 200 forms a cooking space 210 for cooking and keeping food warm.

[0054] The cooking device 10 may be equipped with a heat preservation device 300. The heat preservation device 300 is used to maintain the temperature of the cooking space 210 within a preset temperature range to prevent the food from cooling down and affecting the user's eating experience. Specifically, the heat preservation device 300 may be disposed between the outer shell 100 and the inner pot 200, and adjacent to the bottom wall of the inner pot 200.

[0055] The cooking appliance 10 may also be equipped with a dehumidifier 400. The dehumidifier 400 is used to reduce the humidity of the cooking space 210, thereby reducing the moisture content of the food in the cooking space 210. Specifically, the dehumidifier 400 may be disposed between the outer shell 100 and the inner pot 200, and adjacent to the inner pot 200.

[0056] The cooking appliance 10 may also be equipped with a water replenishment device 500. The water replenishment device 500 is used to increase the moisture content of the food in the cooking space 210. Specifically, the water replenishment device 500 may be disposed between the shell 100 and the inner pot 200, and has a water outlet (and / or a steam outlet) facing the cooking space 210.

[0057] The cooking device 10 of this invention, by setting a dehumidification device 400 and a water replenishment device 500, realizes the adjustment of the moisture content of food in the cooking space 210. It can both reduce the moisture content of food in the cooking space 210 and increase the moisture content of food in the cooking space 210, thus realizing bidirectional adjustment of the moisture content of food during the heat preservation process.

[0058] In some embodiments, the cooking device 10 of the present invention can be a rice cooker, a steamer, a steam oven, or other cooking utensils, and the food in the cooking space 210 can be cooked food such as rice, steamed buns, bread, steamed meat, or roasted meat.

[0059] In one specific embodiment, the cooking device 10 of the present invention can be a rice cooker, and the food in the cooking space 210 can be cooked rice. Thus, the cooking device 10 of this embodiment, by setting up a dehumidification device 400 and a water replenishment device 500, achieves regulation of the moisture content of the rice during the heat preservation process. This avoids the rice becoming dry and hard due to excessively low moisture content, and also avoids the rice becoming too soft and affecting the eating experience due to excessively high moisture content, thereby maximizing the preservation of the rice's texture after heat preservation.

[0060] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the dehumidification device 400 may include a cooling device 410. The cooling device 410 is used to lower the temperature of the cooking space 210 to condense the high-temperature, high-humidity gas within the cooking space 210, thereby reducing the humidity of the cooking space 210. Specifically, the cooling device 410 can be activated after cooking to quickly reduce the moisture content of the air within the cooking space 210. The cooling device 410 can also be activated in a controlled manner during the heat preservation process after rice cooking is complete, reducing the temperature of the cooking space 210 and thus lowering the moisture content of the food within the cooking space 210.

[0061] Furthermore, the dehumidification device 400 may include a cooling device 410 and a drainage device 420. The drainage device 420 is used to collect and drain the condensate that forms in the cooking space 210 during the operation of the cooling device 410. Specifically, a drainage collection channel may be provided between the drainage device 420 and the inner liner 200 to collect and drain the condensate that forms on one side of the cooking space 210 from the inner liner 200 into a drip tray provided inside the housing 100, or directly to the outside of the housing 100, so as to quickly reduce the humidity of the cooking space 210.

[0062] In some embodiments, the water supply device 500 can directly supply water vapor to the cooking space 210 to increase the moisture content of the food by increasing the humidity of the cooking space 210 while preventing the food temperature from dropping.

[0063] In addition, the water replenishment device 500 can also spray water or water mist directly into the cooking space 210 so that the food comes into direct contact with liquid water, thereby increasing the rate at which the food's water content increases, and thus increasing the water replenishment rate.

[0064] Figure 2 This is a schematic block diagram of a cooking apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, the cooking device 10 of the present invention may further include an information acquisition device 600, a processing module 700, and a storage module 800.

[0065] The information acquisition device 600 is used to acquire attribute information of food placed in the cooking space 210. The food attribute information may include the type of food, its weight, its weight change rate, its moisture content, and its moisture content change rate. In this embodiment, the information acquisition device 600 may include at least an image acquisition module, a weight acquisition module, and a moisture content detection module. The image acquisition module is used to acquire the type of food, the weight acquisition module is used to acquire the weight and weight change rate of the food, and the moisture content detection module is used to acquire the moisture content and moisture content change rate of the food.

[0066] The storage module 800 and the processing module 700 can form part of the main control board of the cooking appliance 10. The processing module 700 can be a central processing unit (CPU) or a digital processing unit (DSP), etc. The storage module 800 is used to store the program executed by the processing module 700. The storage module 800 stores a machine-executable program 810, which, when executed by the processing module 700, is used to implement the control method of the cooking appliance 10 according to any of the following embodiments.

[0067] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a control method for a cooking apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3As shown, the control method generally includes:

[0068] Step S302: Activate the heat preservation function. For example, control the heat preservation device 300 to activate it to continuously or intermittently heat the food in the cooking space 210.

[0069] Step S304: Obtain the moisture content of the food within the cooking space 210. For example, the control information acquisition device 600 is activated to collect the moisture content of the food placed within the cooking space 210.

[0070] Step S306: Adjust the operating status of the dehumidification device 400 and the water replenishment device 500 according to the moisture content, so that the moisture content of the food is kept within the set threshold range until the conditions for terminating heat preservation are met.

[0071] It should be noted that after the dehumidifier 400 is activated, it can reduce the moisture content of the food in the cooking space 210 by reducing the humidity of the cooking space 210, while after the water replenishment device 500 is activated, it can increase the moisture content of the food in the cooking space 210.

[0072] In addition, the threshold range can be preset or obtained and stored in the storage module 800 of the cooking device 10.

[0073] The control method of the cooking device 10 in this embodiment of the invention obtains the moisture content of the food in the cooking space 210 after the heat preservation function is activated, and adjusts the operating status of the dehumidification device 400 and the water replenishment device 500 according to the moisture content, so as to keep the moisture content of the food within a set threshold range until the heat preservation condition is met. By bidirectionally adjusting the moisture content of the food, the moisture content of the food is kept within the set threshold range.

[0074] Therefore, by using the control method of the cooking device 10 in this embodiment of the invention, the cooking device 10 can automatically adjust the moisture content of food in both directions, ensuring that the taste of the food remains unchanged after being kept warm, avoiding the problem of food absorbing too much water or not having enough moisture due to prolonged heat preservation, thus improving the user experience.

[0075] In some embodiments, prior to step S302 above, the control method of the present invention may further include the following step: updating a set threshold range in response to meeting the cooking completion condition. It should be noted that the cooking completion condition can be automatically detected and determined by the refrigerator, or it can be determined by a user-issued command.

[0076] The control method of the cooking device 10 in this embodiment of the invention updates the set threshold range in response to the fulfillment of the cooking completion conditions before starting the heat preservation function, thereby realizing the setting of a corresponding set threshold range for each heat preservation operation and realizing the real-time updating of the set threshold range.

[0077] Therefore, the control method of the cooking device 10 in this embodiment of the invention optimizes the control logic and improves the accuracy of setting the evaluation standard for food moisture content, so that the moisture content of the food can be maintained within the most suitable range in each heat preservation operation, thereby further improving the user experience.

[0078] In some embodiments, the step of updating the set threshold range in response to meeting the cooking completion condition may include the following steps: in response to meeting the cooking completion condition, controlling the dehumidification device 400 to start until the dehumidification completion condition is met; obtaining the initial moisture content of the food in the cooking space 210; using the difference between the initial moisture content and the preset moisture content as the lower threshold, using the sum of the initial moisture content and the preset moisture content as the upper threshold, and updating the threshold range composed of the lower threshold and the upper threshold to the set threshold range.

[0079] It should be noted that the preset moisture content can be obtained in advance through experiments and stored in the storage module 800 of the cooking device 10. Specifically, the preset moisture content can be determined according to the type of food, or it can be set to a fixed value. For example, the moisture content of rice with the best taste is usually 50% to 70%, and the preset moisture content corresponding to rice can be set to 5%.

[0080] In addition, the dehumidification device 400 in this embodiment can be a cooling device 410, thereby reducing the humidity of the cooking space 210 by lowering the temperature of the cooking space 210, and thus reducing the water content of the food.

[0081] The control method of the cooking device 10 in this embodiment of the invention reduces the moisture content of the food that has just been cooked in the cooking space 210 by activating the cooling device 410 before starting the heat preservation function and after cooking is completed. The reduced moisture content is used as the initial moisture content of the food, and the set threshold range is updated according to the initial moisture content of the food and the preset moisture content. This realizes the setting of a corresponding set threshold range for each heat preservation operation and the real-time updating of the set threshold range.

[0082] Therefore, the control method of the cooking device 10 in this embodiment of the invention optimizes the control logic and improves the accuracy of setting the evaluation standard for food moisture content, so that the moisture content of the food can be maintained within the most suitable range in each heat preservation operation, thereby further improving the user experience.

[0083] In some embodiments, the cooking device 10 may pre-store the correspondence between food types and set threshold intervals. Accordingly, the step of updating the set threshold interval in response to meeting the cooking completion condition may include the following steps: in response to meeting the cooking completion condition, the step of updating the set threshold interval may include the following steps: in response to meeting the cooking completion condition, obtaining the food type; according to the food type, finding the set threshold interval corresponding to the food, and updating the set threshold interval with the search result.

[0084] For example, the optimal moisture content for rice, when it has the best texture, is typically around 60%, and the corresponding threshold range for rice can be set to 50%–70%. Similarly, the optimal moisture content for steamed buns is around 55%, and steamed buns should not be too moist; therefore, the corresponding threshold range for steamed buns can be set to 50%–60%. Furthermore, the optimal moisture content for bread is typically between 50% and 58%, as this range provides the best texture; therefore, the corresponding threshold range for bread can be set to 50%–58%.

[0085] Therefore, the control method of the cooking device 10 in this embodiment of the invention optimizes the control logic and can directly determine the corresponding set threshold range according to the type of food, thereby improving the accuracy and convenience of setting the moisture content assessment standard. This ensures that the moisture content of the food can be maintained within the most suitable range during each heat preservation operation, thus further improving the user experience.

[0086] In some embodiments, step S306 may include the following steps: determining whether the moisture content is greater than the upper threshold of a set threshold range; if yes, controlling the dehumidification device 400 to start until the dehumidification completion condition is met; if no, determining whether the moisture content is less than the lower threshold of a set threshold range; if less, controlling the water replenishment device 500 to start until the water replenishment completion condition is met.

[0087] The control method of the cooking device 10 in this embodiment of the invention compares the water content with the upper and lower thresholds of a set threshold range. When the water content is greater than the upper threshold of the set threshold range, the dehumidification device 400 is activated until the dehumidification completion condition is met. When the water content is less than the lower threshold of the set threshold range, the water replenishment device 500 is activated until the water replenishment completion condition is met.

[0088] Therefore, the control method of the cooking device 10 in this embodiment of the invention can combine the dual control of the dehumidification device 400 and the water replenishment device 500 to bidirectionally adjust the moisture content of food. This enables the cooking device 10 of the present invention to adjust the moisture content of food more accurately, thereby further ensuring the quality of food and further improving the user experience.

[0089] In some embodiments, the step of controlling the dehumidification device 400 to start until the dehumidification completion condition is met may include the following steps: controlling the dehumidification device 400 to start and starting the dehumidification timer; when the cumulative duration of the dehumidification timer reaches the preset dehumidification duration, determining that the dehumidification completion condition is met, and controlling the dehumidification device 400 to stop operating.

[0090] Specifically, the preset dehumidification time can be obtained in advance through experiments and stored in the storage module 800 of the cooking device 10. Furthermore, the preset dehumidification time can be determined according to the type of food, or it can be set to a fixed value. For example, the preset dehumidification time can be selected from any value between 0.5 minutes and 10 minutes. In one specific embodiment, the preset dehumidification time can be set to 5 minutes.

[0091] Therefore, the control method of the cooking device 10 in this embodiment of the invention can effectively and quickly reduce the moisture content of food by controlling the dehumidification device 400 to start and run for a preset dehumidification time, thereby avoiding the problem of food becoming soggy and soft due to excessive water absorption, and thus improving the quality of food.

[0092] In some embodiments, the step of controlling the water replenishment device 500 to start until the water replenishment completion condition is met may include the following steps: controlling the water replenishment device 500 to start and starting water replenishment timing; when the cumulative duration of water replenishment timing reaches the preset water replenishment duration, determining that the water replenishment completion condition is met, and controlling the water replenishment device 500 to stop operating.

[0093] Specifically, the preset water replenishment time can be obtained in advance through experiments and stored in the storage module 800 of the cooking device 10. Furthermore, the preset water replenishment time can be determined according to the type of food, or it can be set to a fixed value. For example, the preset water replenishment time can be selected from any value between 0.5 minutes and 10 minutes. In one specific embodiment, the preset water replenishment time can be set to 5 minutes.

[0094] Therefore, the control method of the cooking device 10 in this embodiment of the invention can effectively and quickly increase the moisture content of food by controlling the water replenishment device 500 to start and run for a preset water replenishment time, thereby avoiding the problem of food becoming dry and hard (and / or taste becoming strong or even salty) due to excessive moisture loss, thus improving the quality of food.

[0095] In some embodiments, the control method of the cooking device 10 of the present invention may further include the following step: controlling the heat preservation function to turn off in response to meeting the heat preservation termination condition. The heat preservation termination condition may be automatically detected and determined by the refrigerator, or it may be determined by a user-issued command. For example, when the cumulative heat preservation time after the heat preservation function is activated reaches a preset value, it is determined that the heat preservation termination condition has been met.

[0096] Figure 4 This is a control flowchart of a control method for a cooking apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 As shown, the control flow generally includes:

[0097] In step S402, in response to the cooking completion condition being met, the cooling device 410 is activated until the dehumidification completion condition is met.

[0098] Step S404: Obtain the initial moisture content of the food in the cooking space 210.

[0099] Step S406: The difference between the initial moisture content and the preset moisture content is used as the lower threshold, the sum of the initial moisture content and the preset moisture content is used as the upper threshold, and the threshold interval formed by the lower threshold and the upper threshold is used as the set threshold interval.

[0100] Step S408: Determine whether to terminate the heat preservation process. If yes, proceed to step S422; otherwise, proceed to step S410.

[0101] Step S410: Activate the heat preservation function or maintain the heat preservation function in the on state.

[0102] Step S412: Obtain the moisture content of the food in the cooking space 210.

[0103] Step S414: Determine whether the moisture content is greater than the upper limit of the set threshold range. If yes, proceed to step S416; otherwise, proceed to step S418.

[0104] In step S416, the cooling device 410 is started until the dehumidification completion conditions are met. Then, the process returns to step S408.

[0105] Step S418: Determine whether the moisture content is less than the lower limit of the set threshold range. If yes, proceed to step S420; otherwise, return to step S408.

[0106] In step S420, the water replenishment device 500 is started until the water replenishment completion conditions are met. Then, the process returns to step S408.

[0107] Step S422: Turn off the heat preservation function. This process is now complete.

[0108] Using the above method, the cooking device 10 of this embodiment of the invention can obtain the moisture content of the food in the cooking space 210 after activating the heat preservation function, and adjust the operating status of the cooling device 410 and the water replenishment device 500 according to the moisture content, so that the moisture content of the food is kept within a set threshold range until the heat preservation condition is met. By bidirectionally adjusting the moisture content of the food, the moisture content of the food is kept within the set threshold range.

[0109] Therefore, the control method of the cooking device 10 in this embodiment of the invention enables the cooking device 10 to automatically and bidirectionally adjust the moisture content of food, ensuring that the taste of food remains unchanged after heat preservation, avoiding the problem of food absorbing too much water or having insufficient moisture due to prolonged heat preservation, thus improving the user experience.

[0110] Furthermore, the cooking device 10 and its control method of the present invention, by setting a set threshold range for adjusting the moisture content of the food according to the initial moisture content of the food in response to meeting the cooking completion conditions before activating the heat preservation function, realizes the setting of a corresponding set threshold range for each heat preservation operation, improves the accuracy of setting the evaluation standard for the moisture content of the food, so that the moisture content of the food can be maintained in the most suitable range for each heat preservation operation, thereby further improving the user experience.

[0111] Therefore, those skilled in the art should recognize that although numerous exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail herein, many other variations or modifications conforming to the principles of the present invention can be directly determined or derived from the disclosure of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the scope of the present invention should be understood and construed as covering all such other variations or modifications.

Claims

1. A control method for a cooking apparatus, the cooking apparatus defining a cooking space with a heat preservation function, the cooking apparatus further comprising a dehumidifier and a water replenishment device, the dehumidifier being used to reduce the humidity of the cooking space, and the water replenishment device being used to increase the moisture content of food within the cooking space; and the control method comprising: Activate the heat preservation function; Obtain the moisture content of the food within the cooking space; Based on the moisture content, adjust the operating status of the dehumidification device and the water replenishment device to keep the moisture content of the food within a set threshold range until the conditions for terminating heat preservation are met.

2. The control method according to claim 1, wherein, The step of adjusting the operating status of the dehumidification device and the water replenishment device according to the moisture content to keep the moisture content of the food within a set threshold range includes: Determine whether the moisture content is greater than the upper threshold of the set threshold range; If so, the dehumidification device will be activated until the dehumidification completion conditions are met; If not, then determine whether the moisture content is less than the lower limit of the set threshold range; If the value is less than the specified value, the water replenishment device will be activated until the water replenishment conditions are met.

3. The control method according to claim 2, wherein, The control of starting the dehumidification device until the dehumidification completion conditions are met includes: The dehumidification device is activated and dehumidification timing begins. When the cumulative duration of the dehumidification timer reaches the preset dehumidification duration, it is determined that the dehumidification completion condition has been met, and the dehumidification device is controlled to stop operating.

4. The control method according to claim 2, wherein, The control of starting the water replenishment device until the conditions for water replenishment completion are met includes: The water replenishment device is activated and a water replenishment timer begins. When the cumulative duration of the water replenishment timer reaches the preset water replenishment duration, it is determined that the water replenishment completion condition has been met, and the water replenishment device is controlled to stop operating.

5. The control method according to claim 1, wherein, Prior to the step of activating the heat preservation function, the control method further includes: In response to the fulfillment of the cooking completion condition, the set threshold range is updated.

6. The control method according to claim 5, wherein, The step of updating the set threshold range in response to meeting the cooking completion condition includes: In response to the cooking completion condition being met, the dehumidification device is activated until the dehumidification completion condition is met. Obtain the initial moisture content of the food within the cooking space; The difference between the initial moisture content and the preset moisture content is used as the lower threshold, and the sum of the initial moisture content and the preset moisture content is used as the upper threshold. The threshold interval formed by the lower threshold and the upper threshold is updated to the set threshold interval.

7. The control method according to claim 5, wherein, The cooking device contains a pre-stored correspondence between the types of food and the set threshold ranges; and The step of updating the set threshold range in response to meeting the cooking completion condition includes: In response to the fulfillment of cooking completion conditions, the food type of the food is obtained; Based on the food type, find the set threshold range corresponding to the food, and update the search result to the set threshold range.

8. The control method according to claim 1, further comprising: In response to the fulfillment of the termination insulation condition, the insulation function is controlled to be turned off.

9. A cooking apparatus defining a cooking space with a heat preservation function, the cooking apparatus further comprising a dehumidifier and a water replenishment device, the dehumidifier being used to reduce the humidity of the cooking space, and the water replenishment device being used to increase the moisture content of food within the cooking space; and the cooking apparatus further comprising: The system includes a processing module and a storage module, wherein the storage module stores a machine-executable program, which, when executed by the processing module, is used to implement the control method according to any one of claims 1-8.

10. The cooking apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, The dehumidification device includes: A cooling device for reducing the temperature of the cooking space to condense the high-temperature, high-humidity gases within the cooking space; and A drainage device for collecting and draining condensate from the cooking space.

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