Toaster and control method thereof

By adopting double-sided heating of upper and lower heating elements in the toaster, combined with intelligent control of detection and control devices, the problem of uneven heating is solved, uniform heating of food is achieved, and the taste and appearance of food are improved.

CN120678346APending Publication Date: 2025-09-23GUANGDONG XINBAO ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES HLDG CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202510844591.9
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2025-06-23
Publication Date
2025-09-23

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing toasters heat unevenly, resulting in a large temperature difference between the upper and lower surfaces of food, affecting the taste and appearance of the food.

Method used

An upper heating element and a lower heating element are used to heat the upper and lower surfaces of the food respectively, and image information is collected by a detection device. The control device controls the working state of the motion component and the heating device according to the maturity information to achieve uniform heating of the upper and lower surfaces of the food.

Benefits of technology

It achieves uniform heating of the upper and lower surfaces of the food, improving the taste and appearance of the food.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The invention provides a toaster and a control method thereof. The toaster comprises a food bearing device, a heating device, a detection device and a control device. The food bearing device comprises a movable disc body and a movement assembly. The heating device comprises an upper heating piece and a lower heating piece. The detection device comprises an upper detection part and a lower detection part, the upper detection part is used for collecting first image information containing the upper surface of the food supported by the movable plate body, and the lower detection part is used for collecting second image information containing the lower surface of the food supported by the movable plate body. The control device is configured to: receive first image information and second image information; determining feature information of the food according to the first image information and the second image information; and sending a first control instruction to the motion assembly and a second control instruction to the heating device based on the feature information, so that the upper surface and the lower surface of the food reach the preset maturity. Therefore, it is effectively guaranteed that the upper surface and the lower surface of the food can be evenly heated.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of toasters, and in particular to a toaster and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Currently, toasters primarily use a heat radiation heating method, which involves adding a heating tube to one end of a heating plate or a heating wire to one side of the food. However, these methods share a common problem: uneven heating and a wide range of surface temperature differences. At the same time, temperatures at different spatial locations can vary significantly, typically exceeding 35 degrees Celsius. This results in uneven heating of the food, with some areas being burnt due to excessively high temperatures, while others being undercooked due to excessively low temperatures, seriously affecting the surface color and texture of the food. Toasters typically bake bread, and for bread, uniform baking of the upper and lower surfaces is crucial. Uneven heating of the upper and lower surfaces of the food will severely affect its taste. For example, Chinese patent application number CN106388639A discloses a baking toaster comprising a housing, a baking chamber disposed within the housing, a heating element disposed within the sidewalls of the baking chamber for heating bread slices, and a baking assembly disposed between the heating element and the bread slices. It can be seen that the heating element of the toaster only heats one side of the bread slice, resulting in uneven heating and a large temperature difference on the surface. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In response to the above-mentioned technical problems existing in the prior art, the present application provides a toaster and a control method thereof, which effectively ensures that the upper surface and the lower surface of the food can be heated evenly, thereby improving the taste and appearance of the food.

[0004] The present application provides a toaster including a food supporting device, a heating device, a detection device and a control device. The food supporting device includes a movable plate and a motion component, the movable plate is used to support food, and the motion component is used to drive the movable plate to perform at least one of the following movements: translational movement and lifting movement. The heating device includes an upper heating element and a lower heating element, the upper heating element and the lower heating element are independently arranged, the upper heating element is arranged corresponding to the upper surface of the movable plate, and the lower heating element is arranged corresponding to the lower surface of the movable plate. The detection device includes an upper detection element and a lower detection element, the upper detection element is arranged corresponding to the upper surface of the movable plate, and the upper detection element is at least used to collect first image information containing the upper surface of the food supported by the movable plate, the lower detection element is arranged corresponding to the lower surface of the movable plate, and the lower detection element is at least used to collect second image information containing the lower surface of the food supported by the movable plate. The control device is electrically connected to the motion component, the heating device, and the detection device, respectively. The control device is configured to receive first and second image information transmitted by the detection device; determine characteristic information of the food based on the first and second image information; and, based on the characteristic information, transmit a first control instruction to the motion component and a second control instruction to the heating device, so that both the upper surface and the lower surface of the food reach a preset degree of maturity. The characteristic information includes at least upper maturity information for the upper surface of the food and lower maturity information for the lower surface of the food. The first control instruction is used to control the motion component to move the movable plate toward or away from the heating device, and the second control instruction is used to control at least the operating states of the upper and lower heating elements, respectively. This effectively ensures that the upper and lower surfaces of the food are evenly heated, thereby improving the taste and appearance of the food.

[0005] Exemplarily, the characteristic information also includes attribute information corresponding to the food, the attribute information including at least one of the following: type information, size information, and humidity information. The control device is further configured to determine a preset temperature range for the upper and lower heating elements based on the attribute information, and to control the upper and lower heating elements to operate within the preset temperature range; wherein the preset temperature range is at least mapped to the type information. In this way, the control device can determine the preset temperature range required for the food based on the food's attribute information, and then control the upper and lower heating elements to operate within the preset temperature range, thereby avoiding burnt or undercooked food due to excessively high or low temperatures, effectively improving the practicality and applicability of the toaster.

[0006] Exemplarily, the control device is further configured to determine whether the upper and lower maturity information are within the same maturity range, where there are multiple maturity ranges; if so, determine that the second control instruction is used to control the upper and lower heating elements to operate in the same operating state; if not, determine that the second control instruction is used to control the upper and lower heating elements to operate in different operating states, where the operating states include at least heating temperature. This allows for accurate determination of the doneness of the upper and lower surfaces of the food, allowing the upper and lower heating elements to be controlled to flexibly adjust their operating states, thereby ensuring that the upper and lower surfaces of the food are evenly heated, effectively ensuring the effectiveness and efficiency of the toaster in heating food.

[0007] Exemplarily, the control device is further configured to: after determining that the first control instruction is used to control the motion component to drive the movable plate toward the heating device, determine that the second control instruction is used to control the operating state of the heating device to heat the food for a preset time; after heating by the heating device, control the motion component to move to a position corresponding to the detection device, so that the upper detection member collects the first image information and the lower detection member collects the second image information. In this way, after the food is heated by the heating device, the upper and lower detection members can collect image information again, thereby accurately determining the doneness of the food.

[0008] Exemplarily, the toaster also includes a temperature detection component electrically connected to the control device, wherein the temperature detection component is used to detect the ambient temperature information of the movable plate. The control device is also configured to send a first control instruction to the motion component and a second control instruction to the heating device based on the ambient temperature information and the characteristic information, so as to ensure that food can be heated at a relatively suitable ambient temperature, thereby further improving the taste of the food.

[0009] Exemplarily, the control device is further configured to: compare the upper maturity information and the lower maturity information when the upper maturity information and the lower maturity information are not in the same maturity range; determine that the second control instruction is used to control the upper heating element to operate at a heating temperature lower than that of the lower heating element when the maturity contained in the upper maturity information is greater than the maturity contained in the lower maturity information; and determine that the second control instruction is used to control the upper heating element to operate at a heating temperature higher than that of the lower heating element when the maturity contained in the upper maturity information is less than the maturity contained in the lower maturity information. In this way, the degree of heating of the upper and lower surfaces of the food can be accurately controlled, effectively ensuring the taste and appearance of the food.

[0010] Exemplarily, the movable disk is driven by the motion assembly to translate between the detection position, the heating position, and the pick-up and placement position. The movable disk is placed between the upper detection member and the lower detection member at the detection position. The movable disk is placed between the upper heating member and the lower heating member at the heating position. The movable disk at the pick-up and placement position is closer to the operating side of the toaster relative to the movable disks at the detection position and the heating position.

[0011] Exemplarily, the movable plate body, the upper heating element and the lower heating element are all constructed in the shape of long strips, and the length directions of the three are parallel, so that the heat generated by the upper heating element and the lower heating element can act evenly on the food on the movable plate body, thereby further ensuring that the food is heated evenly; and / or, the movable plate body is constructed in the shape of long strips, the upper detection element and the lower detection element are arranged along the length direction of the movable plate body, and there is at least one upper detection element and / or the lower detection element, so that the food on the movable plate body can be fully detected, avoiding the occurrence of uneven heating of food due to incomplete detection, and effectively ensuring the reliability and practicality of the toaster.

[0012] Exemplarily, the straight-line distances between the upper heating element and the lower heating element and the movable plate are all within a preset distance range, and the preset distance range is 1 cm to 100 cm; and / or, the heating device also includes a rotatable fan, which is used to rotate to form an airflow blowing towards the food on the movable plate, so that the hot air can be used to heat the food, and the flow of hot air can also be promoted, so that the movable plate is in a relatively uniform temperature environment, further ensuring that the food is heated evenly.

[0013] The present application also provides a control method for controlling the toaster as described above, comprising:

[0014] receiving the first image information and the second image information sent by the detection device;

[0015] determining characteristic information of the food based on the first image information and the second image information, the characteristic information including at least upper maturity information of the upper surface of the food and lower maturity information of the lower surface of the food;

[0016] Based on the characteristic information, a first control instruction is sent to the motion component and a second control instruction is sent to the heating device, so that both the upper and lower surfaces of the food reach a predetermined degree of doneness. The first control instruction is used to control the motion component to move closer to or farther from the heating device, and the second control instruction is used to control at least the operating states of the upper and lower heating elements, respectively. This effectively ensures that both the upper and lower surfaces of the food are heated evenly, thereby improving the taste and appearance of the food.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effect of the embodiments of the present application is that the present application can heat the upper surface and the lower surface of the food on the movable plate respectively through the relatively arranged upper heating element and the lower heating element, so as to avoid the uneven heating of the food caused by unilateral heating. The upper detection element and the lower detection element of the detection device can respectively collect first image information corresponding to the upper surface of the food and second image information corresponding to the lower surface of the food, so as to determine the maturity information of the upper surface of the food and the lower surface of the food respectively. The control device can control the movement of the movable plate to approach or move away from the heating device according to the collected maturity information, and can also control the working state of the heating device, so as to flexibly adjust the heating position and heating intensity of the food, realize intelligent control of food heating, effectively ensure that the upper surface and the lower surface of the food can be heated evenly, and thus improve the taste and appearance of the food. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like reference numerals may describe similar components in different views. The drawings illustrate various embodiments generally by way of example and not limitation, and together with the description and claims, serve to illustrate the disclosed embodiments. Where appropriate, like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to refer to like or similar parts. Such embodiments are illustrative and are not intended to be exhaustive or exclusive of the embodiments of the present apparatus or method.

[0019] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of a toaster according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0020] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a toaster according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of a partial structure of a toaster according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 4 This is an exploded view of the food holding device of the toaster according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A partial enlarged view of part I;

[0024] Figure 6 for Figure 4 A partial enlarged view of part II;

[0025] Figure 7 Flowchart of a control method for controlling a toaster according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0026] The components indicated by the reference numerals in the figures are:

[0027] 10. Food supporting device; 110. Movable plate; 1101. First slide rail; 1102. Second slide rail; 120. Moving assembly; 1201. First part; 1202. First slide groove; 1203. Second part; 1204. Second slide groove; 20. Heating device; 210. Upper heating element; 220. Lower heating element; 230. Fan body; 30. Detection device; 310. Upper detection element; 320. Lower detection element; 40. Control device; 50. Outer box; 60. Box door; 70. Upper air outlet; 80. Lower air outlet. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present application, the present application is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0029] The embodiment of the present application provides a toaster. Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the toaster includes a food support device 10, a heating device 20, a detection device 30, and a control device 40. The food support device 10 includes a movable plate 110 and a motion assembly 120. The movable plate 110 is used to support food, and the motion assembly 120 is used to drive the movable plate 110 to perform at least one of the following motions: translation and elevation. The heating device 20 includes an upper heating element 210 and a lower heating element 220. The upper and lower heating elements 210 and 220 are independently disposed, with the upper heating element 210 disposed on the upper surface of the movable plate 110 and the lower heating element 220 disposed on the lower surface of the movable plate 110. The detection device 30 includes an upper detection member 310 and a lower detection member 320. The upper detection member 310 is provided corresponding to the upper surface of the movable plate body 110, and the upper detection member 310 is at least used to collect first image information including the upper surface of the food supported by the movable plate body 110. The lower detection member 320 is provided corresponding to the lower surface of the movable plate body 110, and the lower detection member 320 is at least used to collect second image information including the lower surface of the food supported by the movable plate body 110. The control device 40 is electrically connected to the motion component 120, the heating device 20, and the detection device 30, respectively. The control device 40 is configured to: receive the first image information and the second image information sent by the detection device 30; determine the characteristic information of the food based on the first image information and the second image information; and send a first control instruction to the motion component 120 and a second control instruction to the heating device 20 based on the characteristic information, so that both the upper surface and the lower surface of the food reach a preset degree of maturity. Among them, the characteristic information includes at least the upper maturity information of the upper surface of the food and the lower maturity information of the lower surface of the food. The first control instruction is used to control the motion component 120 to drive the movable plate 110 close to or away from the heating device 20, and the second control instruction is at least used to control the working status of the upper heating element 210 and the lower heating element 220 respectively.

[0030] The above-mentioned motion component 120 drives the movable plate 110 to approach the heating device 20, which can be understood as the food on the movable plate 110 is in an immature state, that is, at least one of the upper maturity information and the lower maturity information detected by the detection device 30 indicates that the food is immature. At this time, the movable plate 110 moves toward the direction close to the heating device 20, and the food can continue to be heated by the heating device 20.

[0031] The motion assembly 120 can move the movable plate 110 away from the heating device 20 in two situations. In one case, the food needs to be inspected again by the detection device 30, and the movable plate 110 moves toward the upper detection member 310 and the lower detection member 320. In the other case, the food is cooked (i.e., both the upper and lower maturity information detected by the detection device 30 indicate that the food is cooked). In this case, the movable plate 110 can be used to move the food away from the heating device 20 to prevent overheating.

[0032] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the toaster may further include an outer housing 50 and a housing door 60. The outer housing 50 and the housing door 60 may cooperate to form a housing space for accommodating components such as the food support device 10, the heating device 20, the detection device 30, and the control device 40. Heat generated by the heating device 20 may accumulate in the housing space and heat the food supported on the food support device 10.

[0033] The movable plate 110 can be shaped like a circle, oval, square, or rectangle to accommodate food of varying shapes. The movable plate 110 can have a planar surface area ranging from 0.0005 square meters to 1 square meter to accommodate food of varying sizes. The surface of the movable plate 110 can be covered with a ceramic glaze to prevent food from sticking to the movable plate 110, effectively improving user convenience.

[0034] The bottom of the movable plate 110 may be provided with a plurality of micro-holes. The heat generated by the heating device 20 may form a hot air flow in the toaster. The hot air flow may pass through the micro-holes to heat the food. The diameter of the micro-holes may be not less than 0.1 mm.

[0035] like Figures 4 to 6As shown, the motion assembly 120 may include a first portion 1201 and a second portion 1203 disposed opposite each other, and the first portion 1201 and the second portion 1203 may be fixed to the outer housing 50 by fasteners such as screws. One end of the movable disk 110 may be connected to the first portion 1201, and the other end of the movable disk 110 may be connected to the second portion 1203. Specifically, a first slide rail 1101 and a second slide rail 1102 can be respectively provided at both ends of the lower surface of the movable disk body 110, a first slide groove 1202 adapted to the first slide rail 1101 can be formed on the first part 1201, and a second slide groove 1204 adapted to the second slide rail 1102 can be formed on the second part 1203. The first slide rail 1101 can be slidably set in the first slide groove 1202, and the second slide rail 1102 can be slidably set in the second slide groove 1204, thereby not only ensuring the stability of the movable disk body 110 during translational movement, but also facilitating the disassembly and assembly of the movable disk body 110, thereby facilitating the cleaning of the movable disk body 110.

[0036] The upper heating element 210 and the lower heating element 220 may be provided in multiple numbers. Multiple upper heating elements 210 may be evenly arranged on the upper surface of the movable plate 110, and multiple lower heating elements 220 may be evenly arranged on the lower surface of the movable plate 110, thereby ensuring uniform heating of the food. The upper heating element 210 and the lower heating element 220 may specifically be heating wires, heating sheets, or other heating components, which are not specifically limited in this application.

[0037] The number of the above-mentioned upper detection member 310 and the lower detection member 320 can be multiple, and the multiple upper detection members 310 can respectively collect the first image information of the upper surface of the food, and the multiple lower detection members 320 can respectively collect the second image information of the lower surface of the food, so that the control device 40 can accurately determine the characteristic information of the food based on the obtained multiple first image information and multiple second image information, so as to ensure the accuracy of the characteristic information collected. The above-mentioned upper detection member 310 and the lower detection member 320 can specifically be cameras, and the cameras can collect image information of the food. The control device 40 can determine the color features related to the maturity information from the image information, and use a deep learning model, such as a convolutional neural network (CNN), to learn and classify the extracted color features, thereby realizing accurate recognition of the maturity of the food. The above-mentioned deep learning model can be pre-trained using a large number of labeled food images so that it can accurately identify foods of different maturity. The above-mentioned characteristic information can also include the texture or shape of the food, etc., which is not specifically limited in this application. It is sufficient to be able to accurately identify the maturity of the food.

[0038] The control device 40 may send a first control instruction to the motion component 120 , thereby controlling the motion component 120 to move in a horizontal direction or a vertical direction.

[0039] The control device 40 may also send a second control instruction to the heating device 20 , which can at least control the heating device 20 to be turned on, turned off, and to operate at different powers.

[0040] It should be noted that the control device 40 can be built using electronic components such as timers, comparators, registers, digital logic circuits, etc., or can be implemented using processor chips such as single-chip microcomputers, microprocessors, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), digital signal processors (DSPs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic arrays (PLA), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and their peripheral circuits.

[0041] The present application can heat the upper surface and the lower surface of the food on the movable plate body 110 respectively through the relatively arranged upper heating element 210 and the lower heating element 220 to avoid uneven heating of the food due to unilateral heating. The upper detection element 310 and the lower detection element 320 of the detection device 30 can respectively collect first image information corresponding to the upper surface of the food and second image information corresponding to the lower surface of the food, thereby determining the maturity information of the upper surface of the food and the lower surface of the food respectively. The control device 40 can control the movement of the movable plate body 110 to approach or move away from the heating device 20 according to the collected maturity information, and can also control the working state of the heating device 20, thereby flexibly adjusting the heating position and heating intensity of the food, realizing intelligent control of food heating, and effectively ensuring that the upper surface and the lower surface of the food can be heated evenly, thereby improving the taste and appearance of the food.

[0042] In some embodiments, the characteristic information also includes attribute information corresponding to the food, and the attribute information includes at least one of the following information: type information, size information and humidity information. The control device 40 is also configured to determine the preset temperature range of the upper heating element 210 and the lower heating element 220 based on the attribute information, and control the upper heating element 210 and the lower heating element 220 to operate within the preset temperature range; wherein the preset temperature range has at least a mapping relationship with the type information.

[0043] In the above embodiment, the control device 40 can determine the preset temperature range required for the food based on the property information of the food, and then control the upper heating element 210 and the lower heating element 220 to operate within the preset temperature range, thereby avoiding the occurrence of food burning or undercooked due to excessively high or low temperature, effectively improving the practicality and applicability of the toaster.

[0044] The control device 40 can determine the doneness of the food based on the type, size, and humidity of the food, and then control the motion assembly 120 and the heating device 20 to coordinately heat the food. The humidity information can be determined based on the color of the food. Specifically, food can appear different colors at different humidity levels.

[0045] When food is placed on the movable tray 110, the control device 40 controls the movable tray 110 to move toward the detection device 30, whereupon the detection device 30 collects characteristic information about the food and uses this information to determine the specific type of food. Because different types of food have different preset temperature ranges, the corresponding temperature range can be determined based on the food's attribute information. By precisely controlling the upper and lower heating elements 210 and 220 to operate within their preset temperature ranges, the doneness of the food can be precisely controlled.

[0046] The mapping relationship between the preset temperature range and the type information can be understood as different preset temperature ranges for different types of ingredients. For example, the preset temperature range for meat ingredients can be larger than the preset temperature range for bread ingredients.

[0047] In some embodiments, the control device 40 is further configured to determine whether the upper maturity information and the lower maturity information are within the same maturity range. There may be multiple maturity ranges. If so, the second control instruction is determined to control the upper heating element 210 and the lower heating element 220 to operate in the same operating state. If not, the second control instruction is determined to control the upper heating element 210 and the lower heating element 220 to operate in different operating states. The operating state includes at least the heating temperature.

[0048] In the above embodiment, the maturity interval can be divided into multiple areas, and according to the maturity intervals in which the upper maturity information and the lower maturity information are located, the maturity of the upper and lower surfaces of the food can be accurately determined, thereby controlling the upper heating element 210 and the lower heating element 220 to flexibly adjust the working state, thereby ensuring that the upper and lower surfaces of the food are heated evenly, effectively ensuring the effect and efficiency of the toaster in heating food.

[0049] The above-mentioned maturity intervals can be specifically four, namely 0%-35%, 36%-70%, 71%-99% and 100%. It can be understood that when the maturity interval is 0%-35%, the food is in an immature state, when the maturity interval is 36%-70% or 71%-99%, the food is in a state of being ripe, and when the maturity interval is 100%, the food is in a mature state.

[0050] In some embodiments, the control device 40 is further configured to: after determining that the first control instruction is used to control the motion component 120 to drive the movable plate (110) close to the heating device 20, determine that the second control instruction is used to control the working state of the heating device 20 to heat the food for a preset time. After heating by the heating device 20, the motion component 120 is controlled to move to the position corresponding to the detection device 30, so as to collect the first image information through the upper detection member 310 and the second image information through the lower detection member 320. In this way, after the food is heated by the heating device 20, the image information can be collected again by the upper detection member 310 and the lower detection member 320, so as to accurately judge the maturity of the food.

[0051] In the above embodiment, after the heating device 20 heats the food for a preset time, the upper detection member 310 can be used to collect first image information of the upper surface of the food, and the lower detection member 320 can be used to collect second image information of the lower surface of the food, so as to judge the upper maturity information and the lower maturity information of the food, so as to accurately judge the maturity of the food and avoid damage or waste of the food due to overheating.

[0052] The above-mentioned preset time can be determined according to different types of food, and the preset time can specifically be 1 second, 10 seconds, 60 seconds or 100 seconds.

[0053] In some embodiments, the toaster further includes a temperature detection component electrically connected to the control device 40, the temperature detection component being used to detect the ambient temperature information of the movable disk 110, and the control device 40 being further configured to send a first control instruction to the motion component 120 and a second control instruction to the heating device 20 based on the ambient temperature information and characteristic information.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the temperature detection component can detect the ambient temperature information of the movable plate 110, and the control device 40 can control the motion component 120 and the heating device 20 based on the ambient temperature information and characteristic information to ensure that the food can be heated at a relatively suitable ambient temperature, which can further improve the taste of the food.

[0055] The temperature detection assembly can be disposed within the storage space to detect ambient temperature information within the storage space. The control device 40 can adjust the temperature within the storage space by controlling the heating device 20 to turn on, off, or operate at different power levels. The temperature within the storage space can range from 50°C to 250°C (degrees Celsius), thereby preventing food from being cooked due to low temperatures and preventing food from being burnt due to high temperatures.

[0056] In some embodiments, the control device 40 is further configured to: compare the upper maturity information and the lower maturity information if the upper maturity information and the lower maturity information are not in the same maturity interval;

[0057] When the maturity included in the upper maturity information is greater than the maturity included in the lower maturity information, determining that the second control instruction is used to control the upper heating element 210 to operate at a heating temperature lower than that of the lower heating element 220;

[0058] When the maturity included in the upper maturity information is lower than the maturity included in the lower maturity information, it is determined that the second control instruction is used to control the upper heating element 210 to operate at a higher heating temperature than the lower heating element 220 .

[0059] In the above embodiment, by comparing the upper maturity information and the lower maturity information, the upper heating element 210 is controlled to operate at a heating temperature lower or higher than the lower heating element 220. In this way, the heating degree of the upper and lower surfaces of the food can be accurately controlled, effectively ensuring the taste and appearance of the food.

[0060] Exemplarily, when the upper maturity information and the lower maturity information are both between 0% and 35%, the upper heating element 210 and the lower heating element 220 can be controlled to operate at the same power to ensure uniform heating of the upper and lower surfaces of the food, and after a preset heating time, the upper maturity information of the food can be collected by the upper detection element 310, and the lower maturity information of the food can be collected by the lower detection element 320, and the upper maturity information and the lower maturity information can be compared to see whether they are in the same maturity range, until the upper maturity information and the lower maturity information are both at 100%. When the upper maturity information is between 0% and 35% and the lower maturity information is between 36% and 70%, the control device 40 can increase the heating temperature of the upper heating element and reduce the heating temperature of the lower heating element 220. Conversely, when the upper maturity information is between 36% and 70% and the lower maturity information is between 0% and 35%, the control device 40 can reduce the heating temperature of the upper heating element and increase the heating temperature of the lower heating element 220 so that the food can be heated evenly. After the preset heating time, the upper maturity information of the food can be collected by the upper detection element 310, and the lower maturity information of the food can be collected by the lower detection element 320, and the working states of the upper heating element 210 and the lower heating element 220 can be adjusted according to the upper maturity information and the lower maturity information until the upper maturity information and the lower maturity information are both at 100%.

[0061] In some embodiments, the movable tray 110 is driven by the motion assembly 120 to translate between the detection position, the heating position, and the placement position. In the detection position, the movable tray 110 is positioned between the upper detection member 310 and the lower detection member 320. In the heating position, the movable tray 110 is positioned between the upper heating member 210 and the lower heating member 220. The movable tray 110 in the placement position is closer to the operating side of the toaster than the movable tray 110 in the detection and heating positions. The operating side of the toaster can be understood as the side where the cabinet door 60 is located.

[0062] The aforementioned movement of the movable tray 110 toward the heating device 20 can be understood as the movable tray 110 moving toward the heating position, and the movement of the movable tray 110 away from the heating device 20 can be understood as the movable tray 110 moving toward the detection position or the access position. Specifically, the movement of the movable tray 110 toward the detection position indicates that the food on the movable tray 110 needs to be inspected by the upper inspection member 310 and the lower inspection member 320, and the movement of the movable tray 110 toward the access position indicates that the food on the movable tray 110 has reached 100% doneness after inspection by the upper inspection member 310 and the lower inspection member 320, and the user can remove the food located under the access position.

[0063] The upper heating element 210 and the lower heating element 220 can be arranged away from the box door 60 relative to the upper detection element 310 and the lower detection element 320, that is, relative to the operating side, the heating position, the detection position and the placement position are arranged in sequence from far to near.

[0064] In some embodiments, as Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the movable plate 110 , the upper heating element 210 and the lower heating element 220 are all constructed in the shape of long strips, and the length directions of the three are parallel.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the movable plate body 110, the upper heating element 210 and the lower heating element 220 are all constructed in an elongated shape, so that the heat generated by the upper heating element 210 and the lower heating element 220 can act evenly on the food on the movable plate body 110, thereby further ensuring that the food is evenly heated.

[0066] The length directions of the movable plate 110 , the upper heating element 210 and the lower heating element 220 are parallel, which can ensure that the heat generated by the upper heating element 210 and the lower heating element 220 fully acts on the movable plate 110 .

[0067] In some embodiments, as Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the movable disc body 110 is constructed in an elongated strip shape, and the upper detection member 310 and the lower detection member 320 are arranged along the length direction of the movable disc body 110 , and there is at least one upper detection member 310 and / or lower detection member 320 .

[0068] In the above embodiment, the movable plate 110 is constructed in the shape of an elongated strip, and the upper detection member 310 and the lower detection member 320 are arranged along the length direction of the movable plate 110. In this way, the food on the movable plate 110 can be fully detected, avoiding the uneven heating of the food due to incomplete detection, and effectively ensuring the reliability and practicality of the toaster.

[0069] In some embodiments, as Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the straight-line distances between the upper heating element 210 and the lower heating element 220 and the movable plate body 110 are all within a preset distance range; and / or, the heating device 20 further includes a rotatable fan body 230, which is used to rotate to form an airflow blowing toward the food on the movable plate body 110.

[0070] In the above embodiment, the linear distances between the upper heating element 210 and the lower heating element 220 and the movable plate 110 are both within a predetermined range, thereby preventing the upper heating element 210 and the lower heating element 220 from being too close to the food on the movable plate 110, thereby preventing the food from being overheated due to being too far away from the food, or preventing the food from being undercooked due to being too far away from the food. The fan 230 not only draws outside air into the toaster, thereby heating the food with the hot air, but also promotes the flow of hot air, maintaining a relatively uniform temperature environment around the movable plate 110, further ensuring uniform heating of the food.

[0071] The preset distance range is 1 cm to 100 cm, for example, 1 cm, 10 cm, 50 cm, 80 cm, 100 cm, etc.

[0072] The number of the above-mentioned fan bodies 230 can be two, and the two fan bodies 230 can be respectively arranged at the top and bottom of the accommodating space. The accommodating space can be provided with an upper air outlet 70 and a lower air outlet 80 corresponding to the two fan bodies 230 respectively. The fan body 230 located at the top of the accommodating space can rotate to absorb external air and transport it to the upper heating element 210, and then the air heated by the upper heating element 210 can be transported to the upper surface of the movable disk body 110 by the upper air outlet 70. Similarly, the fan body 230 located at the bottom of the accommodating space can rotate to absorb external air and transport it to the lower heating element 220, and then the air heated by the lower heating element 220 can be transported to the lower surface of the movable disk body 110 by the lower air outlet 80.

[0073] The present application also provides a control method for controlling the toaster as described above. Figure 7 As shown, the control method includes steps S101 to S103.

[0074] Step S101: receiving first image information and second image information sent by the detection device 30.

[0075] Step S102: determining characteristic information of the food based on the first image information and the second image information, where the characteristic information at least includes upper maturity information of the upper surface of the food and lower maturity information of the lower surface of the food.

[0076] Step S103: Based on the characteristic information, a first control instruction is sent to the motion component 120 and a second control instruction is sent to the heating device 20, so that the upper surface and the lower surface of the food reach a preset degree of maturity; wherein the first control instruction is used to control the motion component 120 to approach or move away from the heating device 20, and the second control instruction is used at least to control the working status of the upper heating element 210 and the lower heating element 220 respectively.

[0077] In some embodiments, the control method also includes: after controlling the motion component 120 to approach the heating device 20, controlling the heating device 20 to heat the food for a preset time; after heating by the heating device 20, controlling the motion component 120 to move to a position corresponding to the detection device 30, so as to collect the first image information through the upper detection component 310, and collect the second image information through the lower detection component 320.

[0078] In some embodiments, the characteristic information further includes attribute information corresponding to the food, the attribute information including at least one of the following: type information, size information, and humidity information. The control method further includes: determining a preset temperature range for the upper heating element 210 and the lower heating element 220 based on the attribute information; and controlling the upper heating element 210 and the lower heating element 220 to operate within the preset temperature range; wherein the preset temperature range is at least mapped to the type information.

[0079] In some embodiments, the control method further comprises: determining whether the upper maturity information and the lower maturity information are in the same maturity interval; wherein the maturity intervals are multiple;

[0080] If yes, the upper heating element 210 and the lower heating element 220 are controlled to operate in the same working state;

[0081] If not, the upper heating element 210 and the lower heating element 220 are controlled to operate in different working states; wherein the working states at least include heating temperatures.

[0082] In some embodiments, the control method further comprises: comparing the upper maturity information and the lower maturity information if the upper maturity information and the lower maturity information are not in the same maturity interval;

[0083] When the maturity level included in the upper maturity level information is greater than the maturity level included in the lower maturity level information, controlling the upper heating element 210 to operate at a heating temperature lower than that of the lower heating element 220;

[0084] When the maturity included in the upper maturity information is lower than the maturity included in the lower maturity information, the upper heating element 210 is controlled to operate at a heating temperature higher than that of the lower heating element 220 .

[0085] The present application can heat the upper surface and the lower surface of the food on the movable plate body 110 respectively through the relatively arranged upper heating element 210 and the lower heating element 220 to avoid uneven heating of the food due to unilateral heating. The upper detection element 310 and the lower detection element 320 of the detection device 30 can respectively collect first image information corresponding to the upper surface of the food and second image information corresponding to the lower surface of the food, thereby determining the maturity information of the upper surface of the food and the lower surface of the food respectively. The control device 40 can control the movement of the movable plate body 110 to approach or move away from the heating device 20 according to the collected maturity information, and can also control the working state of the heating device 20, thereby flexibly adjusting the heating position and heating intensity of the food, realizing intelligent control of food heating, and effectively ensuring that the upper surface and the lower surface of the food can be heated evenly, thereby improving the taste and appearance of the food.

[0086] In some embodiments, the control method further includes: sending a first control instruction to the motion component 120 and sending a second control instruction to the heating device 20 based on the ambient temperature information and the characteristic information. The detection device 30 further includes a temperature detection component electrically connected to the control device 40, and the temperature detection component is used to detect the ambient temperature information of the movable disk 110.

[0087] The above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. Those skilled in the art may make various modifications or equivalent substitutions to the present application within the essence and scope of protection of the present application, and such modifications or equivalent substitutions shall also be deemed to fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A toaster, characterized in that: include: A food supporting device (10) comprises a movable plate (110) and a motion assembly (120), wherein the movable plate (110) is used to support food, and the motion assembly (120) is used to drive the movable plate (110) to perform at least one of the following movements: translational movement and lifting movement; A heating device (20) comprising an upper heating element (210) and a lower heating element (220), wherein the upper heating element (210) and the lower heating element (220) are independently arranged, the upper heating element (210) being arranged corresponding to the upper surface of the movable disk body (110), and the lower heating element (220) being arranged corresponding to the lower surface of the movable disk body (110); A detection device (30) comprising an upper detection member (310) and a lower detection member (320), wherein the upper detection member (310) is arranged corresponding to the upper surface of the movable plate (110), and the upper detection member (310) is at least used to collect first image information including the upper surface of the food supported by the movable plate (110), and the lower detection member (320) is arranged corresponding to the lower surface of the movable plate (110), and the lower detection member (320) is at least used to collect second image information including the lower surface of the food supported by the movable plate (110); a control device (40) electrically connected to the motion assembly (120), the heating device (20), and the detection device (30), respectively, the control device (40) being configured to receive the first image information and the second image information sent by the detection device (30); and determine characteristic information of the food based on the first image information and the second image information; Based on the characteristic information, a first control instruction is sent to the motion component (120) and a second control instruction is sent to the heating device (20), so that the upper surface and the lower surface of the food reach a preset degree of maturity; wherein, The characteristic information includes at least upper maturity information of the upper surface of the food and lower maturity information of the lower surface of the food. The first control instruction is used to control the motion component (120) to drive the movable plate (110) to move closer to or away from the heating device (20). The second control instruction is used to at least control the working states of the upper heating element (210) and the lower heating element (220) respectively.

2. The toaster according to claim 1, characterized in that The characteristic information also includes attribute information corresponding to the food, and the attribute information includes at least one of the following information: type information, size information and humidity information. The control device (40) is also configured to determine the preset temperature range of the upper heating element (210) and the lower heating element (220) based on the attribute information, and control the upper heating element (210) and the lower heating element (220) to operate within the preset temperature range; wherein the preset temperature range has at least a mapping relationship with the type information.

3. The toaster according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The control device (40) is further configured to: Determining whether the upper maturity information and the lower maturity information are in the same maturity interval; wherein there are multiple maturity intervals; If so, determining that the second control instruction is used to control the upper heating element (210) and the lower heating element (220) to operate in the same working state; If not, it is determined that the second control instruction is used to control the upper heating element (210) and the lower heating element (220) to operate in different working states; wherein the working state at least includes the heating temperature.

4. The toaster according to claim 1, wherein: The control device (40) is further configured to: After determining that the first control instruction is used to control the motion component (120) to drive the movable plate (110) close to the heating device (20), determining that the second control instruction is used to control the working state of the heating device (20) to heat food for a preset time; After being heated by the heating device (20), the motion component (120) is controlled to move to a position corresponding to the detection device (30), so as to collect the first image information via the upper detection member (310) and collect the second image information via the lower detection member (320).

5. The toaster according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The toaster further comprises a temperature detection component electrically connected to the control device (40), the temperature detection component being used to detect ambient temperature information of the movable disk (110), and the control device (40) being further configured to send a first control instruction to the motion component (120) and a second control instruction to the heating device (20) based on the ambient temperature information and the characteristic information.

6. The toaster according to claim 3, wherein: The control device (40) is further configured to: compare the upper maturity information and the lower maturity information when the upper maturity information and the lower maturity information are not in the same maturity interval; In a case where the maturity included in the upper maturity information is greater than the maturity included in the lower maturity information, determining that the second control instruction is used to control the upper heating element (210) to operate at a heating temperature lower than that of the lower heating element (220); In a case where the maturity contained in the upper maturity information is less than the maturity contained in the lower maturity information, the second control instruction is determined to be used to control the upper heating element (210) to operate at a heating temperature higher than that of the lower heating element (220).

7. The toaster according to claim 1, wherein: Driven by the motion assembly (120), the movable disk (110) moves translationally between the detection position, the heating position, and the pick-up and placement position. In the detection position, the movable disk (110) is placed between the upper detection member (310) and the lower detection member (320). In the heating position, the movable disk (110) is placed between the upper heating member (210) and the lower heating member (220). The movable disk (110) in the pick-up and placement position is closer to the operating side of the toaster relative to the movable disk (110) in the detection position and the heating position.

8. The toaster according to claim 1, wherein: The movable disk (110), the upper heating element (210) and the lower heating element (220) are all constructed in the shape of long strips, and their length directions are parallel; and / or, The movable disc (110) is constructed in a long strip shape, the upper detection member (310) and the lower detection member (320) are arranged along the length direction of the movable disc (110), and there is at least one upper detection member (310) and / or lower detection member (320).

9. The toaster according to claim 1 or 8, characterized in that: The straight-line distances between the upper heating element (210) and the lower heating element (220) and the movable disk (110) are all within a preset distance range, and the preset distance range is 1 cm to 100 cm; and / or, The heating device (20) further comprises a rotatable fan (230), wherein the fan (230) is used to rotate to form an air flow blowing toward the food on the movable plate (110).

10. A control method for controlling a toaster according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: include: receiving the first image information and the second image information sent by the detection device (30); determining characteristic information of the food based on the first image information and the second image information, the characteristic information including at least upper maturity information of the upper surface of the food and lower maturity information of the lower surface of the food; Based on the characteristic information, a first control instruction is sent to the motion component (120) and a second control instruction is sent to the heating device (20), so that the upper surface and the lower surface of the food reach a preset degree of maturity; wherein the first control instruction is used to control the motion component (120) to approach or move away from the heating device (20), and the second control instruction is used to at least control the working states of the upper heating element (210) and the lower heating element (220), respectively.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Baking toaster

    CN106388639A