Control method of cooking appliance and cooking appliance

Abstract

This invention discloses a control method for a cooking appliance and the cooking appliance itself. The control method includes the following steps: upon receiving a defrosting command, controlling the humidification device of the defrosting auxiliary device to operate, thereby inputting a medium into the working chamber, so that the humidity and / or temperature in the working chamber reaches an initial set value and is maintained for a certain period of time; when the defrosting end condition is met, controlling the cooking appliance to start cooking. Water mist or droplets with a certain temperature condense on the surface of excessively cold food, releasing latent heat for defrosting frozen food. This can form a water film on the surface of the food, blocking oxygen, thereby inhibiting oxidative denaturation of the muscle, reducing juice loss, and improving the quality of defrosted meat. After defrosting, the humidity in the working chamber is reduced by the dehumidification device, thereby ensuring improved cooking efficiency and preventing excessive humidity from affecting the desired crisp texture.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of cooking appliance technology, and in particular to a control method for cooking appliances and cooking appliances. Background Technology

[0002] In everyday cooking, frozen meats or pre-cooked dishes need to be thawed before cooking. However, traditional air thawing methods have drawbacks such as being time-consuming and causing a decline in the quality of frozen products after thawing. Prolonged thawing can also lead to the growth of microorganisms in food, posing certain health and safety risks. Heat processing can easily cause reducing sugars and asparagine in starchy foods to form acrylamide, and increase the content of creatine, sugars, and heterocyclic amines of amino acids in meat products, thus increasing the content of harmful substances in food. Some individually thawed products also rely heavily on heating to thaw, and the surface of thawed food tends to dry out, affecting the taste after cooking. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The main objective of this invention is to propose a control method and cooking appliance for cooking, which aims to combine thawing and cooking to ensure the taste of ingredients while cooking quickly, and to reduce harmful substances in food through the workflow of thawing before cooking.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention proposes a method for controlling a cooking appliance. The cooking appliance includes a main body, a defrosting auxiliary device, and a temperature control device. The main body has a working chamber. The defrosting auxiliary device is used to regulate the humidity in the working chamber. The temperature control device is used to heat the working chamber and / or the humidification device of the defrosting auxiliary device. The method for controlling the cooking appliance includes the following steps:

[0005] Upon receiving a defrosting command, the humidification device of the defrosting auxiliary device is controlled to operate, so as to input the medium into the working chamber, so that the humidity and / or temperature in the working chamber reach the initial set value and are maintained for a certain period of time.

[0006] When the defrosting end conditions are met, the cooking appliance is controlled to start cooking. The defrosting end conditions include the humidity and / or temperature in the working chamber reaching the set value and maintaining it for a certain period of time, or the food center temperature being ≥0℃, or the change in food weight reaching the set value.

[0007] In one embodiment, the initial humidity setting value in the working chamber is H, where 50% ≤ H ≤ 100%.

[0008] In one embodiment, when a defrosting command is received, the humidification device of the defrosting auxiliary device is controlled to operate to input a medium into the working chamber so that the humidity and / or temperature in the working chamber reaches the initial set value and is maintained for a certain period of time. In this step, the humidification area of ​​the humidification device accounts for A of the cross-sectional area of ​​the working chamber in the horizontal direction, where 20% ≤ A ≤ 100%.

[0009] In one embodiment, the temperature control device includes a heating device for heating the working chamber and / or the humidification device;

[0010] Upon receiving a defrosting command, the step of controlling the humidification device of the defrosting auxiliary device to operate, thereby introducing a medium into the working chamber, so that the humidity and / or temperature in the working chamber reaches the initial set value and is maintained for a certain period of time, includes:

[0011] Upon receiving a defrosting command, the humidification device is controlled to adjust the humidity in the working chamber to the initial set value, and / or the heating device is controlled to operate to heat the temperature in the working chamber to the initial set value.

[0012] In one embodiment, the initial temperature setting is T1, where T1 ≤ 70°C.

[0013] In one embodiment, upon receiving a defrosting command, the steps of controlling the humidification device to adjust the humidity in the working chamber to an initial set value and controlling the heating device to heat the temperature in the working chamber to the initial set value are as follows:

[0014] Control the humidification and / or heating devices to operate intermittently; or,

[0015] Control the humidifier and heating device to operate alternately.

[0016] In one embodiment, the step of controlling the cooking appliance to start cooking when the defrosting end condition is met includes:

[0017] When the thawing conditions are met, the dehumidification device of the thawing aid starts working and maintains its operation for a certain period of time so that the humidity and / or temperature in the working chamber reaches the set value, and the cooking appliance is controlled to cook, and the temperature control device starts working.

[0018] In one embodiment, the thawing conditions include:

[0019] The temperature of the food to be thawed reaches the set target temperature T2; and / or,

[0020] The thawing time has reached the set time t.

[0021] In one embodiment, the set time t is related to the relevant parameters of the food to be thawed, or the set time t is related to at least one of the temperature value, temperature change value, humidity value and humidity change value in the working chamber.

[0022] In one embodiment, the relevant parameters include at least one of the following: weight, thickness, type of food, and volume of the food to be thawed.

[0023] In one embodiment, the defrosting termination condition includes maintaining a set humidity level in the working chamber for a certain period of time, wherein the set humidity level includes:

[0024] The relationship between the current humidity H1 in the working chamber and the initial humidity setting H is H1 / H≥10%.

[0025] In one embodiment, upon receiving a defrosting command, controlling the humidification device of the defrosting auxiliary device to operate, thereby inputting a medium into the working chamber, so that the humidity and / or temperature in the working chamber reaches an initial set value and is maintained for a certain period of time, includes the following steps:

[0026] Upon receiving a defrosting command, the humidification device of the defrosting auxiliary device is activated.

[0027] Obtain the real-time humidity of the working chamber;

[0028] If the real-time humidity is lower than the initial humidity setting;

[0029] The humidifier will continue to operate for the rated time and then be turned off.

[0030] In one embodiment, the defrosting aid includes a flow-disrupting component;

[0031] Upon receiving a defrosting command, the steps of controlling the humidification device of the defrosting auxiliary device to operate, thereby introducing a medium into the working chamber, so that the humidity and / or temperature in the working chamber reaches the initial set value and is maintained for a certain period of time, include:

[0032] Upon receiving a defrosting command, the humidification device and turbulence-dispersing components are activated to disperse water vapor within the working chamber.

[0033] The present invention also proposes a cooking utensil, the cooking utensil comprising:

[0034] The main body has a working cavity inside;

[0035] Temperature control device for heating the working chamber; and,

[0036] A defrosting aid is used to regulate the humidity inside the working chamber.

[0037] In one embodiment, the cooking appliance further includes a control device. The humidifying device and the dehumidifying device are electrically connected to the control device. The control device includes a memory, a processor, and a control program for the cooking appliance stored in the memory and executable on the processor. The control program for the cooking appliance is configured to implement the steps of the control method for the cooking appliance described above.

[0038] In one embodiment, the defrosting aid includes a humidifying device and a dehumidifying device installed on the main body. The humidifying device is used to humidify the working chamber, and the dehumidifying device is used to reduce the humidity in the working chamber.

[0039] In one embodiment, the humidifying device has a spray section facing the working chamber to spray a solution into the working chamber; and / or,

[0040] The dehumidification device includes a turbulence component, with the air outlet of the turbulence component facing into the working chamber.

[0041] In one embodiment, the defrosting aid further includes an auxiliary heating device for heating the humidifying device.

[0042] In one embodiment, the cooking appliance further includes a humidity detection device disposed in the working cavity for detecting the humidity in the working cavity.

[0043] In one embodiment, the cooking appliance includes an air fryer, a defrosting device, a rice cooker, or a pressure cooker.

[0044] In the technical solution of this invention, humidification is the main method. When water mist or water droplets with a certain temperature come into contact with the surface of overly cold food, they will condense on the surface and release latent heat for thawing frozen food. This method of thawing food can form a water film on the surface of the food, blocking oxygen, thereby inhibiting the oxidative denaturation of the muscle, reducing juice loss, and improving the quality of thawed meat. This ensures that the subsequent cooking efficiency is improved, avoids the impact of excessive humidity on cooking that requires a crispy texture, and achieves the purpose of reducing the generation of harmful substances during the baking and cooking process by thawing the food first and then cooking it. Attached Figure Description

[0045] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0046] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of the cooking utensil provided by the present invention;

[0047] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of another embodiment of a Chinese cooking utensil;

[0048] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a smartwatch control device in the hardware operating environment involved in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating an embodiment of the control method for cooking appliances provided by the present invention;

[0050] Figure 5A schematic flowchart of another embodiment of the control method for cooking appliances provided by the present invention.

[0051] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0052]

[0053]

[0054] The realization of the objective, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0055] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0056] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indication, the directional indication is only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a certain specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0057] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this invention involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. If the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.

[0058] In everyday cooking, frozen meat or pre-cooked dishes need to be thawed before cooking. However, traditional air thawing methods have drawbacks such as being time-consuming and causing a decline in the quality of frozen products after thawing. Prolonged thawing can also allow microorganisms to grow on the food, posing certain health and safety risks. Some individually thawed products also rely on heating to thaw, which can cause the surface of the thawed food to dry out, affecting the taste after cooking.

[0059] In view of this, the present invention provides a method for controlling a cooking appliance and a cooking appliance. Figures 1 to 2 This is an embodiment of the cooking appliance provided by the present invention. Figures 3 to 4An embodiment of the control method for cooking appliances provided by the present invention.

[0060] Please refer to Figures 1 to 2 The cooking appliance 100 proposed in this invention includes a main body 1, a defrosting auxiliary device and a temperature control device. A working cavity 11 is formed inside the main body 1. The defrosting auxiliary device is used to adjust the humidity inside the working cavity 11, and the temperature control device is used to heat the working cavity 11.

[0061] The cooking appliance 100 can thaw frozen ingredients before cooking by humidifying them. The ingredients to be thawed can be frozen pre-cooked dishes, such as marinated chicken wings, chicken strips, chicken cartilage skewers, braised beef, etc., or raw frozen ingredients that have not been heated, such as chicken, fish, pork, beef, and mutton. By increasing the humidity in the working chamber 11, enough water can be condensed on the surface of the cold food, thereby releasing latent heat for thawing. At the same time, after the thawing process is completed, dehumidification is performed to avoid excessive humidity in the food or in the working chamber 11, which would affect the taste of subsequent cooking.

[0062] It should be understood that the defrosting auxiliary device includes a humidifying device 21 and / or a dehumidifying device 22 installed on the main body 1. The humidifying device 21 is used to humidify the working chamber 11; the dehumidifying device 22 is used to reduce the humidity in the working chamber 11.

[0063] The specific form of the humidifying device 21 is not limited. In one embodiment, the humidifying device 21 has a spraying part that extends into the working chamber 11 to spray a solution into the working chamber 11. In this case, a water pump can be connected to a water tank to spray water mist through a nozzle. In other embodiments, it can be an ultrasonic atomizing device, a steam generator, etc. It should be understood that if a steam generator is used, the temperature of the steam emitted by the steam generator should be considered to avoid the food from becoming steamed and cooked before it has fully thawed due to excessively high steam temperature. Preferably, the steam temperature range is 30°C to 100°C.

[0064] Furthermore, the spraying medium can be water, liquid seasonings, solid-liquid mixtures, etc., so that food preparation or seasoning spraying can be carried out simultaneously during the thawing process, saving subsequent operation steps.

[0065] At the same time, the location of the humidifier 21 is not limited. It can be placed on the top, side or even bottom, as long as it can meet the humidification function. The layout can be reasonably arranged according to different structural forms and space constraints.

[0066] Furthermore, the specific form of the dehumidifier 22 is not limited. For example, it can be dehumidified by heating or blowing air. In one embodiment, the dehumidifier 22 includes a baffle assembly 221, the air outlet of which extends into the working chamber 11. In this embodiment, the mist is discharged and the water droplets are dried by ventilation. It should be understood that in other embodiments, dehumidification can also be achieved by a combination of heating and fan, or by an air pump extracting humid air from the cooking appliance 100. The dehumidifier 22 can be placed in any location depending on the different installation methods and product space limitations.

[0067] In this embodiment, humidification is achieved by spraying water mist, and the water vapor is discharged from the working chamber 11 by airflow turbulence.

[0068] It should be noted that when the dehumidifier 22 is used as the turbulence component 221, the turbulence component 221 can be controlled to work during the defrosting stage, so that water vapor and / or heat can be dispersed in the working chamber 11, thereby making the water vapor or heat more evenly distributed.

[0069] Furthermore, the temperature control device heats the working chamber 11 and / or the humidification device of the defrosting auxiliary device via the heating device 3. The specific form of the heating device 3 is not limited; it can be a heating plate, coil, electromagnetic induction, heating tape, resistance wire, infrared, or other heating methods. It should be understood that the heating device 3, located within the working chamber, primarily heats the container; or, located within the defrosting auxiliary device, it primarily heats the humidification device. This maintains the frozen food within the working chamber 11 at a certain temperature. The high humidity environment is more conducive to the formation of a water film on the surface of the meat, blocking oxygen and thus inhibiting oxidative denaturation of the muscle, reducing juice loss, and improving the quality of the defrosted meat. It is understood that the heating device 3 can be used directly for cooking the food. In this case, the working chamber 11 can directly serve as a cooking chamber for cooking after defrosting. Alternatively, the heating device 3 can only heat the mist emitted by the humidification device 21 to ensure that the mist remains at a certain temperature within the working chamber 11. It should be understood that different heating methods can be set in different positions, and the heating device 3 can also be a combination of upper hot air and lower hot plate. This invention does not limit this.

[0070] In addition, to facilitate humidity monitoring, the cooking appliance 100 also includes a humidity detection device 4 located in the working chamber 11 to detect the humidity inside the working chamber 11. Based on this, with the assistance of the humidity detection device, the humidification device 21 can be automatically controlled so that when the humidity value reaches the required value, the humidification device 21 can be controlled to operate at low power or be intermittently started and stopped to maintain the humidity value.

[0071] It is understandable that, similar to humidity detection, the temperature inside the working chamber 11 also needs to be detected by a temperature detection device in order to achieve temperature visualization and automated control. Therefore, a temperature detection device can be installed inside the working chamber 11 to detect the temperature inside the working chamber 11.

[0072] It should be noted that the defrosting auxiliary device may also include an auxiliary heating device for heating the humidifying device 21. When the humidifying device 21 is a device capable of spraying water, the auxiliary heating device may be a steam generator capable of spraying steam.

[0073] This invention does not limit the specific form of the cooking appliance 100, such as an air fryer, a defrosting device, a rice cooker, a pressure cooker, etc. At the same time, the working chamber 11 can be directly used as the cooking chamber for cooking after defrosting. For example, an air fryer generally has only a single chamber, but the working chamber 11 and the cooking chamber can also be set as two independent chambers, and the chamber can be switched for cooking after defrosting. This invention does not limit this.

[0074] The cooking appliance 100 also includes a control device. The humidifying device 21 and the dehumidifying device 22 are both electrically connected to the control device. The control device includes a memory, a processor, and a control program for the cooking appliance stored in the memory and capable of running on the processor. The control program for the cooking appliance is configured to implement the steps of the control method for the cooking appliance.

[0075] Reference Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the control device structure for the hardware operating environment involved in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0076] like Figure 3 As shown, the control device may include: a processor 1001, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a communication bus 1002, a user interface 1003, a network interface 1004, and a memory 1005. The communication bus 1002 is used to enable communication between these components. The user interface 1003 may include a display screen or an input unit such as a keyboard; optionally, the user interface 1003 may also include a standard wired interface or a wireless interface. The network interface 1004 may optionally include a standard wired interface or a wireless interface (such as a Wireless-Fidelity (Wi-Fi) interface). The memory 1005 may be high-speed random access memory (RAM) or stable non-volatile memory (NVM), such as a disk storage device. The memory 1005 may also optionally be a storage device independent of the aforementioned processor 1001.

[0077] Those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 3 The structure shown does not constitute a limitation on the control device and may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0078] like Figure 3 As shown, the memory 1005, which serves as a storage medium, may include an operating system, a network communication device, a user interface device, and a control program for cooking appliances.

[0079] exist Figure 3 In the control device shown, the network interface 1004 is mainly used for data communication with the network server; the user interface 1003 is mainly used for data interaction with the user; the processor 1001 and the memory 1005 in the control device of the present invention can be set in the control device. The control device calls the control program of the cooking appliance stored in the memory 1005 through the processor 1001 and executes the control method of the cooking appliance provided in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0080] This invention provides a method for controlling a cooking appliance, referring to... Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a schematic flowchart of an embodiment of a control method for a cooking utensil according to the present invention.

[0081] The method for controlling cooking appliances includes the following steps:

[0082] S10: Upon receiving a defrosting command, control the humidification device 21 of the defrosting auxiliary device to operate, so as to input the medium into the working chamber 11, so that the humidity and / or temperature in the working chamber 11 reach the initial set value and are maintained for a certain period of time.

[0083] It should be noted that thawing food based on high humidity and / or high temperature helps to ensure food quality.

[0084] Specifically, the initial humidity setting is H, where 50% ≤ H ≤ 100%, ensuring that the humidity within the cooking appliance 100 remains within this range. After the humidifier 21 is activated, it humidifies the working chamber 11, ensuring that the humidity within the working chamber 11 is greater than the air humidity, thus achieving a certain of the aforementioned effect. However, this may not necessarily reach the designed required level. To ensure the necessary auxiliary defrosting and anti-oxidation effects, this application limits H to no less than 50%. Preferably, it is set to 80% ≤ H ≤ 100%, at which point the effect is optimal. H reaching 50% is the minimum requirement; to obtain the optimal auxiliary defrosting and anti-oxidation effects, this application limits H to no less than 80%.

[0085] S20: When the defrosting end conditions are met, control the cooking appliance to start cooking;

[0086] It is understandable that the defrosting end conditions include the humidity and / or temperature in the working chamber 11 reaching the set value and maintaining it for a certain period of time, or the food's center temperature being ≥0℃, or the change in the food's weight reaching the set value.

[0087] It should be understood that different setting conditions have different influencing factors, and corresponding settings should be made in the setting conditions during the logic design.

[0088] In the technical solution of this invention, humidification is the main function. When water mist or water droplets with a certain temperature come into contact with the surface of overly cold food, they will condense on the surface and release latent heat for the thawing of frozen food. This method of thawing food can form a water film on the surface of the food, blocking oxygen, thereby inhibiting the oxidative denaturation of the muscle, reducing juice loss, and improving the quality of thawed meat. After thawing is completed, the humidity in the working chamber 11 is reduced by the dehumidification device 22, thereby ensuring that the subsequent cooking efficiency is improved and avoiding the impact of excessive humidity on the cooking process that requires a crispy texture.

[0089] It should be noted that when the working chamber 11 is used directly as a cooking chamber for cooking food, it can directly enter the cooking stage after the dehumidification stage ends, and continue until the cooking of the food is finished. For specific products, a program that defrosts first and then cooks can be directly set. The user selects the corresponding program button, and the cooking appliance 100 can automatically enter the defrosting stage, the initial stage, and the cooking stage, making it faster and more convenient.

[0090] It should be noted that heat processing causes reducing sugars and asparagine in starchy foods to form acrylamide, and creatine, sugars, and amino acid heterocyclic amines (carcinogens) in meat products. Acrylamide and amino acid heterocyclic amines are both harmful substances with carcinogenic risks. The formation of these two harmful substances is closely related to the moisture content of food. For example, frozen French fries have a dry surface and an ice crystal interior. Direct baking makes it easier for acrylamide to form on the surface due to the low moisture content. However, thawing first allows the moisture inside the fries to diffuse to the surface, resulting in a more even moisture distribution and thus reducing the likelihood of acrylamide formation during baking. Similarly, for meat products, thawing before cooking also reduces the formation of heterocyclic amines. Therefore, the technical solution of this invention reduces the formation of harmful substances during the baking and cooking process by using a thawing-before-cooking workflow. Compared to other methods of reducing harmful substances, such as adding exogenous enzymes during cooking (patent CN101485405A), this method is simpler, more efficient, and lower in cost.

[0091] Furthermore, in step S10:

[0092] The humidification area of ​​the humidification device 21 accounts for A of the horizontal cross-sectional area of ​​the working chamber 11, where 20% ≤ A ≤ 100%.

[0093] It should be noted that the humidification area mentioned here refers to the area covered or filled in the working chamber 11 by spraying water or steam when the humidification device is working. This water or steam can be understood as the coverage area of ​​the steam or the surface area of ​​the working chamber 11 after the water is sprayed into the working chamber 11.

[0094] It should be understood that in order to ensure humidification efficiency and the coverage of water mist on food, certain requirements are placed on the humidification area of ​​the humidification device 21. When the humidification device 21 is set as a spray structure, the proportion of the spray area in the horizontal cross-sectional area of ​​the working chamber 11 is A, preferably set to 80%≤A≤100%.

[0095] It is understandable that thawing can be carried out by combining high humidity and room temperature; however, the total thawing time in this method is greatly affected by environmental factors. In one embodiment, please refer to... Figure 5 Under high humidity conditions, heating is used to accelerate the defrosting process. Specifically, step S10 includes:

[0096] Upon receiving a defrosting command, the humidification device 21 is controlled to operate so that the humidity in the working chamber 11 is adjusted to the initial set value, and / or the heating device 3 is controlled to operate so that the temperature in the working chamber 11 is heated to the initial set value.

[0097] It should be understood that the heating device 3 primarily heats the interior of the working chamber 11, maintaining the frozen food within the chamber at a certain temperature. The high humidity environment promotes the formation of a water film on the surface of the meat, blocking oxygen and thus inhibiting oxidative denaturation of the muscle, reducing juice loss, and improving the quality of the thawed meat. While providing a high-temperature environment for the water mist, the temperature of the water mist also increases as the humidity is maintained for longer periods.

[0098] In the technical solution of this invention, the initial temperature setting is T1, where T1 ≤ 70℃. This application mainly provides a thawing step for food before cooking, meaning the value of T1 needs to be set appropriately. This ensures the desired thawing efficiency while preventing excessively high temperatures from affecting the water film covering the food surface, thus avoiding direct heating of the food surface and consequently affecting the internal thawing and the quality of the thawed food. Therefore, T1 needs to be set to no more than 70℃, and for optimal results, it is preferably set to 35℃ ≤ T1 ≤ 55℃.

[0099] It should be noted that during humidification and heating, the humidifier 21 can be controlled to operate continuously or intermittently. Similarly, the heating device 3 can be controlled to operate continuously, the humidifier 21 can be controlled to operate intermittently, or the humidifier 21 and the heating device 3 can be controlled to operate alternately. All of the above control methods can maintain a certain temperature and humidity.

[0100] For example, when both the heating device 3 and the humidifying device 21 are controlled by intermittent start-stop, the heating device 3 and the humidifying device 21 can be operated in conjunction, that is, the heating device 3 and the humidifying device 21 are turned on alternately. This simplifies the control of the heating device 3 and the humidifying device 21 and avoids the power fluctuation of the cooking appliance 100 caused by the simultaneous start-up and shutdown of the two, so as to maintain the power stability of the cooking appliance 100 during use and play a certain electrical protection role.

[0101] Furthermore, step S20 includes:

[0102] S21: When the defrosting conditions are met, the dehumidification device 22 of the defrosting auxiliary device starts working and continues for a certain period of time so that the humidity and / or temperature in the working chamber 11 reaches the set value, and the cooking appliance 100 is controlled to cook, and the temperature control device starts working.

[0103] It should be noted that the defrosting conditions can be the temperature of the food, the working time of the humidifier 21, or the duration of the entire defrosting process.

[0104] The humidity in the working chamber 11 reaches the set value and is maintained for a certain period of time. This is equivalent to setting a dehumidification condition and / or controlling the operation of the dehumidification device.

[0105] Specifically, the thawing settings include:

[0106] The temperature of the food to be thawed reaches the set target temperature T2; and / or,

[0107] The thawing time has reached the set time t.

[0108] It is understandable that when the defrosting setting condition is that the defrosting time reaches a set time t, the set time t is related to the relevant parameters of the food to be defrosted. These relevant parameters include at least one of the following: weight, thickness, type of food, and volume of the food. The defrosting time will vary depending on the food and the degree of freezing. In other embodiments, the set time t is related to at least one of the following: temperature value, temperature change value, humidity value, and humidity change value within the working chamber.

[0109] For example, a set relationship exists between the set time t and the weight of the food. Table 1 below compares the data of conventional air defrosting time and high humidity defrosting time for different ranges of food weight.

[0110] Table 1

[0111] Ingredient weight Air defrosting time High humidity thawing takes longer ≤100g 50min 15min 100g~250g 100min 30min 250g~500g 180min 60min ≥500g ≥260min 90min

[0112] The thawing condition is set when the temperature of the food to be thawed reaches a set target temperature T2. This can be achieved by detecting the temperature of the food's surface or by inserting a probe into the center of the food to detect its temperature. It should be understood that the surface temperature of the food, being in direct contact with moisture and potentially exposed to high temperatures, rises the fastest. Therefore, it is preferable to set the temperature at the center of the food to be thawed to reach the set target temperature T2. Alternatively, the correlation between the center temperature of the food to be thawed and the internal temperature of the cooking appliance can be obtained. By detecting whether the internal temperature of the cooking environment reaches the set target temperature, the thawing status of the food can be provided as feedback. Specifically, in one embodiment, T2 is set to ≥ 0°C. This invention is not limited to the method of detecting this target temperature.

[0113] It should be noted that the "internal temperature" of the food mentioned here can refer to the temperature at the center of the food, or simply the temperature at a certain depth into the surface. The location may vary depending on the size and shape of the food.

[0114] Furthermore, the main purpose of the dehumidification device 22 is to reduce the humidity inside the working chamber 11. For dehumidification conditions, the current temperature inside the working chamber 11 can be detected to determine whether it meets the set value requirements. In this embodiment, considering that the humidity value inside the working chamber 11 is not a unique and definite value for different foods or different humidification conditions, the set dehumidification conditions in the technical solution of this invention include the relationship between the current humidity H1 inside the working chamber 11 and the initial set value H of the humidity, where H1 / H ≥ 10%. This reduces the humidity inside the working chamber 11 by 10% or more of the original humidity, thereby improving subsequent cooking efficiency and achieving a crispy baked texture for the food.

[0115] Furthermore, in another embodiment, step S10 includes:

[0116] Upon receiving a defrosting command, the humidification device 21 of the defrosting auxiliary device is activated;

[0117] Obtain the real-time humidity of the working chamber 11;

[0118] If the real-time humidity is lower than the initial humidity setting;

[0119] The humidifier 21 will continue to operate for the rated time and then be turned off.

[0120] In this technical solution, the humidity is maintained during humidification by the humidity detection device 4 automatically turning on for a period of time after detecting that the real-time humidity in the working chamber 11 is lower than the set value. For example, if the set humidity is 80% to 100%, when the detected real-time humidity is less than 80%, the humidification device 21 is controlled to turn on for 10 seconds and then automatically turn off.

[0121] To ensure uniform diffusion of water vapor, in one embodiment, the dehumidification device 22 includes a turbulence component 221. In step S10, when a defrosting command is received, the humidification device 21 and the turbulence component are controlled to work so that water vapor is dispersed in the working chamber 11.

[0122] It should be understood that the turbulence-dispersing component 221 can operate continuously or intermittently, or it can operate alternately with the humidifying device 21. Furthermore, the turbulence-dispersing component 221 can be turned on simultaneously with the humidifying device 21, or it can be turned on after the humidifying device 21 has been on for a period of time. The present invention does not impose any limitations on this. The turbulence-dispersing component 221 enables water vapor to be distributed more evenly within the working chamber 11.

[0123] The specific structural form of the turbulence component 221 is not limited. It can be an air outlet device, such as a fan, to blow air into the working chamber 11. In some embodiments, the fan is placed at the exhaust port of the working chamber 11, thereby making the visible structure external and highlighting the function. The turbulence component 221 can also achieve air turbulence in the working chamber by sucking in or sucking out gas, which can also achieve the effect of expelling water vapor in the working chamber 11 to the outside.

[0124] Moreover, when the heating device 3 is set, the humidifying device 21, the heating device 3 and the turbulence component 221 can operate synchronously or be turned on separately during the defrosting stage, or even two of them can be turned on first. At this time, the turbulence component 221 can make the water vapor and heat more evenly distributed in the working chamber 11, and the humid and hot conditions can make the food defrost quickly.

[0125] Once defrosting is complete, the turbulence-dissipating component 221 can remain open, allowing some moisture to be blown out of the cooking appliance 100. It is understood that when the turbulence-dissipating component 221 is an air outlet, its airflow characteristics during the defrosting and dehumidification phases can be the same or different, such as airflow volume, airflow direction, and whether it oscillates.

[0126] The following examples illustrate different structural designs and different cooking control programs.

[0127] In the first embodiment, the cooking appliance 100 is an air fryer or oven. In this case, the working chamber 11 directly serves as the cooking chamber. The cooking appliance 100 includes a humidifying device 21, a dehumidifying device 22, and a heating device 3. The humidifying device 21 and the dehumidifying device 22 are located at the top of the working chamber 11. The control process is as follows:

[0128] Preparation stage: The user puts the ingredients into the working chamber 11 of the cooking appliance 100;

[0129] During the defrosting stage, the humidifying device 21 and the heating device 3 are turned on. At this time, the medium is sprayed into the cooking appliance 100. The spraying area and the temperature and humidity in the working chamber 11 are controlled. When the set defrosting conditions are met, the humidifying device 21 and the heating device 3 are turned off.

[0130] During the dehumidification stage, the dehumidification device 22 is turned on, reducing the humidity in the working chamber 11 by 10% or more of the original humidity.

[0131] Cooking stage: Heating device 3 is turned on for normal cooking;

[0132] Cooking is finished.

[0133] In the second embodiment, the cooking appliance 100 is an air fryer or oven. In this case, the working chamber 11 directly serves as the cooking chamber. The cooking appliance 100 includes a humidifying device 21, a dehumidifying device 22, and a heating device 3. The humidifying device 21 and the dehumidifying device 22 are located at the top of the working chamber 11. The control process is as follows:

[0134] Preparation stage: The user puts the ingredients into the working chamber 11 of the cooking appliance 100;

[0135] During the defrosting stage, the humidification device 21 is turned on. The humidification device 21 is a steam generator. At this time, the medium is sprayed into the cooking appliance 100 in the form of steam. The steam generator itself can spray out a medium with a certain temperature, so that the food stays in a high temperature and high humidity environment. The humidification device 21 is turned off when the set defrosting conditions are met.

[0136] During the dehumidification stage, the dehumidification device 22 is turned on, reducing the humidity in the working chamber 11 by 10% or more of the original humidity.

[0137] Cooking stage: Heating device 3 is turned on for normal cooking;

[0138] Cooking is finished.

[0139] In the third embodiment, during the dehumidification stage, the dehumidification device 22 and the heating device 3 are turned on simultaneously. The two work together to reduce the humidity in the working chamber 11 by 10% or more of the original humidity. At this time, the heating device 3 also serves as the preheating function for cooking. After the dehumidification stage ends, the heating device 3 continues to be turned on for normal cooking. The power of the heating device 3 can be adjusted to be different during the dehumidification stage and the cooking stage.

[0140] In the fourth embodiment, a temperature detection device is also provided in the working chamber 11. Compared with the first embodiment where the dehumidification device 22 is a turbulence component 221, such as a fan, in this embodiment the fan is placed at the top and above the humidification device 21.

[0141] During the defrosting stage, the humidifier 21, heating device 3, and fan are all turned on. The fan makes the water vapor and heat more evenly distributed in the working cavity 11 of the cooking appliance 100. At the same time, during the humidity maintenance process, the humidifier 21 operates intermittently. The humidity is maintained by the humidity detection device 4, which automatically turns on for a period of time when the humidity is detected to be lower than the set value.

[0142] During the dehumidification stage, the fan is turned on, causing some of the moisture to escape from the cooking appliance 100.

[0143] In the fourth embodiment, a dehumidification stage may not be set, or the working chamber 11 may still have a high humidity after the dehumidification stage is completed, so that the food can simulate the cooking method of "steaming" in the early stage of cooking and achieve the effect of tender roasting.

[0144] It should be understood that the above are merely illustrative examples and do not constitute any limitation on the technical solutions of the present invention. In specific applications, those skilled in the art can make settings as needed, and the present invention does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0145] It should be noted that the workflow described above is merely illustrative and does not limit the scope of protection of this invention. In practical applications, those skilled in the art can select some or all of the workflow to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs, and no restrictions are imposed here.

[0146] The sequence numbers of the above embodiments of the present invention are for descriptive purposes only and do not represent the superiority or inferiority of the embodiments.

[0147] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. Of course, they can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium (such as read-only memory (ROM) / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk) and includes several instructions to cause a terminal device (which may be a mobile phone, computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods of the various embodiments of the present invention.

[0148] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not limit the scope of the patent. Any equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the specification and drawings of the present invention under the inventive concept of the present invention, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the scope of patent protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a cooking utensil, characterized in that, The cooking appliance includes a main body, a defrosting aid, and a temperature control device. The main body has a working chamber. The defrosting aid is used to regulate the humidity within the working chamber. The temperature control device is used to heat the working chamber and / or the humidification device of the defrosting aid. The control method of the cooking appliance includes the following steps: Upon receiving a defrosting command, the humidification device of the defrosting auxiliary device is controlled to operate, so as to input a medium into the working chamber, so that the humidity and / or temperature in the working chamber reach the initial set value and are maintained for a certain period of time. When the defrosting end conditions are met, the cooking appliance is controlled to start cooking. The defrosting end conditions include the humidity and / or temperature in the working chamber reaching a set value and maintaining it for a certain period of time, or the food center temperature being ≥0℃, or the change in food weight reaching a set value.

2. The control method for cooking appliances as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The initial humidity setting value in the working chamber is H, where 50% ≤ H ≤ 100%.

3. The control method for cooking appliances as described in claim 1, characterized in that, When a defrosting command is received, the humidification device of the defrosting auxiliary device is controlled to operate to input a medium into the working chamber, so that the humidity and / or temperature in the working chamber reaches the initial set value and is maintained for a certain period of time. In this step, the humidification area of ​​the humidification device accounts for A of the cross-sectional area of ​​the horizontal direction of the working chamber, where 20% ≤ A ≤ 100%.

4. The control method for cooking appliances as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The temperature control device includes a heating device for heating the working chamber and / or the humidification device; The step of controlling the humidification device of the defrosting auxiliary device to operate upon receiving a defrosting command, so as to input a medium into the working chamber, thereby causing the humidity and / or temperature in the working chamber to reach an initial set value and be maintained for a certain period of time, includes: Upon receiving a defrosting command, the humidification device is controlled to operate so that the humidity in the working chamber is adjusted to the initial set value, and / or the heating device is controlled to operate so that the temperature in the working chamber is heated to the initial set value.

5. The control method for cooking appliances as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The initial temperature setting is T1, where T1 ≤ 70℃.

6. The control method for cooking appliances as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The steps of controlling the humidification device to adjust the humidity in the working chamber to an initial set value upon receiving a defrosting command, and controlling the heating device to heat the temperature in the working chamber to an initial set value, include: Control the humidification device and / or the heating device to operate intermittently; or, The humidification device and the heating device are controlled to operate alternately.

7. The method for controlling a cooking appliance as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The step of controlling the cooking appliance to start cooking when the defrosting end condition is met includes: When the thawing conditions are met, the dehumidification device of the thawing auxiliary device starts working and maintains its operation for a certain period of time so that the humidity and / or temperature in the working chamber reaches the set value, and the cooking appliance is controlled to cook. The temperature control device starts working.

8. The method for controlling a cooking appliance as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The thawing conditions include: The temperature of the food to be thawed reaches the set target temperature T2; and / or, The thawing time has reached the set time t.

9. The method for controlling a cooking appliance as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The set time t is related to the relevant parameters of the food to be thawed, or the set time t is related to at least one of the temperature value, temperature change value, humidity value and humidity change value in the working chamber.

10. The method for controlling a cooking appliance as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The relevant parameters include at least one of the following: weight, thickness, type of food, and volume of the food to be thawed.

11. The method for controlling a cooking appliance as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The defrosting termination condition includes maintaining a set humidity level in the working chamber for a certain period of time, wherein the set humidity level includes: The relationship between the current humidity H1 in the working chamber and the initial humidity setting H is H1 / H≥10%.

12. The control method for a cooking appliance as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Upon receiving a defrosting command, controlling the humidification device of the defrosting auxiliary device to operate, thereby inputting a medium into the working chamber, so that the humidity and / or temperature in the working chamber reaches an initial set value and is maintained for a certain period of time, includes the following steps: Upon receiving a defrosting command, the humidification device of the defrosting auxiliary device is controlled to operate; Obtain the real-time humidity of the working chamber; If the real-time humidity is lower than the initial humidity setting; The humidifier is controlled to continue operating for a rated time and then shut down.

13. The method for controlling a cooking appliance as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The defrosting aid device includes a flow-disrupting component; The step of controlling the humidification device of the defrosting auxiliary device to operate upon receiving a defrosting command, so as to input a medium into the working chamber, thereby causing the humidity and / or temperature in the working chamber to reach an initial set value and maintain it for a certain period of time, includes: Upon receiving a defrosting command, the humidification device and the turbulence-dispersing component are controlled to operate, so that water vapor is dispersed within the working chamber.

14. A cooking utensil, characterized in that, The cooking appliance includes: The main body has a working cavity inside; Temperature control device for heating the working chamber; and, A defrosting aid device is used to regulate the humidity inside the working chamber.

15. The cooking appliance as described in claim 14, characterized in that, The cooking appliance further includes a control device, wherein the temperature control device and the defrosting aid device are electrically connected to the control device. The control device includes a memory, a processor, and a control program for the cooking appliance stored in the memory and executable on the processor. The control program for the cooking appliance is configured to implement the steps of the control method for the cooking appliance as described in any one of claims 1 to 13.

16. The cooking appliance as described in claim 14, characterized in that, The defrosting aid device includes a humidifying device and a dehumidifying device installed on the main body. The humidifying device is used to humidify the working chamber, and the dehumidifying device is used to reduce the humidity in the working chamber.

17. The cooking appliance as described in claim 16, characterized in that, The humidifying device has a spray section facing the working chamber to spray a solution into the working chamber; and / or, The dehumidification device includes a turbulence-dissipating component, the air outlet of which faces into the working chamber.

18. The cooking appliance as described in claim 16, characterized in that, The defrosting aid also includes an auxiliary heating device for heating the humidification device.

19. The cooking appliance as described in claim 14, characterized in that, The cooking appliance also includes a humidity detection device disposed in the working chamber for detecting the humidity in the working chamber.

20. The cooking appliance as described in claim 14, characterized in that, The cooking appliances include air fryers, defrosting devices, rice cookers, or pressure cookers.

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