Heating cooker

Abstract

To adjust a steam amount in a cooking chamber 20 even if a set temperature in the cooking chamber is lower than 100°C.SOLUTION: A heating cooker 10 comprises a control device 50 for controlling operations of a heater 25 and a steam generator 30. The control device 50 controls the operation of the heater 25 on the basis of a detection temperature of a temperature sensor 27 so that a temperature and a steam amount in a cooking chamber 20 reach a set temperature and a set steam amount which are adapted to the cooking of food, and controls the operation of the steam generator 30 on the basis of the steam amount which is detected from a detection oxygen concentration of an oxygen sensor 28 as steam amount detection means. The set steam amount at the implement of a cooking program is set so that a saturation steam amount at the set temperature reaches a maximum steam amount.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooking device, such as a steam convection oven, that cooks food by using hot air containing steam. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a cooking device that cooks ingredients with hot air. This cooking device includes a cooking chamber that cooks ingredients, a heater that heats the inside of the cooking chamber, a convection fan that circulates air in the cooking chamber, a steam generator that supplies steam into the cooking chamber, and a control device that controls the operation of the heater, the convection fan, and the steam generator. The control device of this cooking device includes a cooking program for automatically cooking ingredients, and when the cooking program is executed by the control device, the air in the cooking chamber is turned into hot air by the operation of the heater and the convection fan and circulates, and steam is supplied to the convecting hot air by the operation of the steam generator, and the ingredients stored in the cooking chamber are cooked by the hot air containing steam.

[0003] An oxygen sensor for detecting the oxygen concentration is provided in the cooking chamber of this cooking device, and the oxygen sensor detects the amount of steam replaced by air in the cooking chamber by detecting the oxygen concentration in the cooking chamber. That is, when steam is supplied from the steam generating device to the cooking chamber, the oxygen concentration in the cooking chamber decreases, and the amount of steam replaced by air in the cooking chamber is detected by detecting the oxygen concentration in the cooking chamber with the oxygen sensor. When cooking food in the cooking chamber with hot air containing steam, the operation of the steam generating device is controlled based on the amount of steam calculated from the oxygen concentration detected by the oxygen sensor, and the amount of steam in the cooking chamber is controlled to be the set amount. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-10188 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the cooking device described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the oxygen sensor detects the amount of steam in the cooking chamber by detecting the oxygen concentration in the cooking chamber, and the steam generator is controlled so that the amount of steam in the cooking chamber is set based on the amount of steam detected from the oxygen concentration detected by the oxygen sensor. In this type of cooking device, low-temperature steam cooking can be performed by supplying steam to the cooking chamber at a temperature lower than 100°C, in which ingredients in the cooking chamber are cooked with steam. If the cooking chamber is set to a temperature lower than 100°C and steam is supplied from the steam generator to the cooking chamber, the temperature in the cooking chamber may become higher than the set temperature due to the steam. In particular, when the set temperature in the cooking chamber is set to 100°C or lower, if steam is supplied to replace all of the air in the cooking chamber with steam so that the amount of steam (steam concentration) is, for example, 100%, there is a risk that the temperature in the cooking chamber may rise to nearly 100°C, which is higher than the set temperature, due to the supplied steam. For this reason, when the set temperature in the cooking chamber is set to a temperature lower than 100°C, it is difficult to adjust the amount of steam in the cooking chamber to the set amount. An object of the present invention is to make it possible to adjust the amount of steam inside a cooking chamber even when the set temperature inside the cooking chamber is lower than 100°C. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a cooking device comprising a cooking chamber for cooking ingredients, a heater for heating the inside of the cooking chamber, a convection fan for circulating air inside the cooking chamber, a steam generating device for supplying steam into the cooking chamber, a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature inside the cooking chamber, and a steam amount detection means for detecting the amount of steam inside the cooking chamber, and a control device for controlling operation of the heater based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor so that the inside of the cooking chamber has a set temperature and a set amount of steam suitable for cooking ingredients, and for controlling operation of the steam generating device based on the detected amount of steam detection means, characterized in that the set amount of steam is set so that the amount of saturated steam at the set temperature is the maximum amount of steam.

[0007] In the cooking device configured as described above, the set amount of steam is set so that the amount of saturated steam at the set temperature is the maximum amount of steam. When performing steam cooking at a set temperature in the cooking chamber lower than 100°C, steam is supplied into the cooking chamber so that the amount of saturated steam at the set temperature is the maximum amount of steam. This makes it possible to adjust the amount of steam supplied into the cooking chamber, allowing the user to cook ingredients at the set temperature and amount of steam desired.

[0008] In the cooking device configured as described above, it is preferable that the set steam amount can be set as a ratio to the maximum steam amount. In this case, the user can finely set the steam amount as a ratio to the maximum steam amount.

[0009] In the cooking device configured as described above, it is preferable that the heater output and the steam generating device output can each be changed within the allowable value of the power consumption of the cooking device. In this case, for example, when the temperature inside the cooking chamber drops due to the placement of ingredients in the cooking chamber, the heater output can be increased to prioritize increasing the temperature inside the cooking chamber, or the steam generating device output can be increased to prioritize the supply of steam inside the cooking chamber, making it possible to adjust the temperature and supply steam according to the cooking method of the ingredients in the cooking chamber.

[0010] In the cooking device configured as described above, the steam amount detection means is disposed in a double cylinder having an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder provided in the cooking chamber, and the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are formed with one or more inner air inlets and one or more outer air inlets for introducing air into the cooking chamber, and it is preferable that the inner air inlets are disposed at a position where they do not overlap with the outer air inlets in both the axial direction and the circumferential direction of the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder. In this way, even if oily smoke is generated during cooking of ingredients in the cooking chamber, the steam amount detection means is less likely to be exposed to the oily smoke, and the steam amount detection means is less likely to deteriorate. In addition, washing water used to wash the inside of the cooking chamber is less likely to adhere to the steam amount detection means in the inner cylinder, making it possible to prevent the steam amount detection means from deteriorating. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of an embodiment of a cooking device of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of FIG. 1 with the door open. [Diagram 3] 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the center portion in the front-rear direction of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 4 with the partition plate and the support frame removed. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an oxygen sensor in a double cylinder. [Figure 7] 1A is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the axial direction of the double cylinder at the position of the inner air inlet, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the axial direction of the double cylinder at the position of the outer air inlet. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a left side view of the housing of FIG. 1 with the left panel removed to reveal a machine compartment. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a path through which cleaning water circulates. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control device. [Figure 11] 1 is a graph showing the amount of steam that can be put into a cooking chamber under conditions of 100°C or less. [Figure 12]1 is a graph showing the temperature and amount of steam inside a cooking chamber. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] An embodiment of the cooking device of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The cooking device of the present invention is called a steam convection oven, and cooks ingredients by convection of hot air containing steam. As shown in FIG. 1, the cooking device 10 has a machine chamber 12 in the left side of the housing 11, and a cooking chamber 20 for cooking ingredients in the part of the housing 11 excluding the machine chamber 12. As shown in FIG. 2, an opening 20a for carrying ingredients in and out is provided in the front part of the cooking chamber 20, and a door 13 for opening and closing the opening 20a is provided in the opening 20a. A packing 14 is provided on the periphery of the opening 20a of the cooking chamber 20, and the packing 14 seals between the periphery of the opening 20a of the cooking chamber 20 and the door 13 in a closed state.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 3, cooking chamber 20 is used to store ingredients and heat them for cooking, and the portion of cooking chamber 20 excluding the left side serves as ingredient storage chamber 21 for storing ingredients, and the left side of cooking chamber 20 serves as hot air generating chamber 22 for generating hot air to be sent to ingredient storage chamber 21. A partition plate 23 is provided to the left of the center of cooking chamber 20 in the left-right direction, separating ingredient storage chamber 21 from hot air generating chamber 22, and partition plate 23 separates ingredient storage chamber 21 from hot air generating chamber 22 to allow ventilation between them. Partition plate 23 functions as a fan cover that covers the intake side of convection fan 26 disposed in hot air generating chamber 22.

[0014] 4, a suction port 23a is formed in the partition plate 23, and air in the food storage chamber 21 is sent through the suction port 23a to the hot air generating chamber 22. Also, the partition plate 23 is attached so that a space through which air can pass is formed between the partition plate 23 and the ceiling wall, bottom wall, front wall, and rear wall of the cooking chamber 20, and thus a ventilation passage 23b through which air passes is formed between the partition plate 23 and the ceiling wall, bottom wall, front wall, and rear wall of the cooking chamber 20, and the air in the hot air generating chamber 22 is sent to the food storage chamber 21 through the ventilation passage 23b.

[0015] 2 to 4, a pair of left and right support frames 24 that support multiple levels of trays called hotel pans vertically are provided in food storage chamber 21 of cooking chamber 20. Support frame 24 in this embodiment supports 10 levels of trays vertically and is made by bending metal wire.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 5, the hot air generating chamber 22 of the cooking chamber 20 is provided with a heater 25 and a convection fan 26. The heater 25 heats the inside of the cooking chamber 20 and is wound in an approximately annular shape on the left side wall of the cooking chamber 20. The convection fan 26 convects the air inside the cooking chamber 20 and is attached inside the heater 25 wound in an approximately annular shape on the left side wall of the cooking chamber 20. The convection fan 26 in this embodiment is a centrifugal fan made of a sirocco fan. When the convection fan 26 is operated, the air in the food storage chamber 21 is sucked into the hot air generating chamber 22 through the suction port 23a of the partition plate 23, and the sucked air is blown outward in the centrifugal direction in the hot air generating chamber 22, and the blown air is returned to the food storage chamber 21 through the upper, lower, front and rear ventilation passages 23b. In addition, when the convection fan 26 is operated together with the heater 25, the air sucked from the food storage chamber 21 into the hot air generating chamber 22 is blown onto the heater 25 arranged outside the convection fan 26 and becomes high-temperature hot air, which is returned to the food storage chamber 21 through the upper and lower and front and rear ventilation passages 23b.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 5, a temperature sensor 27 is provided in the hot air generating chamber 22 of the cooking chamber 20. The temperature sensor 27 detects the temperature inside the cooking chamber 20 and is disposed outside the heater 25 on the left side wall of the cooking chamber 20. An oxygen sensor 28 is provided in the hot air generating chamber 22 inside the cooking chamber 20. The oxygen sensor 28 detects the oxygen concentration inside the cooking chamber 20 and functions as a steam amount detection means that detects the amount of steam inside the cooking chamber 20 based on the detected oxygen concentration inside the cooking chamber 20. That is, when steam is supplied into the cooking chamber 20, the air inside the cooking chamber 20 is replaced with steam and the oxygen concentration decreases. The oxygen sensor 28 detects the decreased oxygen concentration inside the cooking chamber 20, thereby making it possible to detect the amount of steam inside the cooking chamber 20.

[0018] As shown in Figs. 5 to 7, the oxygen sensor 28 is disposed in an inner cylinder 29a constituting a double cylinder 29 on the left side wall of the cooking chamber 20, and the double cylinder 29 makes it difficult for the oxygen sensor 28 to be affected by oily smoke and water in the cooking chamber 20. The double cylinder 29 is provided with a cylindrical inner cylinder 29a and an outer cylinder 29c covering the outside of the inner cylinder 29a, and these inner and outer cylinders 29a, 29c are arranged coaxially so that the axial direction is in the left-right direction (horizontal direction). The inner and outer cylinders 29a, 29c are provided with a lid portion 29e on the side opposite the left side wall of the cooking chamber 20, and the inner and outer cylinders 29a, 29c are covered by the lid portion 29e on the side opposite the left side wall of the cooking chamber 20. Two inner air inlets 29b are formed on the upper and lower circumferential surface of the inner cylinder 29a, and these inner air inlets 29b are arranged at the 6 o'clock and 12 o'clock positions when viewed from the axial direction. Additionally, three outer air inlet ports 29d are formed on the circumferential surface of outer cylinder 29c, and these outer air inlet ports 29d are located at the 2 o'clock, 6 o'clock, and 10 o'clock positions when viewed from the axial direction. Outer air inlet port 29d of outer cylinder 29c is located closer to the left wall side of cooking chamber 20 in the axial direction of inner cylinder 29a and outer cylinder 29c than inner air inlet port 29b, and outer air inlet port 29d is located at a position not overlapping with inner air inlet port 29b in the axial direction of double cylinder 29.

[0019] The inside of the inner cylinder 29a is opened to the inside of the outer cylinder 29c through the inner air inlet 29b, and the inside of the outer cylinder 29c is opened to the inside of the cooking chamber 20 through the outer air inlet 29d, so that the air in the cooking chamber 20 can flow into the inner cylinder 29a through the outer air inlet 29d and the inner air inlet 29b. The oxygen sensor 28 is covered by a double cylinder 29 consisting of the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder 29a, 29c, but can detect the oxygen concentration of the air in the cooking chamber 20 that flows in through the inner and outer air inlets 29b, 29d in the inner cylinder 29a. The inner air inlet 29b of the inner cylinder 29a is disposed at a position that does not overlap with the outer air inlet 29d of the outer cylinder 29c in both the axial direction and the circumferential direction of the inner cylinder 29a and the outer cylinder 29c. Even if water such as cleaning water described later is splashed inside the cooking chamber 20, the water such as cleaning water splashing inside the cooking chamber 20 is unlikely to flow into the inner cylinder 29a, and the water is unlikely to adhere to the oxygen sensor 28 inside the inner cylinder 29a. Even if water enters the inner and outer cylinders 29a, 29c due to condensation or the like, the inner and outer air inlets 29b, 29d are formed at the lower part of the inner and outer cylinders 29a, 29c, that is, at the 6 o'clock position as viewed from the axial direction of the inner and outer cylinders 29a, 29c, so that the water that has entered the inner and outer cylinders 29a, 29c is discharged from the inner and outer cylinders 29a, 29c through the inner and outer air inlets 29b, 29d without remaining inside.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 8, the machine room 12 of the housing 11 is provided with a steam generator 30 that supplies steam into the cooking chamber 20. The steam generator 30 generates steam by heating water by induction heating, and is installed upright above a tank 15 provided in the machine room 12. The tank 15 is used not only to drain wastewater from the steam generator 30, but also to drain wastewater from the cooking chamber 20, and to store washing water when a washing program described below is executed.

[0021] The steam generating device 30 includes a cylindrical steam generating vessel 31 that stores water at a predetermined level, a heating element 32 that heats the water in the steam generating vessel 31, an induction heating coil 33 that is wound around the outer periphery of the steam generating vessel 31 to heat the heating element 32, a steam delivery tube 34 that delivers the steam generated in the steam generating vessel 31 to the cooking chamber 20, and a drain valve 35 that is provided at the bottom of the steam generating vessel 31 to drain the water in the steam generating vessel 31. The heating element 32 generates heat due to Joule heat caused by electrical resistance when an eddy current flows due to the influence of a magnetic field generated when a high-frequency current is supplied to the induction heating coil 33, and the water in the steam generating vessel 31 is heated by the heating element 32 that generates heat to generate steam. The steam delivery tube 34 is connected to a steam inlet 20b (shown in FIG. 5) formed on the left wall of the cooking chamber 20, and the steam generated in the steam generating vessel 31 is delivered to the cooking chamber 20 from the steam inlet 20b through the steam delivery tube 34. In addition, the steam generating device 30 is not limited to one that generates steam by heating water using induction heating, but may also generate steam by heating water in the steam generating container 31 using an electric heater.

[0022] As shown in Figure 8, the machine room 12 of the housing 11 is provided with an intake duct 36 that introduces outside air into the cooking chamber 20, and the intake duct 36 is connected to an intake port 20c (shown in Figure 5) formed on the left side wall of the cooking chamber 20 at the rear side of the convection fan 26. An intake valve 37 is provided in the intake duct 36, and the intake duct 36 can be ventilated by opening the intake valve 37. The intake port 20c formed on the left side wall of the cooking chamber 20 is placed in a negative pressure state by the rotation of the convection fan 26, and air outside the housing 11 is introduced into the cooking chamber 20 through the intake duct 36 by opening the intake valve 37.

[0023] As shown in Figs. 3 to 5 and 9, a washing nozzle 40 is provided on the ceiling of the food storage chamber 21 of the cooking chamber 20, and the washing nozzle 40 sprays washing water into the cooking chamber 20. A drain port 20d is formed in the bottom wall of the cooking chamber 20, and the drain port 20d is connected to the tank 15 by a connection pipe 16. As shown in Fig. 9, a washing water delivery pipe 41 for delivering washing water is connected to the tank 15, and the outlet end of the washing water delivery pipe 41 is connected to the washing nozzle 40. A pump 42 is interposed in the washing water delivery pipe 41, and the pump 42 delivers the washing water in the tank 15 to the washing nozzle 40 through the washing water delivery pipe 41. A water supply pipe 43 extending from a water supply source such as a waterworks is connected to the tank 15, and a water supply valve 44 is interposed in the water supply pipe 43. Water supplied under pressure from a water supply source such as a waterworks is supplied to the tank 15 as washing water through the water supply pipe 43 by opening the water supply valve 44. A drain pipe 45 is connected to the tank 15, and a drain valve 46 is provided in the drain pipe 45. The cleaning water in the tank 15 is discharged to the outside of the housing 11 through the drain pipe 45 by opening the drain valve 46.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 10, the cooking device 10 includes a control device 50, which is connected to the heater 25, the convection fan 26, the temperature sensor 27, the oxygen sensor 28, the steam generator 30, the air supply valve 37, the pump 42, the water supply valve 44, and the drain valve 46. The control device 50 has a microcomputer (not shown), which includes a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and a timer (all not shown) connected via a bus. The control device 50 variably controls the input power to each of the heater 25, the convection fan 26, and the steam generator 30 within the allowable power consumption of the cooking device 10, and the output of each of the heater 25, the convection fan 26, and the steam generator 30 can be variably controlled.

[0025] The control device 50 has a cooking program in the ROM for cooking ingredients in the cooking chamber 20. The cooking program has three modes: a hot air mode cooking program for cooking ingredients with convecting hot air by activating the heater 25 and the convection fan 26, a steam mode cooking program for cooking ingredients with convecting hot air containing steam by activating the convection fan 26 and the steam generator 30, and a combination mode cooking program for cooking ingredients with convecting high-temperature hot air containing steam by activating the heater 25, the convection fan 26, and the steam generator 30. The ROM stores a cooking program in which the set temperature, set amount of steam (set steam concentration), and cooking time in the cooking chamber 20 are preset, and the set temperature, set amount of steam, and cooking time of the cooking chamber 20 of the cooking program can be set by the user.

[0026] In the hot air mode cooking program, the heater 25 is energized and controlled based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 27, and the temperature inside the cooking chamber 20 is adjusted to the set temperature. In the steam mode cooking program, the operation of the steam generator 30 is controlled based on the amount of steam detected from the oxygen concentration detected by the oxygen sensor 28, and the amount of steam inside the cooking chamber 20 is adjusted to the set amount of steam. In the combination mode cooking program, the heater 25 is energized and controlled based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 27, and the temperature inside the cooking chamber 20 is adjusted to the set temperature, and the steam generator 30 is controlled based on the amount of steam detected from the oxygen concentration detected by the oxygen sensor 28, and the amount of steam inside the cooking chamber 20 is adjusted to the set amount of steam. In addition, when the set steam volume in the cooking chamber 20 is set low (for example, the steam volume is 0%) in the combination mode cooking program, the air intake valve 37 is controlled to open, and the outside air outside the housing 11 is introduced into the cooking chamber 20 through the air intake duct 36, and the hot air containing steam inside the cooking chamber 20 is exhausted from the drain outlet 20d, thereby reducing the amount of steam inside the cooking chamber 20.

[0027] The set amount of steam set in the steam mode cooking program and the combination mode cooking program is set according to the ratio of the air in the cooking chamber 20 replaced with steam. When the set temperature is 100°C or higher, even if the amount of steam is set to 100% and all of the air in the cooking chamber 20 is replaced with steam, the temperature in the cooking chamber 20 is unlikely to be higher than the set temperature. On the other hand, when the amount of steam is set to 100% and all of the air in the cooking chamber 20 is replaced with steam, the temperature in the cooking chamber 20 becomes about 100°C due to the supplied steam, and the set temperature in the cooking chamber 20 cannot be set lower than 100°C. For this reason, the set amount of steam when the set temperature is 100°C or lower is set so that the saturated steam amount at the set temperature is the maximum amount of steam. In addition, the set amount of steam when the set temperature is 100°C or lower can be set according to the ratio (for example, 0 to 100%) of the maximum amount of steam. That is, when the set temperature is 100°C or lower, the set amount of steam in the cooking chamber 20 is adjusted to be the relative humidity, not the absolute humidity.

[0028] Specifically, when the set temperature inside the cooking chamber 20 is 70°C, the set steam amount can be set within the range shown in Fig. 11a, when the set steam amount is 100%, the saturated steam amount shown in Fig. 11a1 is set as the steam amount, and when the set steam amount is 70%, the steam amount shown in Fig. 11a2 is set. Similarly, when the set temperature inside the cooking chamber 20 is 90°C, the set steam amount can be set within the range shown in Fig. 11b, when the set steam amount is 100%, the saturated steam amount shown in Fig. 11b1 is set as the steam amount, and when the set steam amount is 70%, the steam amount shown in Fig. 11b2 is set.

[0029] In addition, when the combination mode cooking program is executed, if both the heater 25 and the steam generator 30 are operated at maximum output, the power consumption of the cooking appliance 10 will exceed its allowable value. In response to this, the control device 50 is capable of variably controlling the output of each of the heater 25 and the steam generator 30 within the allowable value of the power consumption of the cooking appliance 10, and when the output of the heater 25 is controlled to be high and the output of the steam generator 30 is controlled to be low, the control device 50 can prioritize the increase in temperature over the increase in the amount of steam in the cooking appliance 20, and when the output of the steam generator 30 is controlled to be high and the output of the heater 25 is controlled to be low, the control device 50 can prioritize the increase in the amount of steam over the increase in the temperature in the cooking appliance 20. In addition, when the output of each of the heater 25 and the steam generator 30 is set to be approximately the same within the allowable value of the power consumption of the cooking appliance 10, the control device 50 can control both the increase in temperature and the increase in the amount of steam in the cooking appliance 20.

[0030] In addition, the hot air mode cooking program and the combination mode cooking program are configured to execute a preheating process in which the inside of the cooking chamber 20 is heated to a set temperature before the ingredients are placed inside the cooking chamber 20, and a heating process in which the ingredients are heated to the set temperature inside the cooking chamber 20 after the preheating process is executed. When ingredients are placed inside the cooking chamber 20 after the preheating process, the temperature inside the cooking chamber 20 drops below the set temperature due to the ingredients placed inside. In the hot air mode cooking program, since there is no need to supply steam inside the cooking chamber 20, the temperature inside the cooking chamber 20 can be quickly raised to the set temperature by outputting the heater 25 at maximum when the heating process starts.

[0031] In contrast, in the combination mode cooking program, after the preheating process, ingredients are placed in cooking chamber 20 and the temperature inside cooking chamber 20 drops below the set temperature, but it is necessary to raise the temperature inside cooking chamber 20 to the set temperature and to raise the amount of steam inside cooking chamber 20 to the set amount of steam. As described above, the outputs of heater 25 and steam generator 30 can be variably controlled within the allowable power consumption of cooking appliance 10, and the outputs of heater 25 and steam generator 30 are changed according to the cooking time and cooking menu.

[0032] For example, in a combination mode cooking program, when the set temperature is high, for example, 250°C, and the cooking time is short, if the output of the heater 25 is set to 100% and the output of the steam generator 30 is set to 0%, and the control is performed to prioritize the increase in temperature of the cooking chamber 20, steam may not be supplied from the steam generator 30 within the cooking time, or the time for supplying steam from the steam generator 30 may be shortened. In such a case, as shown in the graph A of FIG. 12, the steam generator 30 may be set to the maximum output (100%) to supply steam preferentially into the cooking chamber 20, and then the inside of the cooking chamber 20 may be heated by the heater 25, or as shown in the graph B of FIG. 12, the heater 25 and the steam generator 30 may be set to approximately the same output of 50% each to heat the inside of the cooking chamber 20 and supply steam in parallel. Since steam is supplied from the steam generator 30 from the start of the cooking time, it is possible to prevent cooking without supplying steam during the cooking time, even if the cooking time is short.

[0033] Furthermore, when cooking ingredients that contain a lot of moisture, such as simmered foods, the temperature of the ingredients can be raised earlier by introducing steam into the cooking chamber 20 from the start of the heating process. For this reason, when a combination mode cooking program for cooking a simmered dish or the like is executed, as shown in the graph A of FIG. 12, the steam generator 30 is operated at maximum output (100%) at the start of the heating process to supply steam preferentially into the cooking chamber 20, and then the heater 25 is controlled to heat the inside of the cooking chamber 20. Note that when the temperature inside the cooking chamber 20 drops below a certain temperature below the set temperature, the heater 25 may be temporarily set to maximum output (100%) to raise the temperature inside the cooking chamber 20, and after the temperature inside the cooking chamber 20 rises above the certain temperature, the steam generator 30 may be operated at maximum output (100%) to supply steam into the cooking chamber 20.

[0034] In contrast, when cooking foodstuffs that do not contain much moisture, such as chunks of meat, if steam is introduced into cooking chamber 20 from the start of the heat treatment, the temperature inside cooking chamber 20 will drop due to the steam being supplied, and water droplets may adhere to the chunks of meat. For this reason, when a combination mode cooking program for cooking a cooking menu for cooking chunks of meat is executed, as shown in graph C of Fig. 12, after heater 25 is set to maximum output (100%) to preferentially heat cooking chamber 20, steam generator 30 supplies steam into cooking chamber 20. In this way, by controlling the output of heater 25 and steam generator 30 to change according to the cooking menu within the allowable value of power consumption of cooking appliance 10, heating and steam supply suitable for the cooking menu can be achieved.

[0035] Furthermore, when the above-mentioned cooking programs are executed to heat and cook ingredients in the cooking chamber 20, the inside of the cooking chamber 20 becomes dirty due to the adhesion of oil and the like scattered from the ingredients. To deal with this, the control device 50 has a cleaning program in the ROM that automatically cleans the inside of the cooking chamber 20 with cleaning water. The cleaning program executes a steam pre-cleaning operation in which the inside of the cooking chamber 20 is pre-cleaned with steam, and four (one or more) cleaning operations in which the inside of the cooking chamber 20 is cleaned with high-temperature cleaning water. The first cleaning operation is for cleaning the inside of the cooking chamber 20 with cleaning water containing detergent, and the second to fourth cleaning operations are for rinsing the inside of the cooking chamber 20 with cleaning water not containing detergent.

[0036] The steam pre-wash operation of the washing program is a process in which steam is supplied into the cooking chamber 20 by the steam generator 30 to pre-wash the inside of the cooking chamber 20 with steam. By the steam pre-wash operation, oily dirt and other grime (oil stains) adhering to the inside of the cooking chamber 20 is lifted by the steam, and is easily washed away by high-temperature washing water in the washing operation following the steam pre-wash operation.

[0037] The washing operation of the washing program involves spraying washing water from washing nozzle 40 into cooking chamber 20, and then spraying the sprayed washing water into cooking chamber 20 as high-temperature washing water by heater 25 and convection fan 26 to wash cooking chamber 20. Washing water in tank 15 is sprayed into cooking chamber 20 from washing nozzle 40 by operation of pump 42, and the sprayed washing water is sprayed into cooking chamber 20 as high-temperature washing water by heater 25 and convection fan 26, and oil and other dirt adhering to cooking chamber 20 is washed away by the sprayed high-temperature washing water. The washing water flowing down inside cooking chamber 20 returns to tank 15 from drain 20d, and the washing water returned to tank 15 is sprayed again into cooking chamber 20 from washing nozzle 40 by pump 42. In this way, the washing water is circulated between the cooking chamber 20 and the tank 15 by the pump 42, and the circulating washing water is heated to a high temperature by the heater 25 and the convection fan 26 and splashed around inside the cooking chamber 20, washing away dirt such as oil stains inside the cooking chamber 20. By opening the drain valve 46 after the washing operation is completed, the washing water in the tank 15 is discharged outside the housing 11 through the drain pipe 45.

[0038] When the washing program starts, tablet-shaped detergent is poured into the cooking chamber 20, and during the first washing operation, the detergent dissolves in the washing water circulating between the cooking chamber 20 and the tank 15, and the inside of the cooking chamber 20 is washed with the washing water containing detergent. During the second to fourth washing operations, rinsing water that does not contain detergent is circulated between the cooking chamber 20 and the tank 15, and the washing water containing detergent used during the first washing operation is washed away with the rinsing water. After the washing operation has been repeated four times, the washing program ends.

[0039] The cooking device 10 configured as described above includes a cooking chamber 20 for cooking ingredients, a heater 25 for heating the inside of the cooking chamber 20, a convection fan 26 for circulating air in the cooking chamber 20, a steam generator 30 for supplying steam into the cooking chamber 20, a temperature sensor 27 for detecting the temperature in the cooking chamber 20, and an oxygen sensor 28 as a steam amount detection means for detecting the amount of steam in the cooking chamber 20. The cooking device 10 includes a control device 50 for controlling the operation of the heater 25 and the steam generator 30, and the control device 50 controls the operation of the heater 25 based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 27 so that the inside of the cooking chamber 20 has a set temperature and a set amount of steam suitable for cooking ingredients, and controls the operation of the steam generator 30 based on the amount of steam detected from the oxygen concentration detected by the oxygen sensor 28 as a steam amount detection means.

[0040] In this cooking device 10, the set amount of steam when a cooking program is executed is set so that the amount of saturated steam at the set temperature is the maximum amount of steam. Specifically, when the set temperature in the cooking chamber 20 in the steam mode cooking program or the combination mode cooking program is set lower than 100°C, the set amount of steam in the cooking chamber 20 is set so that the amount of saturated steam at the set temperature is the maximum amount of steam. This makes it possible to adjust the amount of steam supplied to the cooking chamber 20 even if the set temperature in the cooking chamber 20 is lower than 100°C, and allows the user to heat and cook ingredients at the set temperature and amount of steam desired. In addition, the set amount of steam can be set as a percentage of the maximum amount of steam (for example, 0 to 100%), making it easy for the user to finely set the amount of steam.

[0041] In this cooking device 10, the output of the heater 25 and the output of the steam generator 30 can each be changed within the allowable value of the power consumption of the cooking device 10. When the temperature inside the cooking chamber 20 drops due to the placement of ingredients in the cooking chamber 20, it is possible to set the output of the heater 25 to be increased to prioritize increasing the temperature inside the cooking chamber 20, or to set the output of the steam generator 30 to prioritize supplying steam inside the cooking chamber 20, thereby making it possible to adjust the temperature and supply steam according to the cooking method of the ingredients in the cooking chamber 20.

[0042] In this cooking device 10, the oxygen sensor 28, which serves as the steam amount detection means, is disposed in a double cylinder 29 having an inner cylinder 29a and an outer cylinder 29c provided in the cooking chamber 20, and an inner air inlet 29b and an outer air inlet 29d are formed in the inner cylinder 29a and the outer cylinder 29c to introduce air from within the cooking chamber 20. The air within the cooking chamber 20 flows into the outside of the inner cylinder 29a from the outer air inlet 29d, and the air introduced to the outside of the inner cylinder 29a flows into the inner cylinder 29a from the inner air inlet 29b, and the oxygen sensor 28 can detect the amount of steam from the detected oxygen concentration of the air within the cooking chamber 20 that flows into the inner cylinder 29a. Even if oil smoke is generated during cooking of ingredients in the cooking chamber 20, the oxygen sensor 28 is less likely to be exposed to the oil smoke, and the oxygen sensor 28 can be made less likely to deteriorate. In addition, the inner air inlet 29b of the inner cylinder 29a is disposed at a position that does not overlap with the outer air inlet 29d in both the axial direction and the circumferential direction of the inner cylinder 29a and the outer cylinder 29c. This makes it difficult for water in the cooking chamber 20 to adhere to the oxygen sensor 28 in the inner cylinder 29a, and makes it possible to prevent deterioration of the oxygen sensor 28.

[0043] The inner and outer cylinders 29a and 29c constituting the double cylinder 29 are cylindrical, but are not limited thereto and may be polygonal. Two inner air inlet ports 29b are formed on the circumferential surface of the inner cylinder 29a, and three outer air inlet ports 29d are formed on the circumferential surface of the outer cylinder 29c, but are not limited thereto and may be one or more inner air inlet ports 29b and outer air inlet ports 29d formed on the circumferential surfaces of the inner cylinder 29a and outer cylinder 29c. Furthermore, a cylinder member covering the double cylinder 29 may be provided on the outside of the double cylinder 29.

[0044] The cooking device 10 of this embodiment uses an oxygen sensor 28 as the steam amount detection means, and is capable of detecting the amount of steam even when the temperature inside the cooking chamber 20 is as high as nearly 300°C. The present invention is not limited to the oxygen sensor 28 as the steam amount detection means, and a humidity sensor that detects the humidity that is the amount of steam may be provided inside the cooking chamber 20, and the amount of steam inside the cooking chamber 20 may be detected by the humidity sensor. Similarly, a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the exhaust air inside the cooking chamber 20 may be provided inside the tank 15, and the amount of steam inside the cooking chamber 20 may be calculated based on the inside temperature detected by the temperature sensor 27 inside the cooking chamber 20 and the exhaust temperature detected by the temperature sensor inside the tank 15. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 10...heating cooker, 20...cooking chamber, 25...heater, 26...convection fan, 27...temperature sensor, 28...steam amount detection means (oxygen sensor), 29...double cylinder, 29a...inner cylinder, 29b...inner air inlet, 29c...outer cylinder, 29d...outer air inlet.

Claims

1. A kitchen for heating and cooking ingredients; A heater for heating the inside of the cooking chamber; A convection fan for circulating air in the cooking chamber; A steam generating device for supplying steam into the cooking chamber; A temperature sensor for detecting a temperature inside the cooking chamber; A steam amount detection means for detecting the amount of steam in the cooking chamber is provided. A control device that controls the operation of the heater based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor so that the inside of the cooking chamber has a set temperature and a set amount of steam suitable for cooking ingredients, and controls the operation of the steam generating device based on the detected amount of steam by the steam amount detection means, The cooking device according to claim 1, wherein the set amount of steam is set so that the amount of saturated steam at the set temperature becomes the maximum amount of steam.

2. The cooking device according to claim 1, A cooking device, characterized in that the set amount of steam can be set as a ratio to the maximum amount of steam.

3. The cooking device according to claim 1 or 2, A cooking device characterized in that the output of said heater and the output of said steam generating device are each changeable within an allowable value of power consumption of the cooking device.

4. The cooking device according to claim 1 or 2, The steam amount detection means is disposed in a double cylinder having an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder provided in the cooking chamber, A heating cooker characterized in that the inner tube and the outer tube are formed with one or more inner air inlets and one or more outer air inlets for introducing air into the cooking chamber, and the inner air inlets are arranged at positions that do not overlap with the outer air inlets in both the axial and circumferential directions of the inner tube and the outer tube.

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