Cooker

Abstract

To provide a cooker that can more accurately detect the state of air in a cooking container, and control a heating device.SOLUTION: A cooker comprises: a heating chamber in which a cooking container comprising a container and a lid is removably and insertably housed; a heating device for heating a cooking object in the cooking container housed in the heating chamber; an air quality sensor for coming into contact with air in the cooking container housed in the heating chamber, and detecting the state of the air; and a control part for controlling the heating device on the basis of information acquired from the air quality sensor when the cooking container is located at a specified position in the heating chamber.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cooking appliance including a heating cabinet in which a cooking container is accommodated.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a cooking appliance including a grill device having a heating chamber has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the cooking appliance of Patent Document 1, a cooking container containing a cooking item is accommodated in the heating chamber, and the inside of the heating chamber is heated by a grill burner. This cooking appliance is provided with a temperature sensor that contacts the bottom of the cooking container to detect the temperature of the cooking container. Based on the temperature of the cooking container detected by the temperature sensor, the likelihood of spillage of the cooking object is determined, and the operation of the grill burner is controlled based on the determination result.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] According to the cooking appliance described in Patent Document 1, when there is a large amount of cooking liquid in the cooking container and solid food ingredients are immersed in the cooking liquid, the temperature of the cooking liquid can be detected by detecting the temperature of the bottom of the cooking container, and by performing heating control so that the detected temperature of the cooking liquid reaches the target temperature, it is considered that uneven heating of the cooking liquid and the food ingredients immersed in the cooking liquid can be reduced.

[0005] However, when there is little cooking liquid in the cooking container and solid food ingredients protrude from the cooking liquid, a difference occurs between the temperature of the cooking liquid and the temperature in the space of the cooking container. In such a state with such a temperature difference, if heating control is performed using only the temperature of the bottom of the cooking container that reflects the temperature of the cooking liquid, there is a problem that uneven heating may occur in the cooking object due to the temperature difference.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made against the background of the above problems, and provides a cooking heater that can more accurately detect the state of the air in a cooking container and control a heating device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The cooking heater according to the present disclosure includes a heating chamber in which a cooking container having a container and a lid is removably accommodated, a heating device that heats food in the cooking container accommodated in the heating chamber, an air quality sensor that contacts the air in the cooking container accommodated in the heating chamber and detects the state of the air, and a control unit that controls the heating device based on information acquired from the air quality sensor when the cooking container is in a specified position in the heating chamber.

Effects of the Invention

[0008] According to the present disclosure, since it is provided with an air quality sensor that detects the state of the air in the cooking container and the heating device is controlled based on the information detected by the air quality sensor, a good cooking finish can be obtained.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the cooking heater according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present disclosure. Further, the present disclosure includes all combinations of configurations that can be combined among the configurations shown in the following embodiments. In addition, the cooking heater shown in the drawings shows an example of a device to which the cooking heater of the present disclosure is applied, and the applicable devices of the present disclosure are not limited by the cooking heater shown in the drawings. Further, in the following description, terms indicating directions (for example, "up", "down", "right", "left", "front", "rear", etc.) are used as appropriate for ease of understanding, but these are for the purpose of explanation and do not limit the present disclosure. Also, in each figure, those with the same reference numerals are the same or corresponding ones, which is common throughout the entire specification. Note that in each drawing, the relative dimensional relationships or shapes of the respective components may be different from the actual ones.

[0011] Embodiment 1. (Configuration of the cooking heater) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cooking heater 100 according to Embodiment 1. The cooking heater 100 includes a top plate 1 on which a cooking container such as a pot or a frying pan is placed, and a main body 2 provided below the top plate 1. The top plate 1 is made of, for example, heat-resistant glass. The top plate 1 is provided with a heating port 3 indicating the placement position of the cooking container. In this embodiment, an example in which three heating ports 3 are provided is shown, but the number of heating ports 3 may be one or three or more.

[0012] The cooking heater 100 is provided with an operation unit 4 that receives an operation input from a user, and a display unit 5 that displays information. The operation unit 4 can be configured by, for example, push buttons, dial switches, or capacitive touch switches, etc. However, the operation unit 4 of this embodiment is configured by a touch switch provided on the lower surface of the top plate 1. The display unit 5 has a device that visually notifies information such as a liquid crystal display or an LED, and notifies the operating state such as the heating power of the cooking heater 100, the time of the timer, options for the user to input with the operation unit 4, warnings and cautions to the user, etc.

[0013] An intake port 6, which is an inlet for cooling air that cools heat-generating components housed in the main body 2, is formed in the main body 2. In the example of FIG. 1, the intake port 6 composed of a plurality of openings is formed on the side surface and the front surface of the main body 2. Note that the arrangement of the intake port 6 is not limited to the illustrated example, and it may be provided, for example, at the bottom of the main body 2. In the cooking heater 100, an exhaust port cover 7 is provided behind the top plate 1. The exhaust port cover 7 is composed of punching metal, lattice-shaped metal, etc., and has an opening through which air passes.

[0014] Furthermore, the cooking heater 100 of this embodiment includes a heating cabinet 20. The heating cabinet 20 has a pull-out heating cabinet door 21 on the front surface. In this embodiment, an example in which one heating cabinet 20 is provided is shown, but two or more heating cabinets 20 may be provided.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cooking heater 100 according to Embodiment 1 with the heating chamber door 21 pulled out. In FIG. 2, the state where the top plate 1 shown in FIG. 1 is removed is shown. At the rear of the main body 2, the main body exhaust port 8 is open upward. The main body exhaust port 8 is an outlet for the exhaust generated inside the main body 2. The exhaust port cover 7 shown in FIG. 1 is installed above the main body exhaust port 8. Inside the main body 2, a heating means 10, a cooling fan 11, a control unit 12, and a drive circuit 13 are provided.

[0016] The heating means 10 is disposed at a position facing the heating port 3 shown in FIG. 1, and heats the object to be heated disposed above the heating port 3. In the present embodiment, the heating means 10 is a heating coil that inductively heats an object to be heated such as a pan. Note that the heating means 10 is not limited to a heating coil, and may be an electric heater or a gas stove.

[0017] The cooling fan 11 sends out cooling air for cooling heat-generating components such as the heating means 10, which is a heating coil, the control unit 12, and the drive circuit 13. The cooling fan 11 of the present embodiment is disposed under the heating means 10. When the cooling fan 11 operates, air flows into the main body 2 from the intake port 6, and the air sucked into the cooling fan 11 is sent into the main body 2 as cooling air. The cooling air sent into the main body 2 cools the heating means 10 and the like, and flows out from the main body exhaust port 8.

[0018] The control unit 12 controls each part constituting the cooking heater 100. The control unit 12 is composed of hardware such as a circuit device that realizes its function. Alternatively, the control unit 12 has a memory for storing a program and a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and the function of the control unit 12 is realized by the CPU executing the program.

[0019] The drive circuit 13 has an inverter circuit that supplies a high-frequency current to the heating means 10, which is a heating coil. The drive circuit 13 is controlled by the control unit 12.

[0020] On the heating chamber door 21, a pair of left and right door rails 22 extending toward the inside of the heating chamber 20 are attached. Between the pair of door rails 22, a container holding portion 28 for supporting the cooking container 50 from below is provided. The cooking container 50 is taken in and out of the heating chamber 20 along with the movement of the heating chamber door 21 while being supported by the door rails 22 and the container holding portion 28. It is preferable that the sliding amount of the heating chamber door 21 is determined such that the entire cooking container 50 is exposed outside the heating chamber 20 when the heating chamber door 21 is pulled out the most. By doing so, when the heating chamber door 21 is pulled out the most, the operation of placing the cooking container 50 on the container holding portion 28 or taking out the cooking container 50 from the container holding portion 28 becomes easy.

[0021] The cooking container 50 includes a container 51 and a lid 53 that can open and close the upper surface opening of the container 51. Note that the cooking container 50 can be used for heating cooking with only the container 51 when the lid 53 is removed.

[0022] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the heating chamber 20 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 3 shows a state in which the heating chamber door 21 is removed and the entire door rail 22 is housed in the heating chamber 20. The heating chamber 20 has an upper surface plate 201 that constitutes the upper surface, a right side wall 202, and a left side wall 203. The housing that constitutes the outer shell of the heating chamber 20 is formed of metal. Inside rails 23 are provided on the inner surfaces of the right side wall 202 and the left side wall 203. The inside rails 23 and the door rails 22 are engaged, and the door rails 22 slide along the inside rails 23.

[0023] At the rear of the heating chamber 20, an exhaust duct 24 and an exhaust blower 26 are provided. The exhaust duct 24 communicates with the exhaust blower 26. When the exhaust blower 26 operates, the air containing smoke, steam, odor, etc. in the heating chamber 20 is sucked into the exhaust duct 24, and the sucked air flows out from the exhaust port 241 of the exhaust duct 24. The exhaust port 241 that opens upward is located below the main body exhaust port 8 shown in FIG. 2, and the air from the exhaust port 241 flows out of the heating cooker 100 through the main body exhaust port 8. In addition, in this embodiment, an exhaust blower 26 is provided to forcibly exhaust the air in the heating chamber 20, but a configuration may be adopted in which the exhaust blower 26 is not provided and natural exhaust is performed by utilizing the buoyancy of the air whose temperature has risen due to heating in the heating chamber 20.

[0024] At the rear of the heating chamber 20, a cooling duct 25 and a cooling blower 27 are provided. The cooling duct 25 is connected to the bottom space formed at the bottom of the heating chamber 20. The cooling duct 25 communicates with the cooling blower 27. When the cooling blower 27 operates, air is sucked from the bottom space of the heating chamber 20, and the air flows through the bottom space. As a result, the heat-generating components (such as the lower heating means 31, see FIG. 5) arranged in the bottom space are cooled. The air sucked by the cooling blower 27 flows out from the exhaust port 251 of the cooling duct 25. The exhaust port 251 that opens upward is located below the main body exhaust port 8 shown in FIG. 2, and the air from the exhaust port 251 flows out of the heating cooker 100 through the main body exhaust port 8. In addition, in this embodiment, a cooling blower 27 is provided to forcibly suck the air in the bottom space of the heating chamber 20, but a configuration may be adopted in which the cooling blower 27 is not provided and natural exhaust is performed by utilizing the buoyancy of the air whose temperature has risen in the bottom space. Also, the cooling blower 27 may not be provided, and the cooling duct 25 may be communicated with the cooling fan 11 (see FIG. 2) to realize the function of the cooling blower 27 by the cooling fan 11.

[0025] FIG. 4 is a perspective view from the rear of the heating chamber 20 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the top plate 201 shown in FIG. 3 is removed. On the ceiling 205 of the heating chamber 20, an upper heating means 30 for heating the inside of the heating chamber 20 from above is provided. The upper heating means 30 in the present embodiment is a flat heater such as a mica heater. Note that the upper heating means 30 may be any means that can heat the inside of the heating chamber 20, and may be a sheathed heater, a glass tube heater, a ceramic heater, or an induction heating coil. The upper heating means 30 is attached in contact with the ceiling 205 and heats the inside of the heating chamber 20 through the ceiling 205. By bringing the upper heating means 30 into contact with the ceiling 205 that constitutes the upper surface of the heating chamber 20, heat is transferred from the entire upper surface of the heating chamber 20 to the air, and the heating efficiency can be improved. In the present embodiment, an example in which the upper heating means 30 is provided on the upper surface of the ceiling 205 is shown, but the upper heating means 30 may be provided on the lower surface of the ceiling 205, that is, the inner surface on the upper side of the heating chamber 20.

[0026] A gap may be provided in the vertical direction between the upper heating means 30 and the top plate 201 (see FIG. 3). By doing so, air functions as a heat insulating layer, and heat transfer from the upper heating means 30 to the top plate 201 is suppressed. Therefore, leakage of thermal energy to the outside of the heating chamber 20 can be suppressed, and the heating efficiency inside the heating chamber 20 can be increased. Further, since an increase in the temperature of the control unit 12, the drive circuit 13, etc. (see FIG. 2) arranged above the heating chamber 20 due to the heat of the upper heating means 30 can be suppressed, deterioration and damage due to an increase in the temperature of electrical components and electronic components, etc. can be reduced. Furthermore, since an increase in the temperature of the control unit 12, the drive circuit 13, etc. is suppressed, the load and the rotation speed of the cooling fan 11 (see FIG. 2) can be reduced, so that the energy consumption and noise of the cooling fan 11 can be reduced. In the present embodiment, heat insulation by air is exemplified, but a heat insulating material such as glass wool may be provided between the upper heating means 30 and the top plate 201. By doing so, the heat insulation performance can be enhanced. Further, by pressing the upper heating means 30 against the ceiling 205 with the heat insulating material provided on the upper heating means 30, the upper heating means 30 and the ceiling 205 are in close contact, so that the thermal resistance is reduced and heat transfer from the upper heating means 30 to the ceiling 205 can be promoted.

[0027] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the heating chamber 20 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 5 shows a state in which the ceiling 205 shown in FIG. 4 is removed. A partition wall 206 is provided at a position facing the upper region of the rear wall 204 of the heating chamber 20. The partition wall 206 is a part of the wall constituting the inner surface of the heating chamber 20. The partition wall 206 is arranged in parallel with the rear wall 204 at a position away from the rear wall 204 forward. The exhaust duct 24 penetrates the rear wall 204 and is connected to the partition wall 206, and a part of the exhaust duct 24 is arranged in the space between the upper part of the rear wall 204 and the partition wall 206. The front end of the exhaust duct 24 is connected to the rear surface of the partition wall 206 in an airtight state.

[0028] In the adjacent 206, an exhaust duct inlet 207 which is an opening and an air inlet 208 are formed. In the present embodiment, the exhaust duct inlet 207 is a plurality of openings, and the air inlet 208 is one opening, but the number of openings is not limited to these. The exhaust duct inlet 207 and the air inlet 208 are provided at positions communicating with the exhaust duct 24. The air in the heating chamber 20 flows into the exhaust duct 24 from the exhaust duct inlet 207 or the air inlet 208. An airtight member 44 to be described later is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the air inlet 208.

[0029] At the bottom of the heating chamber 20, below the in-chamber rail 23, a floor plate 32 and a sheet metal 35 are arranged. The floor plate 32 is arranged on the front side of the heating chamber 20, and the sheet metal 35 is arranged on the rear side of the heating chamber 20. The inner bottom of the heating chamber 20 is constituted by the floor plate 32 and the sheet metal 35 arranged flush. The floor plate 32 and the sheet metal 35 are provided on the bottom 209 (see FIG. 9) of the housing of the heating chamber 20, and a lower heating means 31 is arranged in a bottom space which is the space between the floor plate 32 and the bottom 209. In the present embodiment, the lower heating means 31 is an induction heating coil. The floor plate 32 is made of an insulator such as crystallized glass, ceramic, mica plate, or heat-resistant plastic, and does not prevent the transmission of the high-frequency magnetic flux from the lower heating means 31.

[0030] A container outer peripheral temperature sensor 33 is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the lower heating means 31. The container outer peripheral temperature sensor 33 is a contact type temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the outer peripheral portion of the cooking container 50. The container outer peripheral temperature sensor 33 is urged upward by an elastic body from below the sheet metal 35, and a part of it projects upward from an opening formed in the sheet metal 35. The container outer peripheral temperature sensor 33 detects the temperature of the cooking container 50 when the part projecting upward from the sheet metal 35 contacts the cooking container 50.

[0031] At the center of the lower heating means 31, a container center temperature sensor 34 is provided. The container center temperature sensor 34 is a contact type temperature sensor that detects the temperature at the center of the cooking container 50. The container center temperature sensor 34 is disposed under the floor plate 32, in contact with the lower surface of the floor plate 32, and detects the temperature of the cooking container 50 through the floor plate 32.

[0032] The temperatures of the cooking container 50 detected by the container outer peripheral temperature sensor 33 and the container center temperature sensor 34 are used for controlling the upper heating means 30 and the lower heating means 31 in the heating chamber 20. By detecting the temperature of the cooking container 50 with a plurality of temperature sensors, the temperature of the cooking container 50 can be detected more accurately, so that the accuracy of the heating control is also improved. Further, by detecting the temperatures at different locations, namely, the outer peripheral portion and the center portion of the cooking container 50, and controlling the upper heating means 30 and the lower heating means 31 based on both detection results, the temperature unevenness of the food in the cooking container 50 can be reduced. In the present embodiment, an example of detecting the temperature at the bottom of the cooking container 50 with two temperature sensors is shown, but the number of temperature sensors may be one or three or more.

[0033] Between the bed plate 32, the sheet metal 35, and the bottom 209 (see FIG. 9), the cooling duct 25 is connected as described above. The lower heating means 31, the container outer peripheral temperature sensor 33, and the container central temperature sensor 34 disposed in the bottom space are cooled by the cooling air generated by the operation of the cooling blower 27. Specifically, when the cooling blower 27 operates, the indoor air flows into the bottom space from an air intake (not shown). The air that has flowed into the bottom space is sucked by the cooling blower 27 provided at the rear of the heating cabinet 20, and cools the lower heating means 31 and the like in the process of flowing through the bottom space. By cooling the lower heating means 31, which is an induction heating coil, melting and deterioration of the coil wire coating can be suppressed. Further, by suppressing the temperature rise of the container outer peripheral temperature sensor 33 and the container central temperature sensor 34, the detection accuracy of the container outer peripheral temperature sensor 33 and the container central temperature sensor 34 can be stabilized. Further, by flowing air through the bottom space, the temperature rise of the bottom surface of the heating cabinet 20 and the bottom surface of the cooking appliance 100 is suppressed, so that the temperature rise of the kitchen furniture on which the cooking appliance 100 is installed, the food and the like stored in the kitchen furniture, and the space can also be suppressed.

[0034] FIG. 6 is a perspective view from the rear showing the internal structure of the heating cabinet 20 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 6 shows a state in which the rear wall 204 shown in FIG. 5 is removed, and the door rail 22 and the container holding portion 28 are housed in the heating cabinet 20. The container holding portion 28 is a member that supports the cooking container 50 from below and is supported by the door rail 22 (see FIG. 2). In a state where the heating cabinet door 21 (see FIG. 2) is closed, the container holding portion 28 is located above the lower heating means 31 (see FIG. 5). The container holding portion 28 is made of an insulator such as crystallized glass, ceramic, mica plate, or heat-resistant plastic, and does not prevent the transmission of the high-frequency magnetic flux from the lower heating means 31. The high-frequency magnetic flux generated from the lower heating means 31, which is a heating coil, passes through the container holding portion 28 with little loss and efficiently heats the cooking container 50.

[0035] An air quality detection unit 40 is provided on the rear surface of the partition wall 206. The air quality detection unit 40 is disposed in the exhaust duct 24 (see FIG. 5).

[0036] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the cooking container 50 according to the first embodiment. The cooking container 50 is a container for accommodating food to be cooked. The cooking container 50 includes a container 51 and a lid 53 that can open and close the upper surface opening of the container 51.

[0037] In the container 51 of the present embodiment, at least the bottom surface is formed of a metal that can be induction-heated, and is induction-heated by the lower heating means 31 (see FIG. 5), which is a heating coil. When the lower heating means 31 is a resistance heating element such as a heater, the container 51 may be formed of a metal that is difficult to be induction-heated, ceramic, glass, heat-resistant resin, or the like. A pair of handles 52 are provided on the side surface of the container 51.

[0038] The lid 53 is formed of a metal, ceramic, glass, heat-resistant resin, or the like that can withstand the temperature of heat cooking. A grip portion 54 is provided on the upper surface of the lid 53.

[0039] Among the four side surfaces of the lid 53, an opening 55 is formed in the side surface that faces the partition wall 206 when it is accommodated in the heating chamber 20. The opening 55 penetrates the side surface of the lid 53. The opening 55 faces the air quality sensor 42 (see FIG. 10) and allows air to flow out toward the air quality sensor 42.

[0040] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the cooking dish 56 according to the first embodiment. The cooking dish 56 is a dish used for heat cooking in the heating chamber 20, for example, grilling, instead of the cooking container 50 (see FIG. 7). Similar to the cooking container 50, the cooking dish 56 is placed on the container holding portion 28 (see FIG. 6) and is taken in and out of the heating chamber 20 as the heating chamber door 21 is opened and closed. At least the bottom surface of the cooking dish 56 is formed of a metal that can be induction-heated, and is induction-heated by the lower heating means 31 (see FIG. 5), which is a heating coil. When the lower heating means 31 is a resistance heating element such as a heater, the cooking dish 56 may be formed of a metal that is difficult to be induction-heated, ceramic, glass, heat-resistant resin, or the like.

[0041] FIG. 9 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the heating chamber 20 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 shows a longitudinal section of the heating chamber 20 with the cooking container 50 placed therein along the front-rear direction. FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the air quality detection unit 40 in FIG. 9. In FIG. 10, the air flow is conceptually shown by dashed arrows. The position of the cooking container 50 in the state where the heating chamber door 21 shown in FIG. 9 is closed is the specified position of the cooking container 50. The opening 55 provided in the lid 53 of the cooking container 50 at the specified position is disposed opposite to the air quality detection unit 40 arranged in the air inlet 208 and the exhaust duct 24.

[0042] The air quality detection unit 40 includes a housing 41 and an air quality sensor 42 housed in the housing 41, and an air outlet 43 which is an opening is formed on the rear surface of the housing 41. The air quality sensor 42 detects the state of the air. Here, the state of the air includes one or more of temperature, humidity, pressure, odor, and smoke. When the air quality sensor 42 detects temperature, the air quality sensor 42 includes a temperature sensor such as a thermistor, a platinum resistance thermometer, or a thermocouple. When the air quality sensor 42 detects humidity, the air quality sensor 42 includes a polymer capacitance type humidity sensor, a polymer resistance type humidity sensor, or the like. When the air quality sensor 42 detects pressure, the air quality sensor 42 includes a pressure sensor such as a semiconductor diaphragm type. When the air quality sensor 42 detects odor, the air quality sensor 42 includes an odor sensor such as a crystal oscillator type, an oxide semiconductor type, or an organic semiconductor type. When the air quality sensor 42 detects smoke, the air quality sensor 42 includes a gas sensor such as a crystal oscillator type, an oxide semiconductor type, or an organic semiconductor type.

[0043] The air quality sensor 42 may be a unitized combination of two or more of the temperature sensor, humidity sensor, pressure sensor, odor sensor, and gas sensor described above. By doing so, the air quality sensor 42 can be miniaturized. Also, the air quality sensor 42 may be an aggregate of sensors in which two or more of these sensors are individually arranged. By increasing the number of sensors included in the air quality sensor 42 and increasing the types of air states that can be detected, the air state can be detected in more detail. Also, a plurality of air quality detection units 40 equipped with the air quality sensor 42 may be provided in the heating chamber 20. When a plurality of air quality detection units 40 are provided, a corresponding plurality of openings 55 are also provided. The air state detected by the air quality sensor 42 is used for heating control in cooking using the cooking container 50 in the heating chamber 20, as will be described later.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 10, an airtight member 44 is provided at the edge facing the inside of the heating chamber 20 of the air inlet 208. The airtight member 44 is attached to the front surface of the partition wall 206 and protrudes forward. The airtight member 44 is made of an elastic body such as rubber or independent foam sponge, for example. In a state where the cooking container 50 is housed in the heating chamber 20, the airtight member 44 contacts the periphery of the opening 55 of the lid 53 and elastically deforms to form a space between the opening 55, the air inlet 208, and the air quality sensor 42. This space serves as an air flow path. The airtight member 44 highly airtightly connects the inside of the housing 41 of the air quality detection unit 40 and the inside of the cooking container 50.

[0045] In FIG. 10, an airtight member 44 having a rectangular longitudinal cross-sectional shape is illustrated, but the specific shape of the airtight member 44 is not limited to the illustrated example. For example, the longitudinal cross-sectional shape of the airtight member 44 may be bullet-shaped with a curved surface on the front side. Also, the airtight member 44 may be a bellows shape that expands and contracts in the front-rear direction.

[0046] When the cooking container 50 in the heating chamber 20 is heated, the air in the cooking container 50 expands, and the air, steam evaporated from the cooking liquid or ingredients, etc. in the cooking container 50 flows out from the opening 55 as indicated by the dashed arrow A1 in Fig. 10. The outflowing air, steam, etc. enter the housing 41 from the air inlet 208. The state of the air that has entered the housing 41 is detected by the air quality sensor 42 as the air passes through the housing 41.

[0047] In the present embodiment, an example is shown in which one opening 55 is provided in the lid 53 and this opening 55 faces the air quality sensor 42. By having one opening 55 in the lid 53 and not providing an opening in the cooking container 50 other than the opening 55, the confidentiality of the cooking container 50 can be enhanced, and the water sealing effect between the container 51 and the lid 53 can be enhanced. For this reason, using the cooking container 50, the food can be cooked well in anhydrous cooking or the like in which the steam is confined for cooking. Note that a plurality of openings 55 may be provided in the lid 53. For example, openings 55 may be provided on the opposing side surfaces (for example, the front surface and the rear surface) of the lid 53, respectively. By doing so, the user can accommodate the cooking container 50 in the heating chamber 20 without worrying about the orientation of the lid 53 and make the opening 55 face the air quality sensor 42, thus improving the convenience for the user.

[0048] In addition, in the present embodiment, it has been described that the air quality sensor 42 is disposed facing the opening 55 of the cooking container 50, and the state of the air flowing out from the opening 55 is detected by the air quality sensor 42. Instead of such an aspect, a pipe line may be provided that connects the air inlet 208 facing the opening 55 and the air quality sensor 42 of the air quality detection unit 40. That is, this pipe line is a pipe line having the air inlet 208 at one end and the air quality sensor 42 at the other end. By providing such a pipe line, the degree of freedom in arranging the air quality sensor 42 can be increased. For example, the air quality sensor 42 can also be arranged at a relatively low temperature position away from the upper heating means 30 and the lower heating means 31. When the air quality sensor 42 is arranged at a position away from the opening 55, an air pump may be arranged on the downstream side of the air outlet 43 of the air quality detection unit 40, and the air in the cooking container 50 may be sucked by the air pump.

[0049] During heating in the heating chamber 20, the exhaust blower 26 operates, so that the air in the exhaust duct 24 is sucked by the exhaust blower 26, and the inside of the exhaust duct 24 is in a negative pressure state. That is, the air quality detection unit 40 disposed in the exhaust duct 24 is disposed in a negative pressure space. Therefore, during heating in the heating chamber 20, air does not flow back from the exhaust duct 24 into the cooking container 50.

[0050] Also, as shown in FIG. 9, in the rear part of the heating chamber 20, an exhaust duct inlet 207 is provided in the partition wall 206, and an exhaust duct inlet 207 is also provided in the rear wall 204 below the partition wall 206. The exhaust duct inlet 207 is an opening that communicates the inside of the heating chamber 20 and the exhaust duct 24. When the exhaust blower 26 operates, the air in the heating chamber 20 is sucked from the exhaust duct inlet 207 into the exhaust duct 24 (see the broken line arrow A2 in FIG. 10). Thereby, the steam, odor, or smoke generated in the heating chamber 20 is discharged from the heating chamber 20, and condensation and odor adhesion in the heating chamber 20 are reduced. Further, by providing a plurality of exhaust duct inlets 207 at different positions in the vertical direction, the retention of steam and smoke in the heating chamber 20 can be more suppressed.

[0051] FIG. 11 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the heating chamber 20 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 11 shows a longitudinal section of the heating chamber 20 with the cooking dish 56 placed therein along the front-rear direction. Inside the heating chamber 20, there is a space above the cooking dish 56, and the air quality sensor 42 faces the space above the cooking dish 56. When the food placed on the cooking dish 56 is heated and cooked, the air containing steam, odor, smoke, or the like generated from the food fills the heating chamber 20. When the exhaust blower 26 operates during heating, the air and the like in the heating chamber 20 flow into the exhaust duct 24 from the air inlet 208, and the air quality sensor 42 detects the state of this air. The state of the air detected by the air quality sensor 42 is used for controlling the upper heating means 30 and the lower heating means 31 in the cooking using the cooking dish 56 in the heating chamber 20.

[0052] Since the air quality detection unit 40 of the present embodiment is arranged such that the air quality sensor 42 faces the inside of the heating chamber 20, when the cooking container 50 is not used, it can come into contact with the air in the heating chamber 20 and detect the state of the air. Therefore, whether the cooking container 50 is used or not, the state of the target air can be detected by the same air quality detection unit 40. Since it is not necessary to use different air quality detection units 40 depending on the use or non-use of the cooking container 50, an increase in the manufacturing cost of the cooking heater 100 can be suppressed.

[0053] FIG. 12 is a functional block diagram of the cooking heater 100 according to Embodiment 1. In FIG. 12, among the functions of the cooking heater 100, the functions related to the operation of the heating chamber 20 are described, and the server 200 and the terminal device 400 that are communicatively connected to the cooking heater 100 and the network 300 are also shown. The cooking heater 100, the server 200, and the terminal device 400 constitute a system for controlling the cooking heater.

[0054] The upper heating means 30, which is a flat heater provided above the heating chamber 20, receives power supply from the first driving means 60, which is a power supply circuit. The first driving means 60 is controlled by the control unit 12.

[0055] The lower heating means 31, which is an induction heating coil provided at the lower part of the heating chamber 20, receives the supply of high-frequency current from the second driving means 61. The second driving means 61 includes an inverter circuit 611, an input current detection circuit 612, and a coil current detection circuit 613. The inverter circuit 611 receives the supply of a DC voltage rectified by a rectifier circuit (not shown) and supplies a high-frequency current to the lower heating means 31. The input current detection circuit 612 detects the current input to the inverter circuit 611 and outputs a signal corresponding to the detected current value to the control unit 12. The coil current detection circuit 613 detects the current flowing through the induction heating coil constituting the lower heating means 31 and outputs a signal corresponding to the detected current to the control unit 12. The control unit 12 controls the driving frequency of the inverter circuit 611 based on the detection results of the input current detection circuit 612 and the coil current detection circuit 613.

[0056] The operation unit 4 outputs a signal corresponding to the operation input to the control unit 12. The air quality sensor 42, the container outer peripheral temperature sensor 33, and the container central temperature sensor 34 output signals corresponding to the detected information to the control unit 12.

[0057] The door opening / closing detection unit 29 detects the open / closed state of the heating chamber door 21 and inputs a signal indicating the detected information to the control unit 12. The door opening / closing detection unit 29 includes, for example, a switch that turns on when the heating chamber door 21 is in a closed state (fully closed state) and turns off when the heating chamber door 21 is in an open state, and the on or off signal of the switch is input to the control unit 12.

[0058] The control unit 12 is a control means for controlling the devices related to the heating cooking in the heating chamber 20. The control unit 12 has a timing means 121 and a storage means 122 that are timer circuits. The control unit 12 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and various functions are realized by this CPU executing the program stored in the storage means 122. The storage means 122 is a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory.

[0059] Signals from the operation unit 4, the air quality sensor 42, the container outer peripheral temperature sensor 33, and the container center temperature sensor 34 are input to the control unit 12. The control unit 12 controls the information displayed on the display unit 5 by outputting a control signal to the display unit 5. The control unit 12 controls the start of operation, the stop of operation, and the rotation speed of the exhaust blower 26 and the cooling blower 27. The control unit 12 operates the exhaust blower 26 and the cooling blower 27 during the heating adjustment in the heating chamber 20. Further, the control unit 12 controls the operation of the first driving means 60 and the driving frequency of the inverter circuit 611 of the second driving means 61.

[0060] In the present embodiment, the control unit 12 acquires information from the air quality sensor 42, the container outer peripheral temperature sensor 33, and the container center temperature sensor 34 when a signal indicating that the heating chamber door 21 is in a closed state is input from the door opening / closing detection unit 29. Further, the control unit 12 is configured not to acquire information from these sensors when a signal indicating that the heating chamber door 21 is in an open state is input from the door opening / closing detection unit 29. When the heating chamber door 21 is in a closed state, the cooking container 50 held by the container holding unit 28 is at a prescribed position in the heating chamber 20, that is, the position shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 where the opening 55 faces the air quality sensor 42. That is, when the cooking container 50 is at the prescribed position and the air quality sensor 42 can detect the state of the air in the cooking container 50 through the opening 55, the control unit 12 acquires information from the air quality sensor 42.

[0061] The communication device 62 communicates with the server 200 via the network 300. The communication device 62 is, for example, an IoT (Internet of Things) gateway. The communication device 62 transmits the information received from the server 200 to the control unit 12, and transmits the information to the server 200 according to an instruction from the control unit 12.

[0062] Server 200 stores the control sequence executed by control unit 12 during cooking in cooking appliance 100, and transmits the control sequence to cooking appliance 100 in response to a request from cooking appliance 100. Further, server 200 transmits the control sequence to cooking appliance 100 in response to a request from terminal device 400. Additionally, server 200 obtains the operating state of cooking appliance 100 detected by control unit 12, error information that has occurred, etc. from cooking appliance 100 and transmits it to terminal device 400. The error information includes, for example, errors related to cooking such as a fire control error occurring in cooking appliance 100, and communication errors between cooking appliance 100 and other devices.

[0063] Terminal device 400 is a communication terminal used by the user of cooking appliance 100, such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. An application for setting in advance the automatic cooking menu or cooking conditions, etc. executed by cooking appliance 100 is installed in terminal device 400. Terminal device 400 transmits an instruction input to the application via an input device such as a touch panel to server 200 via network 300. Further, terminal device 400 includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display, and displays information such as the operating state or error of cooking appliance 100 transmitted from server 200 on the display device. That is, terminal device 400 substitutes at least part of the functions of operation unit 4 or display unit 5. Note that a general-purpose browser may be used for input / output between terminal device 400 and server 200 instead of a dedicated application.

[0064] (Operation Example) The cooking heater 100 according to this embodiment executes cooking in the heating chamber 20 in a manual cooking mode, an automatic cooking mode, or a combination mode that combines manual cooking and automatic cooking. In the manual cooking mode, the user inputs the magnitude and timing of the heating output to the control unit 12 via the operation unit 4 or the terminal device 400. The control unit 12 controls the upper heating means 30 and the lower heating means 31 based on the input to the operation unit 4 and the detection results of the container outer peripheral temperature sensor 33 and the container center temperature sensor 34. In the automatic cooking mode, a cooking menu is input to the control unit 12 via the operation unit 4 or the terminal device 400. Examples of the cooking menu include simmered dishes, rice cooking, grilled dishes, steamed cooking, and the like. The control unit 12 controls the upper heating means 30 and the lower heating means 31 based on the control sequence determined for each cooking menu and the detection results of the air quality sensor 42, the container outer peripheral temperature sensor 33, and the container center temperature sensor 34. In the combination mode, while executing the control in the manual cooking mode, the control unit 12 adjusts the heating by the upper heating means 30 and the lower heating means 31 according to the detection results of the air quality sensor 42, the container outer peripheral temperature sensor 33, and the container center temperature sensor 34.

[0065] Hereinafter, the operation of the cooking heater 100 in the automatic cooking mode using the detection result of the air quality sensor 42 will be specifically described for each type of the state of the air detected by the air quality sensor 42. It is assumed that the cooking container 50 containing the cooking food is accommodated in the heating chamber 20, the heating chamber door 21 is closed, and the cooking container 50 is in the specified position. Also, as an example, the average value of the temperature detected by the container outer peripheral temperature sensor 33 and the temperature detected by the container center temperature sensor 34, or the higher temperature is used as the temperature of the bottom of the cooking container 50 for heating control. Further, according to the cooking menu, either or both of the upper heating means 30 and the lower heating means 31 are controlled by the control unit 12 according to the cooking sequence to perform a heating operation.

[0066] (When the air quality sensor 42 detects temperature) When the cooking liquid and the food ingredients are placed in the cooking container 50, a temperature difference may occur between the cooking liquid and the air around the food ingredients exposed from the cooking liquid. This temperature difference may become more prominent, for example, in a cooking menu with relatively little cooking liquid such as dry cooking, when heating is performed by both the upper heating means 30 and the lower heating means 31.

[0067] The temperature of the cooking liquid in contact with the bottom of the cooking container 50 heated by the lower heating means 31 becomes higher, and the difference between the temperature of the air in the cooking container 50 detected by the air quality sensor 42 and the temperature of the bottom of the cooking container 50 exceeds a predetermined threshold value. Then, the control unit 12 reduces the heating power of the lower heating means 31 or stops the operation of the lower heating means 31 and operates only the upper heating means 30. By doing so, the temperature rise of the cooking liquid in the cooking container 50 is suppressed, and the difference between the temperature of the air in the cooking container 50 and the temperature of the bottom of the cooking container 50 becomes smaller. When the difference in the temperature becomes equal to or less than the threshold value, the control unit 12 increases the heating power of the lower heating means 31 or starts the operation of the lower heating means 31. Thereby, overheating of the food in the cooking liquid in the cooking container 50 can be suppressed, and uneven heating generated in the food can be suppressed.

[0068] Also, when the temperature of the air in the cooking container 50 becomes higher and the difference between the temperature of the air in the cooking container 50 detected by the air quality sensor 42 and the temperature of the bottom of the cooking container 50 exceeds a predetermined threshold value. Then, the control unit 12 reduces the heating power of the upper heating means 30 or stops the operation of the upper heating means 30 and operates only the lower heating means 31. By doing so, the temperature rise of the air in the cooking container 50 is suppressed, and the difference between the temperature of the air in the cooking container 50 and the temperature of the bottom of the cooking container 50 becomes smaller. When the difference in the temperature becomes equal to or less than the threshold value, the control unit 12 increases the heating power of the upper heating means 30 or starts the operation of the upper heating means 30. Thereby, overheating of the food not immersed in the cooking liquid in the cooking container 50 can be suppressed, and uneven heating generated in the food can be suppressed.

[0069] (When the air quality sensor 42 detects humidity) The humidity detected by the air quality sensor 42 is used for heating control as described below in cooking menus such as steamed cooking, boiling water, or superheated steam cooking.

[0070] When the cooking menu is steamed cooking, as the steam in the cooking container 50 increases, the humidity value detected by the air quality sensor 42 becomes higher. When the humidity detected by the air quality sensor 42 exceeds the threshold value, the control unit 12 reduces the heating power of either or both of the upper heating means 30 and the lower heating means 31, or stops the operation of one and operates only the other. By doing so, the amount of steam generated in the cooking container 50 is suppressed, and premature depletion of the water that is the source of the steam is suppressed. Also, when the humidity detected by the air quality sensor 42 is below the threshold value, the heating by the upper heating means 30 and the lower heating means 31 is continued, or the heating power of one or both is increased to increase the amount of steam generated. By doing so, the cooked food can be steamed well.

[0071] When the cooking menu is boiling water, the control unit 12 detects that the liquid in the cooking container 50 has boiled based on the humidity value detected by the air quality sensor 42, and when boiling is detected, the operations of the upper heating means 30 and the lower heating means 31 are stopped. Also, when the cooking menu is heating a cooked food containing soup, based on the humidity value detected by the air quality sensor 42, it is detected that the liquid in the cooking container 50 has boiled, and when boiling is detected, the heating power of the upper heating means 30 and the lower heating means 31 is reduced to suppress spillage.

[0072] When the cooking menu is superheated steam cooking, water (not shown) that serves as a source of superheated steam is arranged inside or outside the heating chamber 20. The superheated steam generated by heating this water is supplied into the heating chamber 20 or the cooking container 50, and the food is heated by the superheated steam. When superheated steam is supplied into the heating chamber 20, the superheated steam cooking is performed using the cooking dish 56. The food is heated by the superheated steam, or in addition to this, by either or both of the upper heating means 30 and the lower heating means 31. The control unit 12 controls a heating device (not shown) that heats water, the upper heating means 30, and the lower heating means 31 so that predetermined superheated steam can be obtained based on the humidity value inside the heating chamber 20 detected by the air quality sensor 42.

[0073] (When the air quality sensor 42 detects pressure) The pressure detected by the air quality sensor 42 is used for pressure control and heating control in the cooking menu of high-pressure cooking or low-pressure cooking. High-pressure cooking is a cooking method in which air is sent into the heating chamber 20 or the cooking container 50 with an air pump to pressurize it, and then heated by the upper heating means 30 and the lower heating means 31. Low-pressure cooking is a cooking method in which the air inside the heating chamber 20 or the cooking container 50 is sucked with an air pump to depressurize it, and then heated by the upper heating means 30 and the lower heating means 31. An air pump (not shown) is arranged outside the heating chamber 20 and is connected to the heating chamber 20 or the cooking container 50 by a pipe to send or suck air.

[0074] The control unit 12 controls the operation of the air pump (not shown) so that the pressure detected by the air quality sensor 42 is maintained between the lower threshold value and the upper threshold value. Further, when the amount of change in the pressure detected by the air quality sensor 42 exceeds the threshold value, the control unit 12 stops the operation of the air pump as a safety control against a rapid pressure change.

[0075] (When the air quality sensor 42 detects an odor) The air quality sensor 42 detects odor substances in particulate or gaseous form. For example, the air quality sensor 42 detects alkylpyrazines such as methylpyrazine, trimethylpyrazine, and dimethylpyrazines. These substances are generated by the Maillard reaction accompanying the heating of proteins and cause roasting aroma. When the concentration of these odor substances detected by the air quality sensor 42 exceeds the threshold value, the control unit 12 stops the operations of the upper heating means 30 and the lower heating means 31 and terminates the cooking. Thereby, burning of the cooked food can be suppressed.

[0076] Also, the air quality sensor 42 may detect cycloten or maltol, etc. These substances are generated along with the cooking of cooked food containing sugar and cause caramel odor. When the concentration of these odor substances detected by the air quality sensor 42 exceeds the threshold value, the control unit 12 stops the operations of the upper heating means 30 and the lower heating means 31 and terminates the cooking. Thereby, burning of the cooked food can be suppressed.

[0077] (When the air quality sensor 42 detects gas) The air quality sensor 42 detects, for example, carbon dioxide. When the concentration of carbon dioxide detected by the air quality sensor 42 exceeds the threshold value, the control unit 12 determines that the cooked food is burning in the cooking container 50 or the heating chamber 20, stops the operations of the upper heating means 30 and the lower heating means 31, and terminates the cooking. Thereby, excessive heating of the cooked food can be suppressed.

[0078] In addition, in the control of either or both of the upper heating means 30 and the lower heating means 31 based on the information of humidity, pressure, odor, or gas detected by the air quality sensor 42, the detection result of the temperature at the bottom of the cooking container 50 can be used.

[0079] As described above, the cooking appliance 100 according to the present embodiment includes a heating chamber 20 in which a cooking container 50 having a container 51 and a lid 53 is removably accommodated, and an upper heating unit 30 and a lower heating unit 31 which are heating devices for heating food in the cooking container 50 accommodated in the heating chamber 20. Further, the cooking appliance 100 includes an air quality sensor 42 and a control unit 12. The air quality sensor 42 contacts the air in the cooking container 50 accommodated in the heating chamber 20 and detects the state of the air. The control unit 12 controls the upper heating unit 30 and the lower heating unit 31 based on the information acquired from the air quality sensor 42 when the cooking container 50 is at a specified position in the heating chamber 20. Here, the specified position of the cooking container 50 in the present embodiment is the position of the cooking container 50 in a state where the heating chamber door 21 to which the container holding portion 28 that supports the cooking container 50 in the heating chamber 20 is connected is closed.

[0080] According to the present embodiment, since the air quality sensor 42 for detecting the state of the air in the cooking container 50 is provided, the state in the cooking container 50 surrounded by the container 51 and the lid 53 can be detected more accurately. Then, since the upper heating unit 30 and the lower heating unit 31 are controlled based on the information detected by the air quality sensor 42, a good cooking result can be obtained.

[0081] Further, the air quality sensor 42 of the present embodiment is provided on the partition wall 206 which is one of the walls constituting the inner surface of the heating chamber 20, and when the cooking container 50 is at the specified position, the opening 55 and the air quality sensor 42 face each other. Since the air expanded in the cooking container 50 due to heating and the generated steam and the like flow out from the opening 55 and contact the air quality sensor 42, the air quality sensor 42 can detect the state of the air in the cooking container 50 well.

[0082] In addition, an airtight member 44 is provided on the partition wall 206 where the air quality sensor 42 of the present embodiment is provided. When the cooking container 50 is in a specified position, the airtight member 44 comes into contact with the periphery of the opening 55 of the cooking container 50 to form a space between the cooking container 50 and the air quality sensor 42. The air, steam, etc. inside the cooking container 50 reach the air quality sensor 42 through the space formed by the airtight member 44, but the air outside the cooking container 50 is blocked by the airtight member 44 and does not reach the air quality sensor 42. Since the air outside the cooking container 50 is less likely to mix into the air detected by the air quality sensor 42, the detection accuracy of the state of the air inside the cooking container 50 by the air quality sensor 42 can be maintained well.

[0083] Embodiment 2. In the present embodiment, an aspect including an air quality sensor 42A with an arrangement different from that of the first embodiment will be described. In the present embodiment, the description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment, and the same reference numerals will be given to the same components as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0084] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the heating chamber 20A according to the second embodiment. FIG. 13 corresponds to FIG. 5 of the first embodiment. The air quality sensor 42A of the second embodiment is provided so as to protrude forward from the partition wall 206 of the heating chamber 20A. The airtight member 44A is disposed on the front surface of the partition wall 206 so as to surround the outer periphery of the root portion of the air quality sensor 42A.

[0085] Similar to the air quality sensor 42 of the first embodiment, the air quality sensor 42A detects the state of the air including one or more of temperature, humidity, pressure, odor, and smoke. The description of the functions of the air quality sensor 42 in the first embodiment is applicable to the air quality sensor 42A of the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, an example in which one air quality sensor 42A is provided in the heating chamber 20A is shown, but a plurality of air quality sensors 42A may be provided in the heating chamber 20A.

[0086] FIG. 14 is a perspective view from the rear showing the internal structure of the heating chamber 20A according to Embodiment 2. FIG. 14 corresponds to FIG. 6 of Embodiment 1. The base of the air quality sensor 42A is disposed on the rear surface of the partition wall 206, and the air quality sensor 42A is disposed so as to penetrate the partition wall 206. In the present embodiment, a configuration corresponding to the housing 41 in Embodiment 1 is not provided, but a housing 41 for accommodating the base of the air quality sensor 42A may be provided.

[0087] FIG. 15 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the heating chamber 20A according to Embodiment 2. FIG. 15 shows a longitudinal section along the front-rear direction when the cooking container 50 is in a specified position in the heating chamber 20A. In the process of closing the heating chamber door 21, the cooking container 50 slides backward from the front, and the air quality sensor 42A is inserted into the opening 55 formed in the lid 53 of the cooking container 50. When the heating chamber door 21 is fully closed, the cooking container 50 is disposed at the specified position, and the tip of the air quality sensor 42A is located inside the cooking container 50. Thereby, the air quality sensor 42A can directly contact the air in the cooking container 50 and can detect the state of the air. By increasing the protruding dimension of the air quality sensor 42A into the cooking container 50, it is possible to suppress the state of the air outside the cooking container 50 and the temperature of the cooking container 50 from affecting the detection result of the air quality sensor 42A, and the detection accuracy of the air quality sensor 42A can be improved.

[0088] The airtight member 44A contacts the periphery of the opening 55 of the lid 53 in a state where the cooking container 50 is accommodated in the heating chamber 20, and the inflow of air into the cooking container 50 through the opening 55 is suppressed. Since it is possible to suppress the air outside the cooking container 50 from affecting the detection result of the air quality sensor 42A, the air quality sensor 42A can more accurately detect the state of the air in the cooking container 50.

[0089] In addition, a plurality of openings 55 may be provided in the lid 53. For example, the openings 55 may be provided on the opposing side surfaces (for example, the front surface and the rear surface) of the lid 53, respectively. By doing so, the user can accommodate the cooking container 50 in the heating cabinet 20 without worrying about the orientation of the lid 53 and insert the air quality sensor 42A into the opening 55, thereby improving the convenience for the user.

[0090] In the present embodiment, an example is shown in which the opening 55 is provided on the side surface along the vertical direction of the lid 53. However, as long as it is a position where the air quality sensor 42A is inserted, the opening 55 may be provided on the inclined surface or the upper surface of the lid 53. Further, a mechanism may be provided to move the air quality sensor 42A and allow it to enter the opening 55 of the cooking container 50 as the heating cabinet door 21 is slidably closed.

[0091] FIG. 16 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the heating cabinet 20A according to Embodiment 2. FIG. 16 shows a longitudinal section of the heating cabinet 20A with the cooking dish 56 placed therein along the front-rear direction. When the cooking dish 56 is used, the air quality sensor 42 directly contacts the air in the heating cabinet 20A above the cooking dish 56 to detect the state of the air. Since the air quality sensor 42A of the present embodiment protrudes forward from the partition wall 206, it is easy to contact the air regardless of the state of the air flow in the heating cabinet 20A, and detection errors due to different contact situations with the air are less likely to occur. In addition, the detection time delay when the state of the air in the heating cabinet 20A changes is also reduced, and the state of the air in the heating cabinet 20A can be detected more accurately and quickly.

[0092] Also in this embodiment, the control unit 12 controls the upper heating means 30 and the lower heating means 31 based on the information acquired from the air quality sensor 42A when the cooking container 50 is at a specified position within the heating chamber 20A. The heating control by the control unit 12 is such that the matters described in Embodiment 1 are also applicable to this embodiment. According to this embodiment, since the air quality sensor 42A for detecting the state of the air within the cooking container 50 is provided, the state within the cooking container 50 surrounded by the container 51 and the lid 53 can be detected with higher accuracy. Then, based on the information detected by this air quality sensor 42A, the upper heating means 30 and the lower heating means 31 are controlled, so that a good cooking result can be obtained.

[0093] Further, the air quality sensor 42A of this embodiment is provided on the partition wall 206 which is one of the walls constituting the inner surface of the heating chamber 20A. When the cooking container 50 is at the specified position, the air quality sensor 42A is inserted into the cooking container 50 from the opening 55. Since the air quality sensor 42A is inserted into the cooking container 50, the air quality sensor 42A can easily come into contact with the air within the cooking container 50 and can detect the state of the air well.

[0094] Embodiment 3. In this embodiment, an aspect in which the air quality sensor 42B is provided in the cooking container 50B will be described. In this embodiment, the description will focus on the differences from Embodiment 1, and the same components as those in Embodiment 1 will be denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0095] FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the heating chamber 20B according to Embodiment 3. FIG. 17 shows a state in which the top panel 201 (see FIG. 3) is removed from the heating chamber 20B. The upper heating means 30 is provided above the ceiling 205 of the heating chamber 20B. The upper heating means 30 is a flat heater such as a mica heater as in Embodiment 1, but may also be a sheathed heater, a glass tube heater, a ceramic heater, or an induction heating coil. The upper heating means 30 is in surface contact with the ceiling 205, and heat transfer from the upper heating means 30 to the ceiling 205 and heat transfer from the ceiling 205 to the space within the heating chamber 20 are promoted.

[0096] On the ceiling 205, an upper surface terminal connection portion 70B and a side surface terminal connection portion 71B are provided. The upper surface terminal connection portion 70B and the side surface terminal connection portion 71B are each electrically connected to the terminals of the air quality detection unit 40B of the present embodiment described later, and transmit the signals acquired from the air quality detection unit 40B to the control unit 12.

[0097] In the present embodiment, the upper surface terminal connection portion 70B and the side surface terminal connection portion 71B are arranged at positions that do not overlap with the upper heating means 30 in a top view. Specifically, the upper heating means 30 has a donut-shaped planar shape, and the upper surface terminal connection portion 70B and the side surface terminal connection portion 71B are provided in the central opening. By doing so, heat transfer from the upper heating means 30 to the upper surface terminal connection portion 70B and the side surface terminal connection portion 71B can be reduced, and deterioration of the upper surface terminal connection portion 70B and the side surface terminal connection portion 71B due to heat can be suppressed. In addition, the influence of heat noise on the output of the upper surface terminal connection portion 70B and the side surface terminal connection portion 71B can also be suppressed, so the reliability of transmission from the upper surface terminal connection portion 70B and the side surface terminal connection portion 71B to the control unit 12 can be enhanced. Note that it is only necessary that the upper heating means 30 and the upper surface terminal connection portion 70B and the side surface terminal connection portion 71B are arranged so as not to overlap, and the planar shape of the upper heating means 30 is not limited to the example in FIG. 17. For example, a plurality of upper heating means 30 may be arranged on the ceiling 205 with gaps therebetween, and the upper surface terminal connection portion 70B and the side surface terminal connection portion 71B may be arranged in those gaps.

[0098] FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the heating cabinet 20B according to Embodiment 3. In FIG. 18, for the sake of explanation, the illustration of the ceiling 205 (see FIG. 17) is omitted, and the upper surface terminal connection portion 70B and the side surface terminal connection portion 71B attached to the ceiling 205 are shown. The lid 53 of the cooking container 50B of the present embodiment is not provided with the gripping portion 54 shown in Embodiment 1, and an air quality detection unit 40B is provided at a position corresponding to the position of the gripping portion 54. The air quality detection unit 40B also functions as a gripping portion of the lid 53.

[0099] At the rear of the heating chamber 20B, the partition wall 206 shown in the first embodiment is not provided, and an exhaust duct inlet 207 is provided in the rear wall 204. The exhaust duct inlet 207 is an opening that communicates the exhaust duct 24 with the inside of the heating chamber 20B. Since the rear surface of the heating chamber 20B is flatly formed by the rear wall 204, the cleanability of the inside of the heating chamber 20B by the user can be improved.

[0100] A heating chamber air quality sensor 36B is provided in the heating chamber 20B. The heating chamber air quality sensor 36B is a sensor that directly contacts the air inside the heating chamber 20B to detect the state of the air. Similar to the air quality sensor 42 in the first embodiment, the heating chamber air quality sensor 36B detects the state of the air including one or more of temperature, humidity, pressure, odor, and smoke. The description of the function of the air quality sensor 42 in the first embodiment is applicable to the heating chamber air quality sensor 36B in this embodiment. In this embodiment, the heating chamber air quality sensor 36B is installed on the right side wall 202 so as to protrude into the heating chamber 20B from the right side wall 202. Note that the installation position of the heating chamber air quality sensor 36B is not limited to the illustrated example, and it may be provided at any location constituting the inner wall of the heating chamber 20B such as the left side wall 203, the rear wall 204, or the ceiling 205.

[0101] FIG. 19 is an exploded perspective view of an air quality detection unit 40B according to the third embodiment. The air quality detection unit 40B includes a sensor housing portion 41B, an air quality sensor 42B, an upper surface terminal 43B, a side surface terminal 44B, and an insulator 45B.

[0102] The sensor housing portion 41B is provided at the lower end of the air quality detection unit 40B and is a member that houses the air quality sensor 42B. The sensor housing portion 41B is made of metal, ceramic, heat-resistant resin, etc. with holes drilled. Alternatively, the sensor housing portion 41B is made of porous metal, porous ceramic, or porous heat-resistant resin, etc. Therefore, the air quality sensor 42B housed in the sensor housing portion 41B can directly contact the outside air through the holes of the sensor housing portion 41B to detect the state of the air.

[0103] The air quality sensor 42B detects the state of the air including one or more of temperature, humidity, pressure, odor, and smoke, in the same manner as the air quality sensor 42 of the first embodiment. The description of the functions of the air quality sensor 42 in the first embodiment is applicable to the air quality sensor 42B of the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, an example in which one air quality sensor 42B is provided on the lid 53 is shown, but a plurality of air quality sensors 42B may be provided on either or both of the container 51 and the lid 53. When the air quality sensor 42B is provided in the container 51, by arranging the air quality sensor 42B at the upper part of the container 51, the air quality sensor 42B can detect the state of the air in the cooking container 50.

[0104] The upper surface terminal 43B and the side surface terminal 44B are electrically connected to the air quality sensor 42B and transmit the output of the air quality sensor 42B to the upper surface terminal connection portion 70B and the side surface terminal connection portion 71B (see FIGS. 17 and 18). The upper surface terminal 43B and the side surface terminal 44B are connected to the air quality sensor 42B directly or via conversion means for converting an analog output into a digital output. The upper surface terminal 43B and the side surface terminal 44B are exposed on the surface of the cooking container 50B.

[0105] The upper surface terminal 43B is provided on at least a part of the upper surface of a member configured in a disk-shaped lid form. The side surface terminal 44B is provided on at least a part of the side surface of a member configured in a dish shape. The sensor housing portion 41B is attached to the lower part of the dish-shaped member having the side surface terminal 44B with a screw, caulking, or an adhesive, etc. Also, the lid-shaped member having the upper surface terminal 43B and the dish-shaped member are engaged with each other with a screw, caulking, or an adhesive, etc.

[0106] The insulator 45B is provided between the upper surface terminal 43B and the side surface terminal 44B and electrically insulates the upper surface terminal 43B and the side surface terminal 44B.

[0107] FIG. 20 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the heating chamber 20B according to the third embodiment. FIG. 20 shows a longitudinal section along the front-rear direction when the cooking container 50B is in the specified position in the heating chamber 20B. FIG. 21 is an enlarged view of the air quality detection unit 40B in FIG. 20 and its periphery.

[0108] The upper terminal connection part 70B is installed penetrating the ceiling 205 from top to bottom, and the lower end of the upper terminal connection part 70B is exposed inside the heating chamber 20B. The upper terminal connection part 70B is biased from top to bottom by a first biasing means 72B composed of a spring or the like. The lower surface of the upper terminal connection part 70B, that is, the surface that contacts the upper terminal 43B, is flat, but the corner connecting the lower surface and the side surface is formed as a curved surface.

[0109] A part of the side terminal connection part 71B is accommodated in a case 74B attached to the lower surface of the ceiling 205. The side terminal connection part 71B protrudes from the case 74B toward the front, that is, toward the heating chamber door 21 side, and the front end of the side terminal connection part 71B is exposed inside the heating chamber 20B. The side terminal connection part 71B is biased from rear to front by a second biasing means 73B composed of a spring or the like. The front surface of the side terminal connection part 71B, that is, the surface that contacts the side terminal 44B, is formed as a flat surface.

[0110] The upper surface of the upper terminal 43B of the air quality detection unit 40B is a convex curved surface upward. At the apex of the curved surface of the upper terminal 43B, it contacts the upper terminal connection part 70B.

[0111] When the heating chamber door 21 is open and the cooking container 50B is not in the specified position, the upper terminal connection part 70B protrudes downward from the ceiling 205, and the side terminal connection part 71B protrudes into the heating chamber 20B toward the heating chamber door 21 side. In the process of closing the heating chamber door 21, the cooking container 50B slides backward from front, and the air quality detection unit 40B provided on the lid 53 contacts the upper terminal connection part 70B and the side terminal connection part 71B. Specifically, the upper surface of the curved upper terminal 43B gradually slides on the curved surface of the upper terminal connection part 70B while pushing up the upper terminal connection part 70B as it slides. Also, the side terminal 44B pushes the side terminal connection part 71B backward. When the cooking container 50B is in the specified position, as shown in FIG. 21, the upper terminal connection part 70B contacts the upper terminal 43B, and the side terminal connection part 71B contacts the side terminal 44B. The first biasing means 72B and the second biasing means 73B are in a compressed state.

[0112] When the upper terminal connection part 70B contacts the upper terminal 43B and the side terminal connection part 71B contacts the side terminal 44B, the upper terminal 43B and the upper terminal connection part 70B, and the side terminal 44B and the side terminal connection part 71B are electrically connected respectively. In this state, the detection result of the air quality sensor 42B can be transmitted to the control unit 12 (see FIG. 24) via the upper terminal connection part 70B and the side terminal connection part 71B.

[0113] The magnitude of the biasing force that biases forward of the second biasing means 73B is such that it does not push back the heating chamber door 21 in a state where the heating chamber door 21 is closed and the cooking container 50B is in a specified position, and the heating chamber door 21 is not opened by the biasing force of the second biasing means 73B. Also, the magnitude of the biasing force that biases downward of the first biasing means 72B is such that it does not prevent the sliding movement of the cooking container 50B. Further, the protruding amount of the upper terminal connection part 70B from the ceiling 205 into the heating chamber 20B is a length that does not prevent the sliding movement of the air quality detection unit 40B provided in the cooking container 50B.

[0114] Note that the side terminal 44B may be provided over the entire circumference of the side surface of a member configured in a dish shape. By doing so, regardless of the attachment direction of the lid 53 to the container 51, the side terminal 44B and the side terminal connection part 71B can be electrically connected by accommodating the cooking container 50B in the heating chamber 20B. Since the user can use the cooking container 50B without worrying about the attachment direction of the lid 53, the cooking work efficiency can be improved.

[0115] Also, the air quality sensor 42B of the present embodiment is provided in the cooking container 50B and directly contacts the air inside the cooking container 50B. According to the present embodiment, since it is not necessary to provide the opening 55 described in Embodiment 1 or 2 in the cooking container 50B, the airtightness inside the cooking container 50B can be enhanced. Thereby, the finish of cooking when the cooking container 50B is used for anhydrous cooking or the like can be improved.

[0116] Note that the arrangements of the upper surface terminal connection portion 70B and the side surface terminal connection portion 71B are not limited to the examples shown in FIGS. 20 and 21. FIG. 22 is a diagram for explaining an arrangement example of the upper surface terminal connection portion 70B and the side surface terminal connection portion 71B according to a modification of Embodiment 3.

[0117] FIG. 22(A) shows a first modification. In the first modification, a single groove 75B that extends from front to back and is recessed upward is provided in the space between the upper surface plate 201 and the ceiling 205. The groove 75B extends from the front end of the heating chamber 20B to the middle in the front-rear direction of the heating chamber 20B. The space in the groove 75B is sized such that the air quality detection unit 40B can pass through. The upper surface terminal connection portion 70B attached to the upper surface plate 201 penetrates the upper surface of the groove 75B and protrudes into the space in the groove 75B. The side surface terminal connection portion 71B is attached to the rear end of the groove 75B and protrudes from the rear to the front.

[0118] According to the first modification, since the upper surface terminal connection portion 70B and the side surface terminal connection portion 71B do not protrude into the heating chamber 20B, the upper surface terminal connection portion 70B and the side surface terminal connection portion 71B do not get in the way when performing heat cooking without using the air quality sensor 42B.

[0119] FIG. 22(B) shows a second modification. In the second modification, a mounting portion 76B is provided under the ceiling 205. The mounting portion 76B is a rectangular parallelepiped member that extends from the rear wall 204 toward the front. The mounting portion 76B extends from the rear wall 204 to the middle in the front-rear direction of the heating chamber 20B. The side surface terminal connection portion 71B is attached to the front surface of the mounting portion 76B and protrudes from the rear to the front.

[0120] In the second modification, the mounting portion 76B that fixes the side surface terminal connection portion 71B is fixed in surface contact with the ceiling 205 and the rear wall 204. Therefore, the fixing strength of the side surface terminal connection portion 71B is increased, the position of the side surface terminal connection portion 71B is stabilized, and it is less likely to be damaged.

[0121] FIG. 23 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the heating chamber 20B according to Embodiment 3. FIG. 23 shows a longitudinal section of the heating chamber 20B with the cooking dish 56 placed therein along the front-rear direction. When the lidless cooking dish 56 is used, the heating chamber air quality sensor 36B detects the state of the air in the heating chamber 20B, and based on the detection result, the control unit 12 (see FIG. 24) controls the heating operations of the upper heating means 30 and the lower heating means 31.

[0122] FIG. 24 is a functional block diagram of the cooking heater 100B according to Embodiment 3. In FIG. 24, among the functions of the cooking heater 100B, the functions related to the operation of the heating chamber 20B are described, and the server 200 and the terminal device 400 that are communicatively connected to the cooking heater 100B via the network 300 are also shown.

[0123] When the heating chamber door 21 is closed, as shown in FIG. 20, the cooking container 50B is in the specified position. When the cooking container 50B is in the specified position, the upper surface terminal 43B and the upper surface terminal connection part 70B are electrically connected, and the side surface terminal 44B and the side surface terminal connection part 71B are electrically connected. That is, when it is detected that the upper surface terminal 43B and the upper surface terminal connection part 70B are electrically connected and the side surface terminal 44B and the side surface terminal connection part 71B are electrically connected, the control unit 12 can detect that the cooking container 50B is in the specified position. In this case, it is not necessary to determine whether the cooking container 50B is in the specified position based on the detection result of the door opening / closing detection unit 29.

[0124] When the air quality sensor 42B detects the state of the air in the cooking container 50B in a state where the cooking container 50B is in the specified position, the detection result is input to the control unit 12. The control unit 12 controls the upper heating means 30 and the lower heating means 31 based on the detection result of the air quality sensor 42B in the same manner as described in Embodiment 1. The heating control by the control unit 12 is applicable to this embodiment as well as the matters described in Embodiment 1.

[0125] According to this embodiment, since the air quality sensor 42B for detecting the state of the air in the cooking container 50B is provided, the state inside the cooking container 50B surrounded by the container 51 and the lid 53 can be detected with higher accuracy. And since the upper heating means 30 and the lower heating means 31 are controlled based on the information detected by this air quality sensor 42B, a good cooking result can be obtained.

[0126] Also, the upper surface terminal 43B and the upper surface terminal connection portion 70B, and the side surface terminal 44B and the side surface terminal connection portion 71B are in direct contact and electrically connected, and the detection result of the air quality sensor 42B is transmitted. For this reason, it is possible to suppress the influence of noise and the like and to transmit the detection result favorably.

[0127] Note that the state of the air in the heating chamber 20B detected by the heating chamber air quality sensor 36B is also used in the heating cooking using the cooking container 50B. Specifically, the control unit 12 uses the difference between the state of the air in the cooking container 50B detected by the air quality sensor 42B and the state of the air outside the cooking container 50B detected by the heating chamber air quality sensor 36B, etc. for controlling the heating operation by the upper heating means 30 and the lower heating means 31. By doing so, finer firepower control and temperature control of the cooked food can be performed, so that cooking failures can be reduced and a good cooking effect can be obtained.

[0128] Embodiment 4. In this embodiment, an aspect in which the air quality sensor 42C is provided in the cooking container 50C will be described. In this embodiment, the description will be centered on the differences from Embodiments 1 to 3, and the same components as those in Embodiment 1 will be denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0129] FIG. 25 is a perspective view of the heating chamber 20C according to Embodiment 4. FIG. 25 shows a state in which the upper surface plate 201 (see FIG. 3) of the heating chamber 20C is removed. On the ceiling 205 of the heating chamber 20C, the upper heating means 30 and the second antenna 80C are provided.

[0130] The second antenna 80C sends a signal indicating the detection result of the air quality sensor 42C (see FIG. 27) obtained by short-range wireless communication to the control unit 12. The second antenna 80C is formed of a metal such as copper, for example, and is mounted on a highly heat-resistant ceramic substrate.

[0131] The second antenna 80C is disposed at a position where it does not overlap with the upper heating means 30 in the top view. By doing so, heat transfer from the upper heating means 30 to the second antenna 80C can be reduced, and deterioration of the second antenna 80C due to heat can be suppressed. In addition, since the influence of heat noise on the output of the second antenna 80C can also be suppressed, the reliability of transmission from the second antenna 80C to the control unit 12 can be enhanced. Note that it is only necessary that the upper heating means 30 and the second antenna 80C are arranged so as not to overlap, and the planar shape of the upper heating means 30 is not limited to the example of FIG. 25. For example, a plurality of upper heating means 30 may be arranged with gaps on the ceiling 205, and the second antenna 80C may be arranged in the gaps.

[0132] FIG. 26 is a perspective view of the heating chamber 20C according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 26 shows a state in which the ceiling 205 (see FIG. 25) is removed. The lid 53 of the cooking container 50C of the present embodiment is not provided with the gripping portion 54 shown in the first embodiment, and an air quality detection unit 40C is provided at a position corresponding to the position of the gripping portion 54. The air quality detection unit 40C also functions as a gripping portion of the lid 53.

[0133] The heating chamber 20C is provided with a heating chamber air quality sensor 36C. The heating chamber air quality sensor 36C is a sensor that directly contacts the air in the heating chamber 20C to detect the state of the air. Similar to the air quality sensor 42 of the first embodiment, the heating chamber air quality sensor 36C detects the state of the air including one or more of temperature, humidity, pressure, odor, and smoke. The description of the function of the air quality sensor 42 in the first embodiment is applicable to the heating chamber air quality sensor 36C of the present embodiment.

[0134] At the rear of the heating chamber 20C, the partition wall 206 shown in the first embodiment is not provided, and an exhaust duct inlet 207 is provided in the rear wall 204. The exhaust duct inlet 207 is an opening that communicates the exhaust duct 24 with the inside of the heating chamber 20C. Since the rear surface of the heating chamber 20C is formed flat by the rear wall 204, the cleanability of the inside of the heating chamber 20C by the user can be improved.

[0135] FIG. 27 is an exploded perspective view of the air quality detection unit 40C according to the fourth embodiment. The air quality detection unit 40C includes a sensor housing portion 41C, an air quality sensor 42C, an upper case 43C, an outer case 44C, an inner case 45C, and a first antenna 46C.

[0136] The sensor housing portion 41C is provided at the lower end of the air quality detection unit 40C and is a member that houses the air quality sensor 42C. The sensor housing portion 41C is composed of metal, ceramic, heat-resistant resin, etc. with holes drilled. Alternatively, the sensor housing portion 41C is composed of porous metal, porous ceramic, or porous heat-resistant resin, etc. Therefore, the air quality sensor 42C housed in the sensor housing portion 41C can directly contact the outside air through the holes of the sensor housing portion 41C and detect the state of the air.

[0137] The air quality sensor 42C detects the state of the air including one or more of temperature, humidity, pressure, odor, and smoke, similar to the air quality sensor 42 in the first embodiment. The description of the function of the air quality sensor 42 in the first embodiment is applicable to the air quality sensor 42C in this embodiment. In this embodiment, an example in which one air quality sensor 42C is provided on the lid 53 is shown, but a plurality of air quality sensors 42C may be provided on either or both of the container 51 and the lid 53.

[0138] The first antenna 46C is an antenna body made of a copper foil or the like, and is mounted on a highly heat-resistant ceramic substrate. An electric circuit is mounted on the substrate on which the first antenna 46C is mounted. The electric circuit includes a communication circuit that performs short-range wireless communication with a second antenna 80C (see FIG. 25), a power receiving circuit that is powered from the second antenna 80C, and a power storage unit that stores the supplied power. The first antenna 46C is electrically connected to the air quality sensor 42C, and transmits the state of the air detected by the air quality sensor 42C to the control unit 12 via short-range wireless communication with the second antenna 80C. The air quality sensor 42C is non-contact power-fed via the second antenna 80C and the first antenna 46C.

[0139] The upper case 43C and the outer case 44C house the inner case 45C and the first antenna 46C. A sensor housing portion 41C is attached to the lower portion of the outer case 44C with screws, caulking, an adhesive, or the like. Also, the upper case 43C and the outer case 44C are engaged with screws, caulking, or an adhesive, or the like.

[0140] At least the portion of the upper surface of the upper case 43C that is disposed above the first antenna 46C is made of a material such as glass, ceramic, or heat-resistant resin that is difficult to absorb radio waves and has a high radio wave transmittance. By configuring the upper case 43C with such a material, the upper case 43C can be made difficult to absorb the radio waves of data transmission and wireless power supply between the antenna of the first antenna 46C and the second antenna 80C (see FIG. 29).

[0141] The inner case 45C houses the first antenna 46C and is housed between the upper case 43C and the outer case 44C. The surface of the inner case 45C that contacts the conductors of the outer case 44C and the first antenna 46C is made of an insulator.

[0142] A magnetic material such as ferrite may be provided on the first antenna 46C. By doing so, radio waves accompanying transmission from the first antenna 46C upward can be guided, so that the transmission efficiency can be increased.

[0143] FIG. 28 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the heating chamber 20C according to Embodiment 4. FIG. 28 shows a longitudinal section along the front-rear direction when the cooking container 50C is in a specified position in the heating chamber 20C. FIG. 29 is an enlarged view of the air quality detection unit 40C in FIG. 28 and its surroundings.

[0144] With the heating chamber door 21 closed and the cooking container 50C in the specified position, the first antenna 46C of the air quality detection unit 40C is located below the second antenna 80C. Preferably, the first antenna 46C is located within the range of the second antenna 80C in a top view. More preferably, it is arranged so that the displacement between the center of the second antenna 80C and the center of the first antenna 46C is reduced. Due to such an arrangement relationship, the coupling of the high-frequency magnetic flux between the second antenna 80C and the first antenna 46C is promoted, and power and signals are efficiently transmitted by electromagnetic induction.

[0145] A window portion 81C is provided in the region below the second antenna 80C of the ceiling 205. The ceiling 205 is made of metal, and since it obstructs the transmission of radio waves between the second antenna 80C and the first antenna 46C, a window portion 81C that is less likely to obstruct radio wave transmission is provided. The window portion 81C is made of a material such as ceramic, glass, or heat-resistant resin. The window portion 81C is arranged at a position that overlaps the second antenna 80C and the first antenna 46C when in the specified position in a top view. By doing so, the transmission efficiency can be increased and the influence of noise can be reduced.

[0146] FIG. 30 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the heating chamber 20C according to Embodiment 4. FIG. 30 shows a longitudinal section along the front-rear direction of the heating chamber 20C with the cooking dish 56 placed therein. When the lidless cooking dish 56 is used, the heating chamber air quality sensor 36C detects the state of the air in the heating chamber 20C, and based on the detection result, the control unit 12 (see FIG. 31) controls the heating operations of the upper heating means 30 and the lower heating means 31.

[0147] FIG. 31 is a functional block diagram of the cooking appliance 100C according to Embodiment 4. In FIG. 31, among the functions of the cooking appliance 100C, functions related to the operation of the heating chamber 20C are described, and the server 200 and the terminal device 400 that are communicatively connected to the cooking appliance 100C and the network 300 are also shown.

[0148] A communication power transmission circuit 82C is provided between the second antenna 80C and the control unit 12. The communication power transmission circuit 82C is a general term for a communication circuit and a power transmission circuit, and these are provided as independent circuits. The communication circuit of the communication power transmission circuit 82C transmits the signal received by the second antenna 80C from the first antenna 46C to the control unit 12. The power transmission circuit of the communication power transmission circuit 82C supplies power from a power supply circuit (not shown) to the second antenna 80C and feeds power from the second antenna 80C to the first antenna 46C.

[0149] When the heating chamber door 21 is closed, as shown in FIG. 28, the cooking container 50C is in a specified position. When the cooking container 50C is in the specified position, the second antenna 80C and the first antenna 46C face each other, and non-contact power supply is performed from the second antenna 80C to the air quality sensor 42C via the first antenna 46C. That is, when the control unit 12 detects that the first antenna 46C has been non-contact power-supplied, it can detect that the cooking container 50C is in the specified position. In this case, it is not necessary to determine whether the cooking container 50C is in the specified position based on the detection result of the door opening / closing detection unit 29.

[0150] When the air quality sensor 42C detects the state of the air in the cooking container 50C in a state where the cooking container 50C is in the specified position, the detection result is input to the control unit 12 via short-range wireless communication between the first antenna 46C and the second antenna 80C. The control unit 12 controls the upper heating means 30 and the lower heating means 31 based on the detection result of the air quality sensor 42C in the same manner as described in Embodiment 1. The heating control by the control unit 12 is also applicable to this embodiment with the matters described in Embodiment 1.

[0151] According to this embodiment, since the air quality sensor 42C for detecting the state of the air in the cooking container 50C is provided, the state in the cooking container 50C surrounded by the container 51 and the lid 53 can be detected with higher accuracy. And since the upper heating means 30 and the lower heating means 31 are controlled based on the information detected by this air quality sensor 42C, a good cooking result can be obtained.

[0152] Note that the state of the air in the heating chamber 20C detected by the heating chamber air quality sensor 36C is also used in the heating cooking using the cooking container 50C. Specifically, the control unit 12 uses the difference between the state of the air in the cooking container 50C detected by the air quality sensor 42C and the state of the air outside the cooking container 50C detected by the heating chamber air quality sensor 36C, etc. for the control of the heating operation by the upper heating means 30 and the lower heating means 31. By doing so, finer firepower control and temperature control of the cooked food can be performed, so that cooking failures can be reduced and good cooking effects can be obtained.

[0153] Note that in Embodiments 3 and 4, an example in which the air quality detection unit 40B or the air quality detection unit 40C is provided on the upper surface of the lid 53 is shown, but the installation position of the air quality detection unit 40B or the air quality detection unit 40C is not limited to the upper surface of the lid 53. These air quality detection units may be provided on the side surface of the lid 53 or on the side surface of the container 51. When providing the air quality detection unit on the container 51, it is preferably provided at the upper part of the side surface of the container 51 so as to be able to detect the state of the air in the space inside the cooking container.

[0154] Hereinafter, aspects of the present disclosure are appended.

[0155] [Appendix 1] A heating chamber in which a cooking container having a container and a lid is removably accommodated, A heating device for heating the cooked food in the cooking container accommodated in the heating chamber, An air quality sensor that comes into contact with the air in the cooking container accommodated in the heating chamber and detects the state of the air, A control unit that controls the heating device based on information acquired from the air quality sensor when the cooking container is in a specified position within the heating chamber. A cooking heater. [Appendix 2] The control unit is configured to acquire the information from the air quality sensor when the cooking container is in the specified position within the heating chamber, and not to acquire the information from the air quality sensor when the cooking container is not in the specified position within the heating chamber. The cooking heater according to Appendix 1. [Appendix 3] The air quality sensor is provided on a wall of the heating chamber and is installed at a position facing an opening provided in the cooking container when the cooking container is in the specified position. The cooking heater according to Appendix 1 or Appendix 2. [Appendix 4] An airtight member that contacts the periphery of the opening of the cooking container and forms a space between the cooking container and the air quality sensor is provided on the wall of the heating chamber when the cooking container is in the specified position. The cooking heater according to Appendix 3. [Appendix 5] The air quality sensor is provided on a wall of the heating chamber and is installed at a position inserted into the cooking container from an opening provided in the cooking container when the cooking container is in the specified position. The cooking heater according to Appendix 1 or Appendix 2. [Appendix 6] Comprising the cooking container, The air quality sensor is provided on the cooking container, Terminals of the air quality sensor are exposed on the surface of the cooking container, A terminal connection portion that contacts the terminals is provided in the heating chamber when the cooking container is in the specified position. The cooking heater according to Appendix 1 or Appendix 2. [Appendix 7] The air quality sensor is inserted into the cooking container, The terminal of the air quality sensor constitutes at least a part of the outer surface of the gripping portion of the lid. The cooking heater according to appended note 6. [Appended note 8] Comprising the cooking container, The air quality sensor is provided in the cooking container, A first antenna provided in the cooking container, And a second antenna provided in the heating chamber, which performs short-range wireless communication with the first antenna. The information detected by the air quality sensor is transmitted to the control unit via the first antenna and the second antenna. The cooking heater according to appended note 1 or appended note 2. [Appended note 9] The cooking container has a gripping portion that protrudes outside the cooking container, The first antenna is provided in the gripping portion. The cooking heater according to appended note 8. [Appended note 10] The gripping portion is provided on the upper surface of the lid, The heating device is provided at the ceiling of the heating chamber, at a position that does not overlap with the gripping portion when viewed from above when the cooking container is in the specified position. The cooking heater according to appended note 7. [Appended note 11] The gripping portion is provided on the upper surface of the lid, The heating device is provided at the ceiling of the heating chamber, at a position that does not overlap with the gripping portion when viewed from above when the cooking container is in the specified position. The cooking heater according to appended note 9. [Appended note 12] Comprising a communication device that communicates with a terminal device, The communication device transmits at least one of the information detected by the air quality sensor and the error information detected by the control unit to the terminal device. The cooking heater according to any one of appended notes 1 to 11. [Appended note 13] The state of the air includes one or more of temperature, humidity, pressure, odor, and smoke. The cooking device according to any one of Appendices 1 to 12.

Description of Signs

[0156] 1 Top plate, 2 Main body, 3 Heating port, 4 Operation unit, 5 Display unit, 6 Air intake port, 7 Exhaust port cover, 8 Main body exhaust port, 10 Heating means, 11 Cooling fan, 12 Control unit, 13 Drive circuit, 20 Heating chamber, 20A Heating chamber, 20B Heating chamber, 20C Heating chamber, 21 Heating chamber door, 22 Door rail, 23 Inner chamber rail, 24 Exhaust duct, 25 Cooling duct, 26 Exhaust blower, 27 Cooling blower, 28 Container holding part, 29 Door opening / closing detection part, 30 Upper heating means, 31 Lower heating means, 32 Floor plate, 33 Container outer peripheral temperature sensor, 34 Container center temperature sensor, 35 Sheet metal, 36B Heating chamber air quality sensor, 36C Heating chamber air quality sensor, 40 Air quality detection unit, 40B Air quality detection unit, 40C Air quality detection unit, 41 Housing, 41B Sensor housing part, 41C Sensor housing part, 42 Air quality sensor, 42A Air quality sensor, 42B Air quality sensor, 42C Air quality sensor, 43 Air flow outlet, 43B Upper surface terminal, 43C Upper case, 44 Airtight member, 44A Airtight member, 44B Side terminal, 44C Outer case, 45B Insulator, 45C Inner case, 46C First antenna, 50 Cooking container, 50B Cooking container, 50C Cooking container, 51 Container, 52 Handle, 53 Lid, 54 Gripping part, 55 Opening, 56 Cooking dish, 60 First drive means, 61 Second drive means, 62 Communication device, 70B Upper surface terminal connection part, 71B Side terminal connection part, 72B First biasing means, 73B Second biasing means, 74B Case, 75B Groove, 76B Mounting part, 80C Second antenna, 81C Window part, 82C Communication power transmission circuit, 100 Cooking device, 100B Cooking device, 100C Cooking device, 121 Timing means, 122 Memory means, 200 Server, 201 Upper surface plate, 202 Right side wall, 203 Left side wall, 204 Rear wall, 205 Ceiling, 206 Partition wall, 207 Exhaust duct inlet, 208 Air flow inlet, 209 Bottom, 241 Exhaust port, 251 Exhaust port, 300 Network, 400 Terminal device, 611 Inverter circuit, 612 Input current detection circuit, 613 Coil current detection circuit.

Claims

1. A heating cabinet in which a cooking container having a container and a lid is removably accommodated, a heating device for heating the food in the cooking container accommodated in the heating cabinet, an air quality sensor that contacts the air in the cooking container accommodated in the heating cabinet and detects the state of the air, and a control unit that controls the heating device based on information acquired from the air quality sensor when the cooking container is in a specified position in the heating cabinet. A cooking heater.

2. The control unit is configured to acquire the information from the air quality sensor when the cooking container is in the specified position in the heating cabinet, and not to acquire the information from the air quality sensor when the cooking container is not in the specified position in the heating cabinet. The cooking heater according to Claim 1.

3. The air quality sensor is provided on the wall of the heating cabinet, and is installed at a position facing the opening provided in the cooking container when the cooking container is in the specified position. The cooking heater according to Claim 1 or Claim 2.

4. An airtight member that contacts the periphery of the opening of the cooking container and forms a space between the cooking container and the air quality sensor is provided on the wall of the heating cabinet when the cooking container is in the specified position. The cooking heater according to Claim 3.

5. The air quality sensor is provided on the wall of the heating cabinet, and is installed at a position inserted into the cooking container from the opening provided in the cooking container when the cooking container is in the specified position. The cooking heater according to Claim 1 or Claim 2.

6. Comprising the cooking container, the air quality sensor is provided on the cooking container, the terminals of the air quality sensor are exposed on the surface of the cooking container, and a terminal connection part that contacts the terminals is provided in the heating cabinet when the cooking container is in the specified position. The cooking heater according to Claim 1 or Claim 2.

7. The air quality sensor is inserted into the cooking container, and the terminals of the air quality sensor constitute at least a part of the outer surface of the gripping part of the lid. The cooking heater according to Claim 6.

8. Comprising the cooking container, the air quality sensor is provided on the cooking container, a first antenna provided on the cooking container, and a second antenna provided in the heating cabinet and performing short-range wireless communication with the first antenna. The information detected by the air quality sensor is transmitted to the control unit via the first antenna and the second antenna. The cooking heater according to claim 1 or claim 2.

9. The cooking container has a grip portion that protrudes outside the cooking container. The first antenna is provided on the grip portion. The cooking heater according to claim 8.

10. The grip portion is provided on the upper surface of the lid. The heating device is the ceiling of the heating chamber, and is provided at a position that does not overlap with the grip portion when viewed from above when the cooking container is in the specified position. The cooking heater according to claim 7.

11. The grip portion is provided on the upper surface of the lid. The heating device is the ceiling of the heating chamber, and is provided at a position that does not overlap with the grip portion when viewed from above when the cooking container is in the specified position. The cooking heater according to claim 9.

12. It includes a communication device that communicates with a terminal device. The communication device transmits at least one of the information detected by the air quality sensor and the error information detected by the control unit to the terminal device. The cooking heater according to claim 1 or claim 2.

13. The state of the air includes one or more of temperature, humidity, pressure, odor, and smoke. The cooking heater according to claim 1 or claim 2.

Images