Cooking system

Abstract

To provide a cooking system including a detection notification unit capable of notifying information that should be done by a user in cooking.SOLUTION: According to the present invention, a cooking system 10 is a cooking system including a cooking container 20 for storing an object to be cooked, and a detection notification unit 30 corresponding to a steam amount in the cooking container to display information to be performed by a user in cooking, the detection notification unit includes a steam sensor 31 for detecting steam in the cooking container, a storage part 33 for storing a steam amount to be measured by the steam sensor and information corresponding to the steam amount, a notification part 35 for notifying the user of the information, and a control part 32 for receiving the steam amount measured by the steam sensor, acquiring the information corresponding to the steam amount from the storage part, and notifying the information by the notification part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooking system including a detection / notification unit that can notify a user of information on what to do in cooking. [Background technology]

[0002] The applicant has proposed a stove device in Patent Document 1 as a cooking appliance that can be used for cooking during emergencies, camping, etc. While stoves generally use firewood or charcoal as fuel, the stove device proposed by the applicant can use readily available materials such as newspapers, cardboard, and milk cartons as fuel for cooking rice, etc. As an example, the stove device in Patent Document 1 has two fuel inlets on the left and right sides of the front.

[0003] This type of stove device is expected to be extremely useful not only for camping, but also in times of disaster when sufficient firewood or charcoal cannot be prepared, as it can provide hot food using newspaper or other fuel. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Publication No. 2-9281 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The instruction manual explains when and how many sheets of newspaper or other fuel to add to a furnace. However, sometimes people forget to measure the timing or count the number of sheets. Also, for furnaces with two fuel inlets, it's best to alternate between adding fuel to the left and right inlets, but sometimes people forget which inlet to add fuel to next.

[0006] In addition, when using cardboard or milk cartons as fuel other than newspaper, the amount to be added and the timing of adding fuel are different from those for newspaper. In particular, cardboard comes in a variety of sizes and thicknesses, so it is difficult to know how to adjust the amount to be added.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a cooking system including a detection and notification unit that can notify a user of information on what to do in cooking. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The cooking system according to the present invention comprises: a cooking container in which food is stored; a detection and notification unit that displays information for a user to perform cooking in response to the amount of steam in the cooking container; A cooking system comprising: The detection and notification unit a steam sensor that detects steam in the cooking vessel; a storage unit that stores the amount of steam measured by the steam sensor and the information corresponding to the amount of steam; a notification unit that notifies a user of the information; a control unit that receives the amount of steam measured by the steam sensor, acquires the information corresponding to the amount of steam from the storage unit, and notifies the information by the notification unit; Includes.

[0009] The detection and notification unit has a communication module and can transmit the information to an external device.

[0010] The cooking container has an inner pot in which the food to be cooked is accommodated and a lid that covers the inner pot, The detection and notification unit can be attached to the lid so that the steam sensor is exposed inside the inner pot when the lid is covering the inner pot.

[0011] When the detection / notification unit is attached to the lid, a part of the casing is positioned on the outside of the lid and can form a handle that a user can grip the lid with.

[0012] The notification unit is a display unit that displays the information and can be disposed on the handle.

[0013] The inner pot is accommodated in a furnace body having a bottomed cylindrical combustion chamber for burning fuel and a fuel inlet port that also serves as an air inlet penetrating through the furnace body to form a furnace device; The information may include the timing at which the user should add fuel to the inlet. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the cooking system of the present invention, the amount of steam in the cooking container is measured by the steam sensor, and the notification unit notifies the user of information to be performed by the user in cooking in accordance with the measured amount of steam. The user can smoothly perform cooking by, for example, adding fuel based on the notified information. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a cooking system according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the detection notification unit. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows an example of how external devices are displayed. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the furnace device. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the furnace device. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a furnace device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] A cooking system 10 of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0017] As shown in Figure 1, the cooking system 10 of the present invention mainly comprises a cooking container 20 and a detection and notification unit 30. Reference numeral 40 denotes a stove device that houses the cooking container 20, and reference numeral 50 denotes an external device such as a smartphone that receives and displays information from the detection and notification unit 30.

[0018] The cooking vessel 20 includes a cylindrical inner pot 21 with a bottom that is open at the top, and a lid 23 that covers the top of the inner pot 21. Food to be cooked is placed in the cooking vessel 20, and cooking such as rice cooking or simmering is performed. In this embodiment, the inner pot 21 is housed in a stove body 41 to form a stove device 40. The stove device 40 is a cooking appliance that uses newspaper or the like as fuel. The configuration of the stove device 40 will be described later.

[0019] The detection and notification unit 30 detects the amount of steam inside the cooking vessel 20 and notifies the user of information corresponding to the amount of steam. The detection and notification unit 30 can be attached to the lid 23 of the cooking vessel 20 when in use, as shown in FIG.

[0020] 2, the detection / alarm unit 30 includes a vapor sensor 31, a control unit 32, a communication module 34, a display unit 35, a switch 36, and a battery 37. These components are housed in a casing 38 made of heat-resistant resin, with the vapor sensor 31 and the display unit 35 exposed. The display unit 35 constitutes the alarm unit of the present invention.

[0021] Steam sensor 31 detects the amount of steam in inner pot 21. For example, steam sensor 31 may be composed of a thermoelectric element such as a thermocouple or a thermistor. Steam sensor 31 may be provided at or near the bottom end of casing 38.

[0022] The control unit 32 receives the amount of steam from the steam sensor 31 and displays information on the user's cooking routine on the display unit 35, which will be described next. The control unit 32 can be, for example, a microcomputer. If the detection / notification unit 30 is equipped with a communication module 34, the control unit 32 can transmit the information to the external device 50 via the communication module 34, and can also receive information on the cooking content and amount of food from the external device 50, etc. via the communication module 34. The amount of steam and information on the user's cooking routine corresponding to the amount of steam can be stored in the memory unit 33 provided in the control unit 32. In addition to the above, the memory unit 33 can also store programs and the like required to operate the detection / notification unit 30.

[0023] As a specific embodiment, when the cooking vessel 20 is the inner pot 21 of the stove apparatus 40 shown in Figures 4 to 6 (details will be described later), the memory unit 33 stores the amount of steam detected by the steam sensor 31, the amount of rice cooked, the type of fuel, and information given by the user when cooking. Information given by the user when cooking includes, for example, instructions to add fuel through fuel inlets 42, 42 provided on the stove body 41. Other information given by the user when cooking includes instructions to add seasonings and instructions on the timing of adding fuel to prevent overflow.

[0024] In the case of an electric rice cooker, the amount of rice to be cooked is calculated based on the rise in water temperature, and the heating power (heater) is adjusted in conjunction with the boiling detection by the steam sensor. In the case of a stove device 40 configured as described below, the timing and number of times fuel is added can be determined by the memory unit 33 and control unit 32 based on the information on the amount of rice to be cooked input by the user and the steam detection by the steam sensor 31. Furthermore, in the stove device 40, if the amount of rice to be cooked is small, the heating power after boiling is detected needs to be reduced, and if the amount of rice to be cooked is large, the heating power needs to be increased. Therefore, in order to adjust the number of times fuel is added, the stove device 40 can be configured to inform the user via the display unit 35 or external device 50 of the timing and number of times fuel should be added after boiling.

[0025] The communication module 34 connects the detection and notification unit 30 to an external device 50, the cloud, or the like, directly or via a network. The communication module 34 may be one that complies with a short-range wireless communication method such as BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy: Bluetooth is a registered trademark). By adopting a short-range wireless communication method, it is possible to achieve minimum information transmission between the detection and notification unit 30 and the external device 50 even in environments with poor communication conditions, such as outdoors or during a disaster.

[0026] The display unit 35 is one embodiment of the notification unit and displays information received from the control unit 32. The display unit 35 can be configured to display information, for example, by flashing or lighting an LED. While specific embodiments will be described later, the control unit 32 can notify the user of the timing to add fuel by flashing or lighting the display unit 35 for a predetermined period of time at the timing of adding fuel. As shown in FIG. 4 and other figures, the display unit 35 is preferably provided on the top surface or near the top end of the detection notification unit 30 so that it is easily visible to the user when the detection notification unit 30 is attached to the lid 23. The display unit 35 may be a liquid crystal panel, and the notification unit may also be a buzzer or speaker that emits sound as a means of notifying the user of information by a method other than a display.

[0027] Switch 36 is an operating part for detection and notification unit 30, and includes a power switch and a switch for switching between operations and activating detection and notification unit 30 when cooking begins. For example, switch 36 may be a push-button switch, configured so that a long press turns the power on or off, and a short press activates detection and notification unit 30 or switches settings. Switch 36 is preferably waterproof, and is preferably located on the top surface or near the top end of casing 38, which is the outside of lid 23, as shown in FIG. 2 etc.

[0028] Battery 37 is an example of a power source that supplies power to control unit 32. Of course, the power source may be a battery instead of battery 37, or may be configured to be connected to a commercial power source. By employing a battery that can be charged contactlessly as battery 37, it is possible to eliminate the need for a charging terminal and improve the waterproofness of detection notification unit 30.

[0029] The steam sensor 31, control unit 32, communication module 34, display unit 35, switch 36, and battery 37 are housed in a casing 38 to form the detection / alarm unit 30. At least the detection portion of the steam sensor 31 and the display portion of the display unit 35 are exposed from the casing 38. Because the detection / alarm unit 30 is attached to the lid 23 of the cooking container 20, which becomes hot, the casing 38 is preferably made of a heat-resistant resin. Furthermore, because the detection / alarm unit 30 may come into contact with steam generated during cooking or may be submerged in water during cleaning, it is desirable that the casing 38 be configured to waterproof the components housed therein.

[0030] When the detection / alarm unit 30 is attached to the lid body 23, in order to protect the heat-sensitive components, namely the control unit 32, communication module 34, display unit 35, switch 36 and battery 37, it is preferable to position these components above the lid body 23, as shown in the position of the lid body 23 in Figure 2.

[0031] 4 to 6, the detection and notification unit 30 is inserted into the lid body 23, and the upper part of the lid body 23 also serves as a handle with which the user grasps the lid body 23. For this reason, it is desirable that at least the upper part of the lid body 23 of the detection and notification unit 30 has a shape that is easy for the user to grasp, such as a flat plate shape, a cylindrical shape, or a shape with a recess that can be gripped by the finger.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 2, in one embodiment, the detection notification unit 30 communicates with an external device 50 via a communication module 34. Fig. 3 shows an example of a display screen 51 when a smartphone is used as the external device 50. Dedicated application software is installed in advance on the external device 50.

[0033] For example, by launching application software and authenticating detection / notification unit 30, external device 50 displays information from detection / notification unit 30 about the amount of steam detected by steam sensor 31 and the corresponding detected temperature, the remaining charge of battery 37, and the remaining time until cooking is complete. In FIG. 3, external device 50 also displays the above information, as well as the usage conditions of cooking container 20, specifically, the contents of the cooking menu to be performed in cooking container 20 ("cooking rice" in the illustration), the amount of ingredients ("3 cups"), and the type and size of fuel used ("Fuel: cardboard (light) / (10 cm x 10 cm)" in the illustration). The usage conditions can be entered by the user using a pull-down menu or the like.

[0034] Furthermore, it is desirable that external device 50 displays information about cooking that the user performs. Specifically, based on the temperature and usage conditions of cooking container 20 described above, the timing for the user to add fuel and the fuel inlet 42 to add fuel to are displayed (e.g., "Please add 1 fuel to the inlet on the right").

[0035] As shown in Figure 1, the detection and notification unit 30 is attached to the lid 23 of the cooking vessel 20, and the lid 23 closes the cooking vessel 20. The lid 23 has a mounting hole 24 for mounting the detection and notification unit 30, which can be inserted into the mounting hole 24. By inserting the detection and notification unit 30 into the mounting hole 24, the steam sensor 31 is exposed to the underside of the lid 23, and when the lid 23 is attached to the inner pot 21, the steam sensor 31 is exposed inside the inner pot 21. It is desirable to provide a mounting means (not shown) on the casing 38 of the detection and notification unit 30 for detachably positioning the detection and notification unit 30 in the mounting hole 24.

[0036] The cooking vessel 20 is housed in a stove apparatus 40 as shown in Figures 4 to 6, and cooking such as boiling is performed therein. The illustrated stove apparatus 40 heats the inner pot 21 by introducing fuel such as newspaper, cardboard, or milk cartons into fuel inlets 42, 42 formed on the front of the stove body 41 and burning the fuel.

[0037] The inner pot 21 is a cylindrical rice cooker with a bottom, a circular shape in plan view, and an outward flange formed on the upper edge. The inner pot 21 can be made from stainless steel, alloy aluminum, copper-coated pure aluminum, earthenware pot material, or the like.

[0038] The lid 23 is a disk large enough to cover the top surface of the inner pot 21, and has a mounting hole 24 formed in the center for inserting the detection and notification unit 30. The lid 23 can be made from a heat-resistant resin or a free-blend material in which ceramic components are mixed into the resin.

[0039] The cooking vessel 20 is placed on a stove body 41 having a cylindrical combustion chamber 43 with a bottom via a support 47. The stove body 41 can be made from metal such as clad steel, which is carbon steel or low-alloy steel with stainless steel bonded to its surface, ceramics (including bisque), aluminum die-casting, porcelain, etc.

[0040] The stove body 41 shown in the figure has a generally circular shape in a plan view, and the opening on the top surface has an inner diameter that allows the inner pot 21 to fit comfortably. Fuel inlets 42, 42 are formed on the front of the stove body 41. In the illustrated embodiment, there are two fuel inlets 42, 42, one on the left and one on the right.

[0041] A grate 44 is provided at the bottom of the stove body 41 to prevent fuel from directly touching the bottom surface of the stove body 41. Reference numeral 45 denotes a baffle plate that prevents fuel from being pushed out to the back of the stove body 41 when fuel is pushed in.

[0042] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the support 47 is made of metal wire and the inner pot 21 is placed on it. The support 47 supports the inner pot 21 so that only the lower side of the inner pot 21 is inside the stove body 41. During cooking, the upper side of the inner pot 21 is exposed to air to dissipate heat and cook rice efficiently. As shown in Figure 6, the support 47 also holds the inner pot 21 eccentrically toward the front of the stove body 41, forming a fuel combustion chamber 43 within the stove body 41. This creates a wide gap for exhaust between the rear edge of the upper end of the stove body 41 and the rear edge of the inner pot 21. When fuel is burned inside the stove body 41, the front inlet 42 serves as an intake port, and the rear gap serves as an exhaust port 46, creating an airflow through the combustion chamber 43 and enhancing the combustion effect.

[0043] The cooking system 10 configured as described above can be used in the following manner: The cooking menu in this embodiment is rice cooking.

[0044] 4 to 6, the support 47 is placed on the stove body 41. The detection and notification unit 30 is attached to the lid 23.

[0045] When using the external device 50, application software is installed in advance, and a program corresponding to the cooking menu is loaded. In addition, the external device 50 is made to authenticate the detection / notification unit 30.

[0046] Then, water and rice are put into the inner pot 21 and the lid 23 is put on to make the cooking vessel 20, which is then placed on the support 47 of the stove body 41 to make the stove device 40.

[0047] When the stove device 40 is ready, the switch 36 is operated to activate the detection and notification unit 30. The application software of the external device 50 is also started. In the detection and notification unit 30, the steam sensor 31 measures the amount of steam in the inner pot 21, which is converted into a detected temperature by the control unit 32 and sequentially transmitted to the external device 50. The external device 50 displays the received temperature on the display screen 51 (in FIG. 3, the temperature is 80°C). The detection and notification unit 30 also receives the remaining battery charge and the remaining time until cooking is complete, and displays these on the display screen 51.

[0048] 3, the user inputs usage conditions such as a cooking menu (e.g., rice cooking), amount (e.g., 3 cups), the material of the fuel to be used (e.g., cardboard (light)), and size (e.g., 10 cm × 10 cm) into the external device 50. The input usage conditions are transmitted from the external device 50 to the detection and notification unit 30.

[0049] The control unit 32 of the detection and notification unit 30 generates information for the user to use in cooking based on the usage conditions received from the external device 50 and the amount of steam measured by the steam sensor 31. Then, based on the generated information, the control unit 32 displays the information on the display unit 35 of the detection and notification unit 30 at the necessary timing. The control unit 32 also transmits the information to the external device 50.

[0050] The initial information given to the user during cooking may be, for example, "Please put one fuel into the right-hand opening and light it." The detection and notification unit 30 can display this information by, for example, lighting the LED on the display unit 35 for a predetermined period of time. The external device 50 can also display this information in text form, as shown in FIG. 3. In addition to displaying the information, the external device 50 may also be configured to notify the user that the information has been displayed by an alarm or the like. When the user acts based on this information, fuel is ignited in the combustion chamber 43, and heating of the inner pot 21 begins.

[0051] The user sequentially adds the next fuel according to the information displayed on the detection and notification unit 30 or external device 50. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, if the displayed information is "Add 1 fuel to the right-side inlet 42," the user simply adds fuel according to the information. As the added fuel burns in the combustion chamber 43, air is drawn in through the inlets 42, 42, and the gap at the upper rear of the stove body 41 becomes the exhaust port 46, creating an airflow within the combustion chamber 43. This enhances the combustion effect and optimally heats the inner pot 21. The detection and notification unit 30 uses the steam sensor 31 to measure the amount of steam in the inner pot 21.

[0052] Based on the amount of steam measured by the steam sensor 31, the control unit 32 sequentially generates information on the cooking performed by the user, displays it on the display unit 35, and transmits it to the external device 50.

[0053] The user can easily cook by simply acting based on the information displayed in sequence. Then, the steam volume measurement and information display are repeated, and when cooking is finally completed, a message indicating that cooking is complete is displayed on the display unit 35 and / or the display screen 51.

[0054] After cooking is complete, the lid 23 can be removed to remove the food.

[0055] In the above description, the control unit 32 of the detection and notification unit 30 processes the amount of steam and information about the next cooking operation performed by the user and transmits it to the external device 50. However, the detection and notification unit 30 may transmit the amount of steam to the external device 50, and the external device 50 may generate and display information about the next cooking operation performed by the user using application software. In this case, the external device 50 constitutes part of the control unit 32 of the detection and notification unit 30 and a notification unit.

[0056] According to the present invention, the detection and notification unit 30 measures the amount of steam in the inner pot 21 and appropriately displays information for the user to follow during cooking in response to that amount of steam, allowing even inexperienced users to cook successfully. In particular, in a stove apparatus 40 with two fuel inlets 42, 42, notification of which fuel inlet 42 to add fuel to can prevent users from repeatedly adding fuel to the same fuel inlet 42. Furthermore, although the heat and combustion time vary depending on the type and size of fuel, notification of the timing of addition can reduce cooking errors.

[0057] The heating power decreases before the fuel burns out in the combustion chamber 43. This decrease in heating power may be detected as a temperature gradient by the steam sensor 31, and the control unit 32 may transmit the timing of fuel introduction to the display unit 35 or the external device 50. [Example]

[0058] A cooking stove device 40 shown in Figures 4 to 6 was fabricated, and rice was cooked. A 5-cup rice cooker used in an electric rice cooker was used as the inner pot 21, and 3 cups of rice were placed in the inner pot 21 together with water (initial water temperature 20°C), and the inner pot 21 was covered with the lid 23 equipped with the detection and notification unit 30. Note that all values ​​are examples and do not limit the present invention.

[0059] Four types of fuel were used: newspaper (a double-page spread cut in half was counted as one sheet: weight 9.2g / sheet), cardboard (single flute light, 90mm x 130mm: weight 8.9g / sheet), cardboard (double flute, 90mm x 130mm: weight 10.5g / sheet), and cardboard (single flute heavy, 90mm x 130mm: weight 14.7g / sheet).

[0060] After fuel is added to each stove device 40 and ignited, when the amount of steam (temperature) in the inner pot 21 detected by the steam sensor 31 reaches a predetermined temperature, the display unit 35 lights up and an instruction to add fuel is displayed on the external device 50. Then, by adding fuel in order according to the display, rice can be cooked.

[0061] The fuel showed the fastest temperature rise and boiling was detected in the following order: single-flute heavy corrugated cardboard, double-flute, single-flute light, and newspaper. After boiling was detected, a fuel addition timing was displayed on the display unit 35 and external device 50, respectively, to maintain the heat and continue boiling. The number of times that the fuel addition instruction was displayed on the display unit 35 and external device 50 was the most frequent for newspaper, followed by single-flute light, double-flute, and single-flute heavy.

[0062] The above description is for the purpose of explaining the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the invention described in the claims or narrowing its scope. Furthermore, the configuration of each part of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the technical scope described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 10 Cooking System 20 Cooking Containers 21 Inner pot 23 Lid 30 Detection and alarm unit 31 Steam sensor 32 Control section 33 Storage section 34 Communication Module 35 Notification unit (display unit) 37 Battery 38 Casing 40 Furnace Device 41 Furnace body 42 Inlet 43 Combustion chamber 50 External Devices

Claims

1. a cooking container in which food is stored; a detection and notification unit that displays information for a user to perform cooking in response to the amount of steam in the cooking container; A cooking system comprising: The detection and notification unit a steam sensor that detects steam in the cooking vessel; a storage unit that stores the amount of steam measured by the steam sensor and the information corresponding to the amount of steam; a notification unit that notifies a user of the information; a control unit that receives the amount of steam measured by the steam sensor, acquires the information corresponding to the amount of steam from the storage unit, and notifies the information by the notification unit; Including, Cooking system.

2. The detection and notification unit has a communication module and transmits the information to an external device. The cooking system of claim 1 .

3. The cooking container has an inner pot in which the food to be cooked is accommodated and a lid that covers the inner pot, The detection and notification unit is attached to the lid so that the steam sensor is exposed inside the inner pot when the lid is covering the inner pot. The cooking system of claim 2 .

4. When the detection / notification unit is attached to the lid, a part of the casing is positioned outside the lid and forms a handle with which a user can grasp the lid. The cooking system of claim 3 .

5. The notification unit is a display unit that displays the information and is disposed on the handle. The cooking system of claim 4.

6. The inner pot is accommodated in a furnace body having a bottomed cylindrical combustion chamber for burning fuel and a fuel inlet port that also serves as an air inlet penetrating through the furnace body to form a furnace device; The information includes a timing for the user to add fuel to the fuel inlet. The cooking system of claim 5 .

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