Heat cooker

Abstract

To provide a heat cooker that can increase the degree of freedom of an arrangement position of an estimation unit that estimates an object to be cooked.SOLUTION: A heat cooker includes: an imaging unit for imaging a cooking chamber for accommodating an object to be cooked; a first substrate provided with at least the imaging unit and a first control unit for controlling the imaging unit; and a second substrate provided with at least an estimation unit for estimating the object to be cooked on the basis of an imaging result by the imaging unit. The first substrate and the second substrate are installed to positions that are separated via a first wiring part and the second substrate is installed in a position that is less affected by heat than the first substrate when the object to be cooked is heated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD An embodiment of the present invention relates to a cooking device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in a cooking appliance (such as an oven range), there is a technique for identifying an item to be cooked by image recognition from an image captured inside the cooking chamber, and controlling the cooking section based on cooking conditions that have been preset for the identified item.

[0003] In addition, in recent years, cooking appliances have been proposed that have an estimation unit that estimates the food to be cooked in the cooking chamber using captured images of the cooking chamber and a trained model. In this case, the trained model is created in advance by learning using training image data of the food to be cooked as training data. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-053794 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-109554 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, as described above, providing an estimation unit that estimates the food to be cooked in a cooking appliance presents the following problems. First, the imaging unit (e.g., a camera) must be able to capture images of the food placed in the cooking chamber, so it is placed in a position above the cooking chamber (e.g., on the top or above the side). Therefore, the imaging unit is exposed to a high-temperature environment, but this is not a problem because predetermined heat-resistant measures are taken.

[0006] However, in general, the components that make up the estimation unit are not as heat-resistant as the imaging unit, which has been designed with heat-resistant measures, so if they are placed near the imaging unit, they are susceptible to the heat of the cooking appliance.

[0007] It is also possible to provide the estimation unit on the main circuit board, which is installed in a location in the cooking appliance that is less susceptible to heat. However, in this case, data would be sent directly from the imaging unit to the main circuit board, which would increase the transmission distance and make it more susceptible to noise, and in some cases would be impossible to achieve due to various restrictions on the transmission distance.

[0008] Therefore, an object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a cooking device that can increase the degree of freedom in the placement position of an estimation unit that estimates the food to be cooked. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The heating cooker of this embodiment comprises a first board on which at least an imaging unit that images a cooking chamber containing the food to be cooked, the imaging unit, and a first control unit that controls the imaging unit are provided, and a second board on which at least an estimation unit that estimates the food to be cooked based on the imaging results of the imaging unit is provided, and is characterized in that the first board and the second board are provided at positions separated by a first wiring unit, and the second board is provided at a position where it is less affected by heat when the food to be cooked is heated than the first board. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cooking device that can increase the degree of freedom in the placement position of an estimation unit that estimates the food to be cooked. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the appearance of the microwave oven according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a partially transparent perspective view of the microwave oven of FIG. 1 with the door and cabinet removed. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of the microwave oven of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a view of the microwave oven of FIG. 1 as seen from the front with the cabinet and oven back panel removed. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the microwave generator and its surrounding essential parts as seen from the side of the microwave oven shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of the main body of the microwave oven of FIG. [Figure 7] 7A is a partially see-through perspective view of the sensor unit as seen diagonally from the front right, and FIG. 7B is a partially see-through perspective view of the sensor unit as seen diagonally from the rear right, in the microwave oven of FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the microwave oven of FIG. 1 with the door removed, viewed from the lower left. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a side view of the internal structure of the microwave oven of FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the main electrical configuration of the microwave oven of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a cooking device of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Common parts throughout the drawings will be designated by common reference numerals.

[0013] First, the overall configuration of the microwave oven will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is an external perspective view of the microwave oven of the embodiment. Figure 2 is a partially transparent perspective view of the microwave oven of Figure 1 with the door and cabinet removed.

[0014] The main body 1 is configured in a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape and includes a metal cabinet 2. The cabinet 2 is a member that covers the outer shell of the oven range that will be the product. A door 3 is provided on the front of the main body 1 and can be opened and closed freely.

[0015] A handle 4 for opening and closing the vertically opening door 3 is provided at the top of the door 3. An operation panel unit 5 for display, notification and operation is provided on the side of the door 3. The operation panel unit 5 includes a display means 6 and an operation means 7.

[0016] The display means 6 displays the cooking settings, progress, etc. The operation means 7 is a means for enabling various operation inputs related to cooking, and is, for example, a button or a touch panel.

[0017] Inside the door 3, behind the operation panel unit 5, there is arranged an operation panel PC (printed circuit) board (not shown) for controlling the display means 6, operation means 7, etc.

[0018] A water supply cassette 8 and a water receiver 9 are disposed at the bottom of the main body 1, and can be attached and detached from the front of the main body 1. The water supply cassette 8 is a bottomed container that holds liquid water and is a supply source for steam that is sprayed from the steam supply device 43, which will be described later. The water receiver 9 is also a bottomed container that receives food debris, water droplets, steam, etc. from the main body 1.

[0019] Below, reference will be made to Figures 3 and beyond as appropriate. Cabinet 2, which forms the left and right side surfaces and top surface of main body 1, is provided between oven front plate 12, which forms the front surface of main body 1, and oven rear plate 13, which forms the rear surface of main body 1, so as to cover oven bottom plate 11 (Figure 3), which forms the bottom surface of main body 1 and therefore the oven range. Main body 1 also has cooking chamber 14, which contains food to be cooked, and thermistor 15 (Figures 3 and 4), which has a temperature detection element that detects the temperature of cooking chamber 14.

[0020] The front of cooking chamber 14 reaches oven front panel 12 and is open to allow food to be placed in and removed, with this opening being opened and closed by door 3. A thermistor 15, which is an internal temperature detection means, is disposed inside cooking chamber 14 near door 3. A fan intake 10 (FIG. 1) is provided on the side of cabinet 2 at a location opposite a cooling fan 53 (FIG. 7(A)), which will be described later.

[0021] The peripheral walls that form the inner surface of cooking chamber 14 are made up of ceiling wall 14a, bottom wall 14b, left side wall 14c, right side wall 14d, and rear wall 14e. Rear wall 14e of cooking chamber 14 has air inlet 16 (Fig. 4) at its center and multiple air outlets 17 (Fig. 4) around air inlet 16.

[0022] Furthermore, an upper heater 18 (FIGS. 2, 3, 8, and 9) for grilling that radiates heat to food to be cooked from above the cooking chamber 14 is provided on the top of the main body 1, facing the dome-shaped ceiling wall 14a that forms the upper wall surface of the cooking chamber 14. Furthermore, a microwave generator 19 (FIGS. 3 and 5) including a magnetron is provided on the bottom of the main body 1 to supply microwaves, which are radio waves, into the cooking chamber 14. As a result, food to be cooked placed in the cooking chamber 14 is grill-heated from above by heat radiation when power is applied to the upper heater 18, and microwaves are radiated to the food to be cooked placed in the cooking chamber 14 when power is applied to the microwave generator 19, thereby heating the food in the microwave oven.

[0023] Note that the ceiling wall 14a may have a curvature only in a portion thereof, and a sensor window 70 (FIG. 8), which will be described later, may be provided at a position defined by the curvature of the ceiling wall 14a. In addition, the present embodiment is not limited to a configuration in which the ceiling wall 14a has a curvature, and may have a configuration in which the ceiling wall 14a is formed in a mountain shape with an inclined portion, for example, and the sensor window 70 is provided at the inclined portion of the ceiling wall 14a.

[0024] A sensor window 70 (see FIG. 8) for the infrared sensor 57 is formed near the right side wall 14d on the top surface, which is the outer surface of the ceiling wall 14a serving as the upper part of the cooking chamber 14, and a detection unit 57-1 of the infrared sensor 57 is disposed on the upper part of the main body 1 opposite this sensor window 70. The sensor window 70 may also be formed on the side surface, which is the outer surface of the right side wall 14d serving as the side part of the cooking chamber 14. In this case, the detection unit 57-1 of the infrared sensor 57 is disposed on the side of the main body 1 opposite the sensor window 70.

[0025] A pair of shelf supports 22 are provided on two levels, one above the other, on the left side wall 14c and the other on the right side wall 14d of the cooking chamber 14 to store and hold metal square plates (not shown) in a suspended state inside the cooking chamber 14. When using the microwave generator 19 described above for microwave heating, the food to be cooked can be placed in a microwaveable container (not shown) and cooked inside the cooking chamber 14 without placing a square plate or the like inside the cooking chamber 14.

[0026] Hot air unit 24 (Figs. 3 and 6) for heating the oven is disposed inside main body 1, extending from the rear exterior of cooking chamber 14 downward. Hot air unit 24 is a heating means for the food to be cooked and is generally composed of a convex casing 26 attached to rear wall 14e, a hot air heater 27 that heats the air, a hot air fan 28 that sends the heated air into cooking chamber 14 and circulates it, an electric hot air motor 29 that rotates hot air fan 28 in a predetermined direction, and a transmission mechanism 30 that transmits the driving force from hot air motor 29 to hot air fan 28.

[0027] A hot air heater 27 and a hot air fan 28 are disposed in a heating chamber 31 (Fig. 3) formed outside and rearward of the cooking chamber 14 as an internal space between the rear wall 14e and the casing 26. A hot air motor 29 is disposed in a lower space 32 (Fig. 3) formed inside the main body 1 between the cooking chamber 14 and the oven bottom plate 11. An oven rear plate 13 is disposed at the rear of the main body 1 so as to cover the entire hot air unit 24 from the outside rear.

[0028] Hot air fan 28 is a centrifugal fan that takes in air in the axial direction and expels it in a radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction due to centrifugal force generated when it rotates. Tubular hot air heater 27 is arranged to surround hot air fan 28 in the radial direction. Hot air heater 27, which also serves as a heat-generating unit, can be realized by, for example, a sheath heater, mica heater, quartz tube heater, or halogen heater. The aforementioned air inlet 16 (FIG. 4) and air outlet 17 (FIG. 4) function as ventilation sections that connect cooking chamber 14 and heating chamber 31.

[0029] When hot air motor 29 is energized and hot air fan 28 is driven to rotate, air is sucked in from inside cooking chamber 14 through intake port 16 and blown out in the radial direction of hot air fan 28, where it is heated by energized hot air heater 27, and the hot air passes through outlet port 17 and is supplied into cooking chamber 14. This forms a path for circulating hot air inside and outside cooking chamber 14, allowing food to be cooked in cooking chamber 14 to be heated by hot air convection.

[0030] Next, microwave generator 19 (Figs. 3 and 5) as microwave heating means for heating food to be cooked and its surrounding detailed structure will be described. Bottom wall 14b of cooking chamber 14 is formed by covering the upper opening of concave antenna housing section 35 (Fig. 5) formed in metal plate 34 with bottom plate 36 (Figs. 2 and 5) that is permeable to microwaves, such as a ceramic plate. Metal plate 34 (Figs. 2 and 5), which is impermeable to microwaves, forms not only the periphery of bottom wall 14b but also integrally with left wall 14c, right wall 14d, and rear wall 14e, and all of the inner surfaces of cooking chamber 14 except for bottom plate 36, are made of a material that is impermeable to microwaves.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 5, the microwave generator 19 is mainly composed of a magnetron (not shown) that serves as a microwave supply source, as well as a waveguide 37, an antenna motor 38, an antenna holder 39, a cylindrical cable shaft 40, and an antenna 41 in the lower space 32 inside the main body 1.

[0032] Waveguide 37 guides microwaves generated by the magnetron to directly below antenna housing section 35. Antenna motor 38 is disposed below waveguide 37. Antenna holder 39 has its lower end disposed inside waveguide 37 and attached and fixed to the rotation shaft of antenna motor 38. Cylindrical cable shaft 40 is inserted and fixed inside antenna holder 39. Antenna 41 has the upper end of cable shaft 40 attached and fixed to the center of antenna 41, and is provided rotatably inside antenna housing section 35.

[0033] Furthermore, when the top opening of the antenna storage section 35 is closed by the bottom plate 36, the entire antenna 41 is positioned parallel to the flat bottom plate 36 that forms the bottom wall 14b of the cooking chamber 14, facing the flat bottom plate 36.

[0034] The steam supply device 43 (Figure 3) that sends steam into the cooking chamber 14 includes, in addition to the water supply cassette 8 described above, a nozzle 45 (Figure 6) that turns the supplied liquid water into a mist, a water supply pipe 46 (Figure 6) that connects between the water supply cassette 8 and the nozzle 45, a water supply pump 47 (Figure 6) that directs water from the water supply cassette 8 to the nozzle 45, and a plurality of steam ejection holes 44 (Figures 3 and 6) that communicate with the inside of the nozzle 45.

[0035] As a result, when steam supply device 43 is operating, water from water supply cassette 8 is sent to nozzle 45 by water supply pump 47, and the water supplied by nozzle 45 is turned into mist and supplied into cooking chamber 14 through steam outlet 44. At this time, if the temperature inside cooking chamber 14 is higher than 100°C at atmospheric pressure (hereinafter, temperature values ​​will be referred to as temperature values ​​in Celsius at atmospheric pressure), this water vapor instantly evaporates inside cooking chamber 14 and becomes superheated steam, so that food placed in cooking chamber 14 is heated quickly and evenly with the appropriate amount of water molecules (superheated steam).

[0036] Sensor unit 51 (FIGS. 2 and 7) includes an infrared sensor 57 that detects the temperature of the food to be cooked, and a cooling fan 53. Sensor unit 51 is mainly composed of an infrared sensor assembly 52, cooling fan 53, and a holding member 54.

[0037] The infrared sensor assembly 52 is mainly composed of a lower sensor case 55, an upper sensor case 56, and an infrared sensor 57, and the lower sensor case 55 and the upper sensor case 56 cover the outer periphery of the infrared sensor 57. Therefore, the lower sensor case 55 and the upper sensor case 56 also function as a housing section that houses the infrared sensor 57.

[0038] For example, the lower sensor case 55 and the upper sensor case 56 are made of resin, but are not limited to this. Then, with the infrared sensor 57 housed inside the upper sensor case 56 and the lower sensor case 55, the lower sensor case 55 and the upper sensor case 56 are connected with screws 58, thereby sandwiching the infrared sensor 57 between the lower sensor case 55 and the upper sensor case 56. Therefore, the lower sensor case 55 and the upper sensor case 56 act as a substantially rectangular parallelepiped sensor case for the infrared sensor 57. The infrared sensor 57 has a detection unit 57-1 that protrudes in a substantially hemispherical shape and a substrate on which the detection unit 57-1 is mounted, and the substrate is electrically connected to control means 81 (see FIG. 10) via wiring (not shown).

[0039] In this embodiment, cooling fan 53 serving as air blowing means is a centrifugal fan. When cooling fan 53 is driven, it takes in air from outside main body 1 through fan intake port 10 and blows out the air. The air from cooling fan 53 passes through holding member 54 and is blown to infrared sensor 57 of infrared sensor assembly 52. ​​After cooling infrared sensor 57, the air is exhausted to the outside of the apparatus through exhaust air duct 76, as described below.

[0040] The retaining member 54 is made of resin and is mainly composed of a fan accommodating portion 61, a retaining portion 62, a transition portion 63, and a fixing screw fastening portion 64 formed to extend downward from the fan accommodating portion 61.

[0041] The fan housing 61 holds the cooling fan 53 by housing it therein, and in this embodiment, the shape of the inner bottom of the fan housing 61 is formed to be substantially the same shape as the bottom 61-1 of the cooling fan 53, and the cooling fan 53 is fixed to this bottom 61-1 with screws. The fan housing 61 also has a cylindrical portion 61-2 extending laterally from the bottom 61-1, and an end of the cylindrical portion 61-2 extends outward to form a flange portion 61-3. A gasket 61-4 made of an elastic material such as sponge and having substantially the same shape as the flange portion 61-3 in a top view is attached to the flange portion 61-3.

[0042] The holding portion 62 is a member that holds the infrared sensor assembly 52, and in this embodiment, it is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration and may be any member that holds the infrared sensor assembly 52. ​​For example, the holding portion 62 may have no left or right side walls. The upper surface of the holding portion 62 is formed with a downwardly projecting protrusion 62-1 and a hole 62-2, and the inner surface of the lower surface of the holding portion 62 is formed with a downwardly recessed groove 62-3. The protrusion 62-1 corresponds to the groove 56-2 of the sensor case upper portion 56. The infrared sensor assembly 52 is inserted into the holding portion 62 by inserting and fitting the protrusion 62-1 as a convex portion into the groove 56-2 as a concave portion, thereby allowing the infrared sensor assembly 52 to be inserted into the holding portion 62 with the top-bottom and front-to-back orientation correct.

[0043] Inside the transition portion 63, air rectification plates 63-1 and 63-2 are provided, which extend vertically from the bottom of the transition portion 63 to the ceiling portion.

[0044] The fixing screw fastening portion 64 has through holes 72, 72 into which fixing screws 71, 71 can be inserted, and the fixing screw fastening portion 64 and the side portion are fastened together with the screws 71, 71 to fix the holding member 54, i.e., the sensor unit 51, to the side portion.

[0045] The heat shield 75 (Figure 2) is made of metal and specifically blocks radiant heat from the upper heater 18. It has a horizontal C-shaped cross section and is provided on the ceiling of the cooking chamber 14 so as to cover the area above the upper heater 18 from near the oven front plate 12 to near the oven rear plate 13.

[0046] Next, explanation will be made mainly with reference to Figure 9. Figure 9 is a side view of the internal structure of the microwave oven in Figure 1. Note that Figure 9 shows the approximate positions of upper heater 18 and hot air fan 28, which are the heat sources described above.

[0047] The first board 101 is provided with at least a camera 102 that captures images of the cooking chamber 14 and a camera control unit 103 (FIG. 10) that controls the camera 102. The camera control unit 103 controls the camera 102 in response to an instruction signal from the control means 81. The second board 111 is provided with at least an estimation unit 112 that estimates the food to be cooked based on the image captured by the camera 102. The camera 102 is an example of an imaging unit. The camera control unit 103 is an example of a first control unit.

[0048] First substrate 101 and second substrate 111 are provided at positions spaced apart via first wiring portion 121. Second substrate 111 is provided at a position less affected by heat than first substrate 101 when the food is heated. Specifically, for example, camera 102 and first substrate 101 are provided at positions above cooking chamber 14. Second substrate 111 is provided at a position lower than first substrate 101, as an example of a position less affected by heat than first substrate 101 when the food is heated.

[0049] The cooking device further includes a third board 141 on which at least a control means 81 (see FIG. 10) is provided that controls the heating parts of the cooking device (i.e., the above-mentioned upper heater 18, hot air heater 27, hot air fan 28, hot air motor 29, etc.). The second board 111 and the third board 141 are provided at positions spaced apart via a second wiring part 122. Specifically, the second board 111 is provided at a position above the third board 141. The control means 81 is an example of a second control part.

[0050] Furthermore, the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 111 are cooled by, for example, different cooling units. Specifically, for example, the first substrate 101 is cooled together with the infrared sensor 57 (FIGS. 7 and 8) by a cooling fan 53 (FIG. 7) for cooling the infrared sensor 57. For example, a cooling fan for cooling the second substrate 111 is installed separately.

[0051] As described above, cooking chamber 14 is provided with sensor window 70 (detection window: FIG. 8) that faces infrared sensor 57 provided outside cooking chamber 14. Camera 102 is provided outside cooking chamber 14 and captures images of cooking chamber 14 through sensor window 70.

[0052] Furthermore, the camera 102 and the infrared sensor 57 are cooled by, for example, a cooling fan 53 (the same cooling unit).

[0053] Also, a cooling unit may be provided that cools the first wiring portion 121 and the second wiring portion 122. This cooling unit may be, for example, a cooling fan 53, which may be configured to send cooling air to the first wiring portion 121 and the second wiring portion 122. Also, the cooling unit may be a separately installed cooling fan.

[0054] In addition, the estimation unit 112 estimates the food to be cooked placed in the cooking chamber 14 using the image capture results from the camera 102 and a trained model that has been created in advance by learning using training image data about the food to be cooked as teacher data.

[0055] Figure 10 is a block diagram showing the main electrical configuration of the microwave oven in Figure 1. The control means 81 is made up of, for example, a microcomputer, and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) as an arithmetic processing means, a memory as a storage means, a timer as a timing means, an input / output device, etc.

[0056] In addition to the operation means 7, infrared sensor 57, and thermistor 15, the input port of the control means 81 is electrically connected to hot air motor rotation detection means 83 that detects the rotation speed of the hot air fan 28, door open / close detection means 84 that detects the open / close state of the door 3, antenna position detection means 85 that detects the origin position of the antenna 41 of the microwave generator 19, and second board 111. As described above with reference to Figure 9, the first board 101 is connected to the second board 111 via the first wiring part 121.

[0057] In addition to the display means 6, the output port of the control means 81 is electrically connected to microwave heating means 88, heater driving means 89, antenna driving means 90, hot air motor driving means 91, pump driving means 93, cooling fan driving means 94, and camera control unit 103.

[0058] The microwave heating means 88 includes a magnetron and its driving means. The heater driving means 89 is a relay or the like that turns on and off the upper heater 18 for grill heating and the hot air heater 27 for oven heating. The antenna driving means 90 operates the antenna motor 38 that rotates the antenna 41 that radiates microwaves into the cooking chamber 14.

[0059] The hot air motor driving means 91 drives and rotates the hot air motor 29. The pump driving means 93 operates the water supply pump 47 of the steam supply device 43. The cooling fan driving means 94 operates the fan motor that drives and rotates the cooling fan 53.

[0060] The control means 81 receives operation signals from the operation means 7 and detection signals from the infrared sensor 57, thermistor 15, hot air motor rotation detection means 83, door open / close detection means 84, antenna position detection means 85, and second board 111. The control means 81 has the function of outputting drive control signals to the microwave heating means 88, antenna drive means 90, heater drive means 89, hot air motor drive means 91, pump drive means 93, and cooling fan drive means 94 at predetermined timing based on the timekeeping from the clocking means, and also outputs display control signals to the display means 6.

[0061] For example, when the control means 81 receives an operation signal associated with the operation of the operating means 7 and determines that the door 3 is closed based on a detection signal from the door open / close detection means 84, the control means 81 sends control signals to the microwave heating means 88, antenna driving means 90, heater driving means 89, hot air motor driving means 91, and pump driving means 93 in response to the operation signal to control various heating and cooking operations for the food to be cooked, and sends a control signal to the cooling fan driving means 94 to control cooling operations for the infrared sensor 57, second board 111, etc. Also, for example, the control means 81 controls the display operations of the display means 6. Also, for example, when an image needs to be captured by the camera 102, the control means 81 sends an instruction signal to the camera control unit 103. In response to this, the camera control unit 103 controls the camera 102, causing the camera 102 to capture an image of the cooking chamber 14.

[0062] Next, the operation of the oven range configured as described above will be explained in detail. With food to be cooked placed in cooking chamber 14, door 3 is closed while gripping handle 4, a cooking menu is selected using operating means 7, and a command is given to start cooking the food. A control signal generated in accordance with the selected cooking menu is output from the output port of control means 81 at a predetermined timing, and the food is cooked.

[0063] Here, for example, when a cooking menu for microwave heating is selected, control means 81 receives detection signals from infrared sensor 57 and thermistor 15, and sends control signals to microwave heating means 88 and antenna driving means 90 so that the food to be cooked is heated to the set temperature. As a result, microwave generator 19 is energized and supplies and radiates microwaves, and the rotational force generated in antenna motor 38 is transmitted to antenna 41, driving it to rotate, radiating microwaves into cooking chamber 14, and the food to be cooked placed on bottom wall 14b is heated in the microwave.

[0064] Furthermore, when the oven heating menu is selected, control means 81 receives a detection signal from thermistor 15 and sends control signals to heater drive means 89 and hot air motor drive means 91, respectively, to control the energization and de-energization of hot air heater 27 and hot air motor 29 so that cooking chamber 14 is heated to the set temperature. As a result, the rotational force generated in hot air motor 29 is transmitted to hot air fan 28, causing hot air fan 28 to rotate inside heating chamber 31, and the hot air motor rotation detection means 83 captures the rotation speed in control means 81. At the same time, air sucked into heating chamber 31 from cooking chamber 14 through intake port 16 is sent toward energized hot air heater 27, and the heated air is supplied to cooking chamber 14 through outlet port 17 as hot air. As a result, the food to be cooked in cooking chamber 14 is heated by hot air convection.

[0065] When the grill cooking menu is selected, the control means 81 receives a detection signal from the thermistor 15 and controls the heater driving means 89 to turn on and off the upper heater 18 so that the cooking chamber 14 is heated to the set temperature, and the food to be cooked in the cooking chamber 14 is grill-heated from above.

[0066] Furthermore, when a menu item for steam cooking using superheated steam is selected, control means 81 receives a detection signal from thermistor 15 and controls heater drive means 89 to turn on or off upper heater 18 so that cooking chamber 14 is heated to the set temperature. When control means 81 determines that the temperature inside cooking chamber 14 has reached the set temperature, it sends a control signal to pump drive means 93, which controls the operation of water supply pump 47 incorporated in steam supply device 43, and sprays mist-like water from steam outlet holes 44 into cooking chamber 14 to supply steam.

[0067] When steam is supplied into cooking chamber 14, the temperature inside cooking chamber 14 drops. Control means 81 determines whether the temperature inside cooking chamber 14 has reached the set temperature based on a detection signal from thermistor 15, and if control means 81 determines that the temperature has not reached the set temperature, control means 81 controls the heater drive means 89 to turn on or off upper heater 18 so that the inside of cooking chamber 14 is heated to the set temperature. Then, if control means 81 determines that the temperature inside cooking chamber 14 has reached the set temperature, mist-like water is sprayed into cooking chamber 14 as described above to supply steam again. This causes the steam to instantly vaporize into superheated steam, and the food to be cooked in cooking chamber 14 is heated with the appropriate amount of water molecules (superheated steam).

[0068] During the above-described operations, the following operations can also be performed. Camera 102 captures an image of the food placed in cooking chamber 14. Estimation unit 112 estimates the food using the image captured by camera 102 and the trained model described above. Then, it controls the cooking unit based on cooking conditions preset for the estimated food. In this case, cooking begins when the user operates the start button.

[0069] As described above, according to the cooking device of this embodiment, the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 111 are provided at positions separated by the first wiring part 121, and the second substrate 111 is provided at a position less affected by heat when the food is heated than the first substrate 101. This makes it possible to suppress the effect of heat on the estimating part 112 when the food is heated, thereby increasing the degree of freedom in the positioning of the estimating part 112. Therefore, for example, materials with a lower heat resistance temperature can be used as the materials for the second substrate 111 and the estimating part 112.

[0070] Furthermore, if the estimation unit 112 were provided on the third substrate 141, the distance from the camera 102 to the estimation unit 112 would be long, but compared to that case, the length of the first wiring unit 121 from the camera 102 to the estimation unit 112 can be made shorter. The length of the first wiring unit 121 may be, for example, about 20 to 40 cm, but is not limited to this, and can be determined appropriately depending on the data transmission distance that is less susceptible to the effects of noise, length conditions defined by standards, and the like.

[0071] Furthermore, by providing second substrate 111 and third substrate 141 at positions spaced apart via second wiring section 122, the degree of freedom in the placement position of estimation section 112 (second substrate 111) can be increased. Note that the data transmitted from second substrate 111 to third substrate 141 is small information such as the estimation result of the food to be cooked (for example, a code corresponding to the food), so there are fewer restrictions on the length of second wiring section 122 compared to first wiring section 121 (it does not matter if it is long). Note that third substrate 141, which includes control means 81, is subject to significant restrictions on its placement position and cannot be moved freely.

[0072] Note that the oven range reaches a higher temperature when using hot air unit 24 for oven heating or upper heater 18 for grill heating than when using microwave generator 19 for microwave heating. Taking this into consideration, the installation position of second board 111 can be determined so that second board 111 (estimation unit 112) is less susceptible to the effects of heat than first board 101. As an example, camera 102 and first board 101 can be installed in positions above cooking chamber 14, and second board 111 can be installed in a position lower than first board 101. This can make it possible to prevent estimation unit 112 from being less susceptible to the effects of heat.

[0073] Furthermore, by providing second substrate 111 at a position higher than third substrate 141, it is possible to shorten first wiring portion 121 (for example, a flat cable) connecting first substrate 101 and second substrate 111. This makes it possible to reduce the influence of noise on data transmission from first substrate 101 to second substrate 111.

[0074] Furthermore, if the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 111 are cooled by different cooling units, the cooling performance of the estimation unit 112 (second substrate 111) can be further improved.

[0075] Furthermore, by using the sensor window 70 as a detection window facing the camera 102 and the infrared sensor 57 in common, a simple configuration can be achieved, and manufacturing efforts and costs can be reduced.

[0076] Furthermore, by cooling the camera 102 and the infrared sensor 57 using the same cooling unit, a simple configuration can be achieved, and manufacturing efforts and costs can be reduced.

[0077] Furthermore, by providing a cooling section for cooling the first wiring section 121 and the second wiring section 122, it is possible to cool them, which is more preferable.

[0078] Furthermore, the estimation unit 112 estimates the food placed in the cooking chamber 14 using the captured image and the trained model, thereby achieving highly accurate estimation.

[0079] Furthermore, the programs executed by the camera control unit 103, the estimation unit 112, and the control means 81 of this embodiment can be provided by being recorded in an installable or executable file format on a recording medium readable by a computer device, such as a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM (Read Only Memory), a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R (Recordable), or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk). Furthermore, the programs may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

[0080] Furthermore, each or part of the camera control unit 103, estimation unit 112, and control means 81 of this embodiment can also be realized by a hardware circuit such as an electronic circuit.

[0081] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This novel embodiment can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. This embodiment and its modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1 Main unit 14 Galley 18 Upper heater 27 Hot air heater 28 Hot air fan 29 Hot air motor 53 Cooling fan 57 Infrared sensor (temperature detection part) 70 Sensor window (detection window) 81 control means (second control unit) 101 First board 102 Camera (imaging unit) 103 camera control unit (first control unit) 111 Second board 112 Estimation Department 121 1st wiring section 122 2nd wiring section 141 Third board

Claims

1. an imaging unit that images a cooking chamber that accommodates food to be cooked; a first substrate on which at least the imaging unit and a first control unit that controls the imaging unit are provided; A second substrate on which at least an estimation unit that estimates the food to be cooked based on the imaging result of the imaging unit is provided, A heating cooker characterized in that the first substrate and the second substrate are arranged at positions spaced apart via a first wiring section, and the second substrate is arranged at a position where it is less affected by heat when heating the food to be cooked than the first substrate.

2. Further comprising a third substrate on which at least a second control unit that controls the heating unit of the cooking device is provided, The cooking device according to claim 1 , wherein the second substrate and the third substrate are provided at positions spaced apart from each other via a second wiring portion.

3. The imaging unit and the first board are provided at positions above the cooking chamber, The cooking device according to claim 2 , wherein the second substrate is provided at a position lower than the first substrate.

4. The cooking device according to claim 3 , wherein the second substrate is provided at a position higher than the third substrate.

5. The cooking device according to claim 1 , wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are cooled by different cooling units.

6. Further provided with a temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the food to be cooked, The cooking chamber is provided with a detection window through which the temperature detection unit provided outside the cooking chamber faces, The cooking device according to claim 1 , wherein the imaging unit is provided outside the cooking chamber and captures an image of the cooking chamber through the detection window.

7. The cooking device according to claim 6, wherein the imaging unit and the temperature detection unit are cooled by the same cooling unit.

8. The cooking device according to claim 2 , further comprising a cooling unit that cools the first wiring unit and the second wiring unit.

9. The heating cooker according to claim 1, characterized in that the estimation unit estimates the food to be cooked contained in the cooking chamber using a trained model created in advance by learning using the imaging results and training image data about the food to be cooked as teacher data.

Images