Cooking device

Abstract

To provide a heating cooker capable of securing visibility of operation information, while restraining reduction in design performance of an appearance of equipment.SOLUTION: An example of the heating cooker has a microwave cooking function. The heating cooker includes a main body, a door, and an operation unit. The main body part is provided with a heating chamber capable of storing an object to be heated and having an opening part on the front face side. The door is openable and closable with respect to the opening. The operation unit sets an operation of the microwave cooking function. The door part is formed with an observation window through which the inside of the heating chamber is visible in a closed state of the door part, operation information to be input to the operation part is formed by the heat-resistant paint at a position that is at least a part outside a formation region of the observation window and faces a user in an open state of the door part, and the operation part receives an operation by an input of the operation information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, cooking appliances that heat and cook food or other objects placed in a heating chamber (cooking chamber) have been known. Cooking functions include an oven cooking function that heats the object with hot air, a grill cooking function that heats the object with heat from a heater, a range cooking function that cooks the object by irradiating it with microwaves, and a steam cooking function that heats the object with superheated steam. Some cooking appliances have one of these functions or multiple functions. Some cooking appliances have cooking programs prepared in advance as operation information (operation menus, cooking menus, etc.) that include heating methods and heating times for the object. The operation information may be displayed (written), for example, on the surface of the door of the cooking appliance or on the bottom of the heating chamber. A user of the cooking appliance selects operation information according to the purpose of cooking and inputs the operation information into an operation unit to perform cooking using the cooking appliance. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-139708 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-345090 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-327675 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, if the display (indication) of the operation information is placed on the surface of the door, as in the conventional technology, it may be undesirable as it can reduce the design aesthetic. Furthermore, if the display (indication) of the operation information is placed on the bottom surface of the heating chamber, while it can avoid affecting the design aesthetic of the cooking appliance's exterior, it may reduce the visibility of the operation information. For example, food or ingredients to be heated may be placed on individual plates in the heating chamber. Furthermore, a plate-shaped square plate (grill plate) may be placed in the heating chamber. The square plate is used to directly place ingredients or to hold individual plates containing ingredients. As a result, the operation information displayed (indicated) on the bottom of the heating chamber may be covered by the individual plate or square plate, which may reduce visibility. Furthermore, the heating chamber is often soiled due to overflow of ingredients during cooking. In this case, if the operation information is displayed (indicated) on the bottom surface of the heating chamber, it may be obscured by the dirt, which may reduce visibility.

[0005] One example of a problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a cooking appliance that can prevent a decrease in the design of the appliance's appearance and ensure the visibility of operation information. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A cooking device according to one embodiment of the present invention has a microwave cooking function. The cooking device also includes a main body, a door, and an operation unit. The main body has a heating chamber therein that can accommodate an object to be heated and has an opening on the front side. The door can be opened and closed relative to the opening. The operation unit sets the operation of the microwave cooking function. The door is formed with a viewing window that allows the interior of the heating chamber to be viewed when the door is closed, and operation information to be input to the operation unit is formed using heat-resistant paint in at least a portion outside the viewing window, in a position facing the user when the door is open, and the operation unit accepts the operation when the operation information is input.

[0007] The operation unit may be disposed on a portion of the surface of the door, and at least a portion of the operation information may be formed at a position on the door that corresponds to a rear surface position of the operation unit.

[0008] According to the cooking device described above, for example, the operation information (operation menu, cooking menu, etc.) is provided on the inner surface of the door, which makes it easy to prevent deterioration of the design of the exterior. Also, since the operation information is provided on the inner surface of the door, it is easy to avoid it being covered by a dish placed in the heating chamber or covered with dirt due to overflow, etc., and it is easy to maintain the visibility of the operation information. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exemplary schematic view showing a cooking device according to a first embodiment, and is a perspective view showing a state in which a door portion is in a closed state. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exemplary schematic view showing the cooking device according to the first embodiment, and is a perspective view showing a state in which the door is in an open state and the display area is visible. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows an example of operation information displayed (written) in the display area of ​​the cooking device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exemplary schematic view showing a cooking device according to a second embodiment, and is a perspective view showing a state in which the door is in a closed state. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an exemplary schematic view showing a cooking device according to a second embodiment, and is a perspective view showing a state in which the door is in an open state and the display area is visible. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an exemplary schematic view showing a cooking device according to a third embodiment, and is a perspective view showing a state in which the door is in a closed state. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an exemplary schematic view showing a cooking device according to a third embodiment, and is a perspective view showing a state in which the door is in an open state and the display area is visible. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In this specification, components according to embodiments and descriptions of the components may be described using multiple expressions. The components and their descriptions are merely examples and are not limited by the expressions in this specification. The components may also be identified by names different from those in this specification. Furthermore, the components may also be described using expressions different from those in this specification.

[0011] (First embodiment) Fig. 1 is an exemplary and schematic view showing a cooking device 10A according to the first embodiment, and is a perspective view showing a state in which the door section 12A is in a closed state. Fig. 2 is an exemplary and schematic view showing the cooking device 10A, and is a perspective view showing a state in which the door section 12A is in an open state and the display area section 14 is visible. The cooking device 10A shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is, as an example, a multifunctional oven range capable of performing various cooking methods. Details of the display area section 14 will be described later.

[0012] Cooking device 10A is composed of a rectangular box-shaped main body 16 and a door 12A that can be opened and closed relative to an opening 18 formed on the front side of main body 16 (the front side of a heating chamber, which will be described later). In the case of cooking device 10A, door 12A is supported by a hinge at the bottom of opening 18, and can be opened and closed relative to opening 18 at the bottom of opening 18, with the width direction (direction of arrow X in the figure) acting as a pivot axis. Main body 16 has inside it a heating chamber 20 (also called a cooking chamber) that can accommodate food or ingredients as an object to be heated. The object to be heated is placed on a separate plate on bottom 22 of heating chamber 20. The object to be heated is placed directly on a square plate (not shown) whose ends in the X direction are supported by a pair of square plate holders 26a, 26b and square plate holders 26c, 26d that extend in the depth direction (the direction of the arrow Y in the figure) on the side walls 24a, 24b of the heating chamber 20, or the object is placed on an individual plate or the like. In the case of Figure 2, square plate holders 26a and 26b are upper square plate holders, and square plate holders 26c and 26d are lower square plate holders. The number of square plate holders may be, for example, one or three or more.

[0013] Cooking device 10A includes a heating device that realizes multiple cooking functions, such as an oven cooking function that heats an object to be heated with hot air, a grill cooking function that heats an object to be heated with heat from a heater, a range cooking function that cooks an object to be heated by irradiating it with microwaves, and a steam cooking function that heats an object to be heated with superheated steam.

[0014] The oven cooking function is realized, for example, by hot air emitted from a circulating fan heater 30, which is an example of a heating device, provided on the rear wall 28 of the heating chamber 20. The grill cooking function is realized, for example, by heat generated by an upper heater (not shown), which is an example of a heating device, provided on the ceiling wall 32 of the heating chamber 20. The range cooking function is realized, for example, by microwaves, which are radio waves irradiated from a microwave generator (not shown), which is an example of a heating device, located inside the bottom surface 22 of the heating chamber 20. The steam cooking function is realized, for example, by steam generated by a steam supply device (not shown), which is an example of a heating device, and supplied from steam outlets 34 provided on the side wall 24a.

[0015] Each cooking function of the cooking device 10A configured as described above is realized by executing a pre-stored cooking program. The cooking program is executed by selecting ingredients, a recipe name, numbers (menu numbers) pre-associated with them, and inputting them using the operation unit 36 ​​located below the door surface 12Aa of the door unit 12A, for example.

[0016] The operation unit 36 ​​sets the operating state of the heating device. The operation unit 36 ​​is composed of, for example, a dial-type menu selection and cooking start switch 36a, an operation cancel switch 36b, a function setting switch 36c, and a display device 36d. The display device 36d can display at least one of the operation information, such as the operation content and cooking progress status, and can be composed of, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). The display device 36d may be covered with a transparent operation input unit such as a touch panel. In this case, various switches may be displayed on the display device 36d, and various operations may be performed according to the displayed content. Using an operation input unit such as a touch panel makes it possible to omit some or all of the menu selection and cooking start switch 36a, the operation cancel switch 36b, the function setting switch 36c, etc., which contributes to simplifying the door unit 12A and increasing the design freedom.

[0017] In the door section 12A, a light-transmitting area section 38 (also called a sight window) that makes the inside of the heating chamber 20 visible through the door section 12A in the closed state is formed above the operation section 36. In other words, the light-transmitting area section 38 is capable of transmitting visible light into the inside of the heating chamber 20.

[0018] The door section 12A is provided with the above-mentioned operating section 36 at the bottom of a substantially rectangular frame 40, and a light-transmitting area section 38 is provided in the area above the operating section 36. In addition, a handle 42 that can be grasped to open and close the door section 12A is provided at the top of the door section 12A and extends in the width direction (X direction).

[0019] The cooking appliance 10A with a microwave cooking function is designed to ensure that microwave leakage is within the regulated value. For example, the door section 12A has an electromagnetic shield structure in which perforated metal is sandwiched between the heat-resistant glass on the interior side facing the heating chamber 20 and the glass (which may be heat-resistant glass) on the front side of the door surface 12Aa of the door section 12A. As shown in FIG. 2 , a lighting unit 44 is provided in the approximate center of the ceiling wall section 32 of the heating chamber 20. The lighting unit 44 illuminates an illumination area E including the interior of the heating chamber 20 and the door inner surface 12Ab of the door section 12A when the door section 12A is open. The lighting unit 44 is lit when the door section 12A is open and during heating operations (e.g., during cooking or heating to clean the interior). The location of the lighting unit 44 is not limited to the approximate center of the ceiling wall section 32, and may be changed as appropriate as long as it illuminates at least the interior of the heating chamber 20 and the illumination area E.

[0020] The perforated metal built into the door portion 12A described above is a mesh-like plate member with many circular openings, for example, and when the lighting unit 44 is turned on, the state inside the heating chamber 20 (such as the progress of cooking) can be easily seen through the mesh. Also, when the lighting unit 44 is turned off during a rest state other than heating operation, the presence of parts of the perforated metal other than the openings makes it difficult to see the inside of the heating chamber 20. In other words, this contributes to improving the design of the cooking appliance 10A when not in use.

[0021] In the cooking appliance 10A configured as described above, the display area 14 is disposed in a part of the door inner surface 12Ab of the door part 12A, for example, on the rear side in the Y direction of the door inner surface 12Ab when the door part 12A is in the open state. Operation information (for example, an operation menu, a cooking menu, etc.) input via the operation part 36 is displayed (written) in the display area 14.

[0022] FIG. 3 is an example of operation information 46 displayed (written) on display area 14 of cooking appliance 10A. In the example shown in FIG. 3, ingredients or names of dishes are displayed in association with numbers as "warming menu" or "cooking menu." Furthermore, cleaning types are displayed in association with numbers as "maintenance menu." By operating cooking appliance 10A by designating a number (menu number) from operation unit 36, cooking appliance 10A operates under operating conditions corresponding to the menu number. Note that operation information 46 shown in FIG. 3 is an example, and menus for realizing the functions of cooking appliance 10A are displayed. Furthermore, information specifying the heating time for each menu, or information specifying the quantity to be heated, heating temperature, etc. may also be displayed.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 2 , the operation information 46 is directly displayed on the interior heat-resistant glass constituting the door inner surface 12Ab using heat-resistant paint or the like, with the upper side of the display (notation) facing the back side (Y direction) of the door inner surface 12Ab, so that the displayed characters and other information can be easily recognized when a user faces the cooking appliance 10A with the door 12A in the open position. In this case, the operation information 46 can be easily formed without distortion of the characters and numbers due to thermal deformation or the like, and since distortion is easily suppressed, visibility is easily maintained. In another example, the operation information 46 may be printed on a sheet-like base and placed in the display area 14. In this case, the sheet-like base may also serve as a light-shielding member, as described below. In another example, the operation information 46 may be placed on the back surface of the interior heat-resistant glass, i.e., between the perforated metal and the interior heat-resistant glass. In this case, the interior heat-resistant glass is preferably made of glass with high light transmittance (e.g., transparent glass).

[0024] A user of the cooking appliance 10A first opens the door 12A and places the ingredients to be cooked in a suitable position (e.g., the center) inside the heating chamber 20, for example, on individual plates or square plates. Then, the user finds the number corresponding to the ingredients or dish name they want to cook from the operation information 46 displayed in the display area 14. Because the display area 14 is located on the inner door surface 12Ab of the door 12A, even if ingredients, individual plates, square plates, etc., are already placed in the heating chamber 20, the operation information 46 can be easily viewed without being obscured by the ingredients, individual plates, square plates, etc. Even if liquid spills over in the heating chamber 20 during a previous cooking session, the door 12A is unlikely to adhere to the inner door surface 12Ab of the door 12A, which is in a nearly upright position when closed. This prevents the visibility of the operation information 46 displayed in the display area 14 from being reduced.

[0025] Furthermore, when the door section 12A is in the open state, the display area section 14 is located on the inner door surface 12Ab of the door section 12A that has been opened at a position that the user can look down on and that is closer to the user than the main body section 16, making it easier to recognize the operation information 46 than when it is displayed on other parts of the cooking appliance 10A.

[0026] Furthermore, when door 12A is in the open state, as described above, illumination unit 44 is turned on, illuminating display area 14. Therefore, even if the environment around cooker 10A is dark, the visibility of operation information 46 displayed on display area 14 can be sufficiently ensured.

[0027] Furthermore, by arranging display area 14 (operation information 46) on inner door surface 12Ab of door section 12A, the appearance of cooking appliance 10A can be easily simplified. For example, if operation information 46 were arranged on door surface 12Aa of door section 12A (e.g., the area above operation unit 36), a variety of characters and symbols would be displayed on door surface 12Aa, which could detract from the design of the appearance of cooking appliance 10A (door section 12A). On the other hand, by arranging display area 14 (operation information 46) on inner door surface 12Ab of door section 12A, it is possible to avoid a deterioration in the design of the appearance of cooking appliance 10A.

[0028] As described above, perforated metal is present between the interior heat-resistant glass and the front glass of door section 12A. This makes it difficult to see operation information 46 displayed in display area 14 on door inner surface 12Ab from door front surface 12Aa (exterior surface). This also contributes to preventing a decrease in the aesthetic appeal of the cooking appliance 10A.

[0029] A light-shielding member 48 (a non-light-transmitting member) may be disposed in the area of ​​the light-transmitting region 38 that overlaps with the display region 14 provided on the door inner surface 12Ab. That is, the light-shielding member 48 may be disposed in the display region 14, and the operation information 46 may be displayed on top of the light-shielding member 48. The material constituting the light-shielding member 48 may be selected appropriately as long as it is a material that can block light. For example, the light-shielding member 48 may be formed of a colored (e.g., black) heat-resistant paint or a heat-resistant plate member (resin, metal, mirror member, etc.). Alternatively, a non-opening region may be provided in a perforated metal (mesh-like plate member) interposed between the heat-resistant glass on the inside of the refrigerator compartment and the glass on the front side, and this region may be used as the light-shielding member 48. By using the light-shielding member 48, it is possible to completely prevent the operation information 46 from being viewed from the door front surface 12Aa, thereby contributing to improving the design of the door front surface 12Aa.

[0030] In the example of FIG. 2, the display area 14 is disposed in the light-transmitting area 38 on the door inner surface 12Ab. In other embodiments, the display area 14 may be disposed in a portion of the light-transmitting area 38 on the door inner surface 12Ab. For example, the display area 14 may be disposed across the frame 40 surrounding the light-transmitting area 38. As shown in FIG. 1, when the operation unit 36 ​​is disposed in a portion of the door front surface 12Aa, the display area 14 may be disposed in an operation-unit-corresponding position on the door inner surface 12Ab, at least on the rear surface of the operation unit 36. In this case, the area of ​​the light-transmitting area 38 where no operation information 46 is present can be expanded, thereby improving visibility of the interior of the heating chamber 20 using the light-transmitting area 38 (visibility using a viewing window). Furthermore, if the area corresponding to the placement of the operation unit 36 ​​or the frame 40 including the area corresponding to the placement is sufficiently wide, the display area 14 may be formed only on the area corresponding to the placement or the frame 40. In this case, the operation information 46 displayed on the display area 14 is positioned in a position that is completely invisible from the door surface 12Aa side, that is, in a position other than the light-transmitting area 38. Therefore, it is possible to completely hide the display of the operation information 46 from the door surface 12Aa side without using the light-shielding member 48 described above, and it is easy to secure an area that can be used to look into the heating chamber 20, which is the original purpose of the light-transmitting area 38.

[0031] The display area 14 (operation information 46) may be provided on the rear side of the door part 12A where the handle 42 is formed, that is, at a position on the door inner surface 12Ab corresponding to the position of the handle 42. In this case, the same effect as when the display area 14 (operation information 46) is provided at another position on the door inner surface 12Ab can be obtained.

[0032] (Second embodiment) Fig. 4 is an exemplary and schematic view showing a cooking device 10B according to the second embodiment, and is a perspective view showing a state in which the door section 12B is in a closed state. Fig. 5 is an exemplary and schematic view showing the cooking device 10B, and is a perspective view showing a state in which the door section 12B is in an open state and the display area section 14 is visible. The cooking device 10B shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is, as an example, a multifunctional oven range that can perform various cooking methods.

[0033] The cooking device 10B of the second embodiment has the same basic configuration as the cooking device 10A shown in the first embodiment, except that the operating unit 36 ​​is arranged in the vertical direction (Z direction) in the corner on the right side (X direction) of the door part 12B. Therefore, in the cooking device 10B, components that are substantially the same as those in the cooking device 10A will be described using the same reference numerals.

[0034] Cooking device 10B is composed of a rectangular box-shaped main body 16 and a door 12B that can be opened and closed relative to an opening 18 on the front side of main body 16. In the case of cooking device 10B, door 12B is also supported by a hinge at the bottom of opening 18 and can be opened and closed relative to opening 18, pivoting in the width direction (direction of arrow X in the figure) at the bottom of opening 18. Main body 16 has a heating chamber 20 therein that can accommodate food or the like as an object to be heated. The object to be heated is placed on a separate plate and placed on bottom 22 of heating chamber 20. The object to be heated can be placed directly on a square plate (not shown) whose ends in the X direction are supported by a pair of square plate holders 26a, 26b and square plate holders 26c, 26d that extend in the depth direction (direction of arrow Y in the figure) on side walls 24a, 24b of heating chamber 20, or the object can be placed on a separate plate or the like. 5, square tray holders 26a and 26b are upper square tray holders, and square tray holders 26c and 26d are lower square tray holders. The number of square tray holders may be, for example, one, three or more.

[0035] Cooking appliance 10B also includes a heating device that realizes a plurality of cooking functions, such as oven cooking, grill cooking, microwave cooking, and steam cooking.

[0036] Each cooking function of the cooking device 10B configured as described above is realized by executing a pre-stored cooking program. The cooking program is realized by selecting ingredients, a cooking name, etc., and inputting the selected ingredients and the cooking name using the operation unit 36 ​​located on the right side (the end in the X direction) of the door surface 12Ba of the door part 12B.

[0037] In the case of the cooking appliance 10B, the operation unit 36 ​​is made up of, for example, a menu selection and cooking start switch 36a, a push-type operation cancel switch 36b, and a display device 36d.

[0038] In the door portion 12B, a light transmitting area portion 38 (also called a sight window) that makes the inside of the heating chamber 20 visible through the door portion 12B in the closed state is formed on the left side of the operation portion 36 (opposite the X direction).

[0039] A handle 42, which is used to open and close the door portion 12B, is provided at the top of the door portion 12B and extends in the width direction (X direction).

[0040] The cooking appliance 10B with a microwave cooking function is also designed so that microwave leakage falls within the regulated value. Therefore, the door section 12B has an electromagnetic shielding structure in which perforated metal is sandwiched between the heat-resistant glass on the interior side facing the heating chamber 20 and the front glass (which may be heat-resistant glass) on the door surface 12Ba of the door section 12B. As shown in FIG. 5 , an illumination unit 44 is provided in the approximate center of the ceiling wall section 32 of the heating chamber 20, illuminating an illumination area E including the interior of the heating chamber 20 and the door inner surface 12Bb of the door section 12B when the door section 12B is open. The location of the illumination unit 44 is not limited to the approximate center of the ceiling wall section 32, and may be changed as appropriate as long as it can illuminate at least the interior of the heating chamber 20 and the illumination area E.

[0041] The perforated metal built into the door portion 12B described above is a mesh-like plate member with many circular openings, for example, and when the lighting unit 44 is turned on, the state inside the heating chamber 20 (such as the progress of cooking) can be easily seen through the mesh. Also, when the lighting unit 44 is turned off during a rest state other than heating operation, the presence of parts of the perforated metal other than the openings makes it difficult to see the inside of the heating chamber 20. In other words, this contributes to improving the design of the cooking appliance 10B when not in use.

[0042] In the case of the cooking appliance 10B configured as described above, the display area 14 is disposed at an operation unit corresponding position 50 on the door inner surface 12Bb, which corresponds to the rear position of the operation unit 36 ​​provided at the right end of the door surface 12Ba of the door section 12B. That is, unlike the first embodiment, the display area 14 is disposed outside the light-transmitting area 38. The display area 14 formed at the operation unit corresponding position 50 displays (depicts) operation information 46 (e.g., operation menu, cooking menu, etc.) input via the operation unit 36. The operation information 46 may have the same content as that shown in FIG. 3, but since the display area 14 is elongated in the Y direction, the arrangement of the operation information 46 is changed as appropriate.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 5 , the operation information 46 displayed on the display area 14 disposed at the operation unit corresponding position 50 is also disposed so that the upper side of the display (notation) faces the rear side (Y direction) of the door inner surface 12Bb so that the displayed characters and the like can be easily recognized when the user faces the cooking appliance 10B with the door 12B in the open position. Because the portion corresponding to the operation unit corresponding position 50 is made of a metal plate or a resin plate, the operation information 46 may be disposed so as to be directly displayed using heat-resistant paint or the like, or the operation information 46 may be printed on a sheet-like base and disposed at the operation unit corresponding position 50 (display area 14). If the operation information 46 to be displayed does not fit within the operation unit corresponding position 50, an additional display area 14 may be formed on the light-transmitting area 38 and displayed thereon, as in the first embodiment. The display area 14 disposed at the light-transmitting area 38 can achieve the same effects as those of the first embodiment.

[0044] A user of the cooking appliance 10B first opens the door 12B and places the ingredients to be cooked in a suitable position (e.g., the center) inside the heating chamber 20, for example, on individual plates or square plates. Then, the user finds the number corresponding to the ingredients or dish name they want to cook from the operation information 46 displayed in the display area 14. Because the display area 14 is located on the inner door surface 12Bb of the door 12B, even if ingredients, individual plates, square plates, etc., are already placed in the heating chamber 20, the operation information 46 can be easily viewed without being obscured by the ingredients, individual plates, square plates, etc. Even if liquid spills over in the heating chamber 20 during a previous cooking session, the door 12B is unlikely to adhere to the inner door surface 12Bb of the door 12B, which is in a nearly upright position when closed. This prevents the visibility of the operation information 46 displayed in the display area 14 from being reduced.

[0045] Furthermore, when the door section 12B is in the open state, the display area section 14 is located on the inner door surface 12Bb of the door section 12B that has been opened at a position that the user can look down on and that is closer to the user than the main body section 16, making it easier to recognize the operation information 46 than when it is displayed on another part of the cooking appliance 10B.

[0046] Furthermore, when door 12B is in the open state, as described above, illumination unit 44 is turned on, illuminating display area 14. Therefore, even when the environment around cooker 10A is dark, sufficient visibility of operation information 46 displayed on display area 14 can be ensured. In the case of cooker 10B, since display area 14 is located at the right end of door 12B, the illumination angle of illumination unit 44 may be adjusted toward display area 14 to such an extent that the illumination inside heating chamber 20 does not create an awkward feeling, so that display area 14 is well illuminated.

[0047] Furthermore, by arranging the display area 14 (operation information 46) on the door inner surface 12Bb of the door section 12B, it is possible to easily simplify the appearance of the cooking appliance 10B. For example, if the operation information 46 were arranged on the door surface 12Ba of the door section 12B (for example, the area below the light-transmitting area 38), a variety of characters and symbols would be displayed on the door surface 12Ba, which could result in a decrease in the design of the appearance of the cooking appliance 10B (door section 12B). On the other hand, by arranging the display area 14 (operation information 46) on the door inner surface 12Bb of the door section 12B, it is possible to avoid a decrease in the design of the appearance of the cooking appliance 10B.

[0048] Furthermore, in the case of the cooking appliance 10B, the operation unit corresponding position 50 on the door inner surface 12Bb can be effectively used as an arrangement area for the display area 14 (operation information 46). As a result, there is no need to display the operation information 46 on the frame 40 portion on the door surface 12Ba side or on the light-transmitting area 38, so that an area that can be used to view the inside of the heating chamber 20, which is the original purpose of the light-transmitting area 38, can be easily secured without being obstructed by the operation information 46.

[0049] (Third embodiment) Fig. 6 is an exemplary and schematic view showing a cooking device 10C according to a third embodiment, and is a perspective view showing a state in which the door section 12C is in a closed state. Fig. 7 is an exemplary and schematic view showing the cooking device 10C, and is a perspective view showing a state in which the door section 12C is in an open state and the display area section 14 is visible. The cooking device 10C shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is, as an example, a multifunctional oven range capable of performing various cooking methods.

[0050] In the cooking appliance 10C of the third embodiment, the operating unit 36 ​​is separated from the door unit 12C on the right side (X direction) and is disposed integrally with the main body 16. In other words, the position of the operating unit 36 ​​is constant regardless of whether the door unit 12C is open or closed. The basic configuration other than the separation of the operating unit 36 ​​and the door unit 12C is the same as that of the cooking appliance 10A shown in the first embodiment. Therefore, in the cooking appliance 10C, components that are substantially the same as those of the cooking appliance 10A will be described using the same reference numerals.

[0051] Cooking appliance 10C is composed of a rectangular box-shaped main body 16, a door 12C that can be opened and closed relative to an opening 18 on the front side of main body 16, and an operation unit 36 ​​that is integrated with main body 16. In the case of cooking appliance 10B, door 12B is also supported by a hinge at the bottom of opening 18, and can be opened and closed relative to opening 18 at the bottom of opening 18, with the width direction (direction of arrow X in the figure) as the pivot axis. Main body 16 has a heating chamber 20 therein that can accommodate food or ingredients as an object to be heated. The object to be heated is placed on a separate plate on bottom 22 of heating chamber 20. The object to be heated is placed directly on a square plate (not shown) whose ends in the X direction are supported by a pair of square plate holders 26a, 26b and square plate holders 26c, 26d that extend in the depth direction (the direction of the arrow Y in the figure) on the side walls 24a, 24b of the heating chamber 20, or the object is placed on an individual plate or the like. In the case of Figure 7, square plate holders 26a and 26b are upper square plate holders, and square plate holders 26c and 26d are lower square plate holders. The number of square plate holders may be, for example, one or three or more.

[0052] Cooking appliance 10C also includes a heating device that realizes multiple cooking functions, such as oven cooking, grill cooking, microwave cooking, and steam cooking.

[0053] Each cooking function of the cooking device 10C configured as above is realized by executing a pre-stored cooking program. The cooking program is executed by selecting ingredients, a recipe name, numbers (menu numbers) pre-associated with them, and inputting the selected ingredients using an operation unit 36 ​​provided independently of the door unit 12C on the right side (X direction) of the door unit 12C, as shown in Figures 6 and 7.

[0054] In the case of the cooking appliance 10C, the operation unit 36 ​​is made up of, for example, a menu selection and cooking start switch 36a, an operation cancel switch 36b, and a display device 36d.

[0055] In the case of cooking appliance 10C, door portion 12C is provided with a light-transmitting area portion 38 (also called a viewing window) on almost the entire surface thereof, which allows the interior of heating chamber 20 to be seen through door portion 12C in the closed state.

[0056] A handle 42, which is used to open and close the door portion 12C, is provided at the top of the door portion 12C and extends in the width direction (X direction).

[0057] The cooking appliance 10C with a microwave cooking function is also designed so that microwave leakage falls within the regulated value. Therefore, the door section 12C has an electromagnetic shielding structure in which perforated metal is sandwiched between the heat-resistant glass on the interior side facing the heating chamber 20 and the glass (which may be heat-resistant glass) on the front side of the door surface 12Ca of the door section 12C. As shown in FIG. 7 , an illumination unit 44 is provided in the approximate center of the ceiling wall section 32 of the heating chamber 20, illuminating an illumination area E including the interior of the heating chamber 20 and the door inner surface 12Cb of the door section 12C when the door section 12C is open. The installation position of the illumination unit 44 is not limited to the approximate center of the ceiling wall section 32, and may be changed as appropriate as long as it can illuminate at least the interior of the heating chamber 20 and the illumination area E.

[0058] The perforated metal built into the door portion 12C described above is a mesh-like plate member with, for example, many circular openings formed therein, and when the lighting unit 44 is turned on, the state inside the heating chamber 20 (such as the progress of cooking) can be easily seen through the mesh. Also, when the lighting unit 44 is turned off during a rest state other than heating operation, the presence of parts of the perforated metal other than the openings makes it difficult to see the inside of the heating chamber 20. In other words, this contributes to improving the design of the cooking appliance 10C when not in use.

[0059] In the cooking appliance 10C configured as above, operation information (for example, operation menu, cooking menu, etc.) input via the operation unit 36 ​​is displayed (written) in the display area 14 described above.

[0060] In the case of the cooking appliance 10C, the above-mentioned display area 14 (operation information 46) is arranged in a part of the door inner surface 12Cb of the door section 12C, for example, on the rear side in the Y direction of the door inner surface 12Cb when the door section 12C is in the open state, similarly to the cooking appliance 10A of the first embodiment. Operation information (for example, an operation menu, a cooking menu, etc.) input via the operation section 36 is displayed (written) in this display area 14. That is, similarly to the first embodiment, it is arranged within the area of ​​the light-transmitting area 38.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 7 , the operation information 46 is directly displayed on the interior heat-resistant glass constituting the door inner surface 12Cb using heat-resistant paint or the like, with the upper side of the display (notation) facing the back side (Y direction) of the door inner surface 12Cb, so that the displayed text and other information can be easily recognized when a user faces the cooking appliance 10C with the door 12C in the open position. In another example, the operation information 46 may be printed on a sheet-like base and placed in the display area 14. In this case, the sheet-like base may also serve as the light-shielding member 48, as in the first embodiment. In another example, the operation information 46 may be placed on the back surface of the interior heat-resistant glass, i.e., between the perforated metal and the interior heat-resistant glass. In this case, it is preferable that the interior heat-resistant glass be glass with high light transmittance (e.g., transparent glass).

[0062] A user of the cooking appliance 10C first opens the door 12C and places the ingredients to be cooked in a suitable position (e.g., the center) inside the heating chamber 20, for example, on individual plates or square plates. Then, the user finds the number corresponding to the ingredients or dish name they want to cook from the operation information 46 displayed in the display area 14. Because the display area 14 is located on the inner door surface 12Cb of the door 12C, even if ingredients, individual plates, square plates, etc., are already placed in the heating chamber 20, the operation information 46 can be easily viewed without being obscured by the ingredients, individual plates, square plates, etc. Even if liquid spills over in the heating chamber 20 during a previous cooking session, the door 12C is unlikely to adhere to the inner door surface 12Cb of the door 12C, which is in a nearly upright position when closed. This prevents the visibility of the operation information 46 displayed in the display area 14 from being reduced.

[0063] Furthermore, when the door section 12C is in the open state, the display area section 14 is located on the inner door surface 12Cb of the door section 12C that has been opened at a position that the user can look down on and that is closer to the user than the main body section 16, making it easier to recognize the operation information 46 than when it is displayed on other parts of the cooking appliance 10C.

[0064] Furthermore, when door 12C is in the open state, illumination unit 44 is turned on, illuminating display area 14. Therefore, even if the environment around cooker 10C is dark, the visibility of operation information 46 displayed on display area 14 can be sufficiently ensured.

[0065] Furthermore, by arranging display area 14 (operation information 46) on inner door surface 12Cb of door portion 12C, the appearance of cooking appliance 10C can be easily simplified. For example, if operation information 46 were arranged on door surface 12Ca of door portion 12C, miscellaneous characters and symbols would be displayed on door surface 12Ca, which could result in a decrease in the aesthetic appeal of the appearance of cooking appliance 10C (door portion 12C). On the other hand, by arranging display area 14 (operation information 46) on inner door surface 12Cb of door portion 12C, a decrease in the aesthetic appeal of the appearance of cooking appliance 10C can be avoided.

[0066] As described above, perforated metal is present between the interior heat-resistant glass and the front glass of door section 12C. This makes it difficult to view operation information 46 displayed in display area 14 on door inner surface 12Cb from door front surface 12Ca (exterior). This also contributes to preventing a decrease in the aesthetic appeal of cooking appliance 10C.

[0067] It should be noted that a light-shielding member 48 may be placed in an area of ​​the light-transmitting region 38 that overlaps with the display region 14 provided on the door inner surface 12Cb. In other words, the light-shielding member 48 may be placed in the display region 14, and the operation information 46 may be displayed on top of it. By using the light-shielding member 48, it is possible to make the operation information 46 completely invisible from the door front surface 12Ca side, which contributes to improving the design of the door front surface 12Ca.

[0068] 7 shows a case where the display area 14 is disposed in the light-transmitting area 38 of the door inner surface 12Cb. In other embodiments, the display area 14 may be provided in a portion of the light-transmitting area 38 of the door inner surface 12Cb. For example, the display area 14 may be disposed across the frame 40 surrounding the light-transmitting area 38. In this case, the area of ​​the light-transmitting area 38 where no operation information 46 is present can be expanded, thereby improving the visibility of the interior of the heating chamber 20 using the light-transmitting area 38 (visibility using the viewing window). Furthermore, if the frame 40 is sufficiently wide, the display area 14 may be formed only on the frame 40. In this case, the operation information 46 displayed on the display area 14 is positioned in a position that is completely invisible from the door surface 12Ca side, that is, in a position other than the light-transmitting area 38. Therefore, it is possible to completely hide the display of the operation information 46 from the door surface 12Ca side without using the light-shielding member 48 described above, and it is easy to secure an area that can be used to look into the heating chamber 20, which is the original purpose of the light-transmitting area 38.

[0069] The display area 14 (operation information 46) may be provided on the rear side of the door 12C where the handle 42 is formed, that is, at a position on the door inner surface 12Cb corresponding to the position of the handle 42. In this case, the same effect as when the display area 14 (operation information 46) is provided at another position on the door inner surface 12Cb can be obtained.

[0070] In the case of cooking appliance 10C, door 12C and operation unit 36 ​​are separate, so that even when door 12C is left open, operation information 46 displayed on door inner surface 12Cb can be seen and operation unit 36 ​​can be operated in that state. As a result, the visibility of operation information 46 is improved, and this contributes to improved usability and operability.

[0071] (Variation) In each of the above-described embodiments, a multi-function cooker equipped with multiple cooking functions has been described. In a modified example, the cooker may be equipped with one or a combination of oven cooking function, grill cooking function, microwave cooking function, and steam cooking function. Regardless of which cooking function is equipped, the layout configuration of the display area 14 (operation information 46) in the above-described embodiment can be applied, and similar effects can be obtained.

[0072] In addition, in each of the above-described embodiments, the door 12A (12B, 12C) is rotated toward the user facing the front of the cooking appliance 10A (10B, 10C) to enter the open state. In a modified example, the door may be configured to be rotated laterally (in the -X direction or the X direction) relative to the main body 16 to enter the open state. Even in such a configuration in which the door opens laterally, the arrangement of the display area 14 (operation information 46) in the above-described embodiment can be applied, and similar effects can be obtained.

[0073] In the first and third embodiments described above, an example was shown in which the display area 14 (operation information 46) was arranged at the rear side in the Y direction of the door inner surface 12Ab (12Ca) of the door portion 12A (12C). In a modified example, the display area 14 (operation information 46) may be arranged anywhere on the door inner surface 12Ab (12Ca). For example, the display area 14 (operation information 46) may be arranged on the right, left, or center of the door inner surface 12Ab (12Ca) along the Y direction (depth direction), and the same effects as those of the above-described embodiments can be obtained.

[0074] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above embodiments can be implemented in various forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The above embodiments are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as within the scope of the inventions and their equivalents as set forth in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 10A, 10B, 10C...heating cooker, 12A, 12B, 12C...door section, 12Aa, 12Ba, 12Ca...door surface, 12Ab, 12Bb, 12Cb...door inner surface, 14...display area section, 16...main body section, 18...opening, 20...heating chamber, 36...operation section, 36d...display device, 38...light-transmitting area section, 44...illumination section, 46...operation information, 48...light-shielding member, 50...position corresponding to operation section.

Claims

1. A cooking device with a microwave cooking function, a main body portion having a heating chamber therein capable of accommodating an object to be heated and having an opening on the front side; a door portion that can be opened and closed relative to the opening; an operation unit for setting the operation of the microwave cooking function; Equipped with The door portion is formed with a sight window that allows the interior of the heating chamber to be viewed when the door portion is closed, and operation information to be input to the operation portion is formed with heat-resistant paint in at least a part outside the area where the sight window is formed and in a position facing the user when the door portion is open, the operation unit accepts the operation by inputting the operation information; Heating cooker.

2. the operation unit is disposed on a part of the surface of the door unit, At least a part of the operation information is formed at a position corresponding to a rear surface position of the operation unit on the door part. The cooking device according to claim 1 .

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