Heating Regulator

Abstract

The objective is to provide a cooking appliance equipped with a water tank that allows for the drainage of excess water from the tank into a water tray. [Solution] The oven range 1 of the present invention comprises a cooking chamber for accommodating food to be cooked, a steam generator 27 for generating steam, a built-in water tank 16 for accommodating water for generating steam, a water inlet 6 for pouring water into the water tank 16, a lid 7 for opening and closing the water inlet 6, a water receiver 9 for accommodating waste water, a drain pipe 21 connected to the water tank 16 for flowing water from the water tank 16 to the water receiver 9, a water supply pipe 24 connected to the water tank 16 for flowing water from the water tank 16 to the steam generator 27, and a switching mechanism 29 for opening and closing the drain pipe 21 and the water supply pipe 24. The switching mechanism 29 can be switched between a first state in which only the drain pipe 21 is open, a second state in which only the water supply pipe 24 is open, and a third state in which the water supply pipe 24 and the drain pipe 21 are closed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooking appliance having a cooking function for steam-heating a cooking object.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a cooking appliance that cooks food by heated steam has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The cooking appliance described in Patent Document 1 includes a water tank (4), a heating chamber (5), and a steam generation unit (9). Then, the water stored in the water tank (4) is heated by the steam generation unit (9) to generate steam, and the heated steam is blown into the heating chamber (5), so that the food placed in the heating chamber (5) can be cooked by heating.

[0003] The water tank (4) is detachably connected to the tank connection part (20). Therefore, when disconnecting the water tank (4) from the tank connection part (20), there is a risk that the water in the water tank (4) may leak, such as when the water tank water outlet (4a) opens halfway.

[0004] Also, the unnecessary water remaining in the water tank (4) had to be drained by removing the water tank (4) from the tank connection part (20) and removing the water tank lid (4e).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] In the configuration of the cooking appliance described in Patent Document 1 above, it was necessary to provide a water receiving section (30) to receive water leaking from the tank connection section (20), a drain tube (40) to drain the water from the water receiving section (30), and a main body drain section (50) to receive the water that has flowed along the drain tube (40). In addition, the process of draining the water remaining in the water tank (4) was complicated.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to solve the above problems and provide a cooking appliance equipped with a water tank that allows excess water from the water tank to be drained into a water tray. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention is a cooking appliance having a function of heating and cooking food using steam, comprising: a cooking chamber for accommodating food to be cooked; a steam generator for generating steam; a built-in water tank for accommodating the water used to generate the steam; a water inlet for pouring water into the water tank; a lid for opening and closing the water inlet; a water receiver for accommodating wastewater; a drainage channel connected to the water tank for allowing water to flow from the water tank to the water receiver; a water supply channel connected to the water tank for allowing water to flow from the water tank to the steam generator; and a switching mechanism for opening and closing the drainage channel and the water supply channel, wherein the switching mechanism is switchable between a first state in which only the drainage channel is open; a second state in which only the water supply channel is open; and a third state in which the water supply channel and the drainage channel are closed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the heating cooker of the present invention, the drainage of water contained in the water tank into a water receiver and the supply of water to the steam generator can be easily switched by a switching mechanism. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of an oven range according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic perspective view showing the internal structure of the oven range according to the same embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a schematic right side view showing the internal structure of the oven range of the same embodiment. [Figure 4] This is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the drain pipe of the same embodiment is open (first state). [Figure 5] This is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the water supply pipe of the same embodiment is open (second state). [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the drain pipe and water supply pipe of the same embodiment are blocked (third state). [Figure 7] This is a schematic left side view showing the internal structure of the oven range according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Preferred embodiments of the heating appliance of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Not all of the configurations described below are essential requirements of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 1 shows an oven range 1 as a cooking appliance in this embodiment. The oven range 1 is composed of a main body 2 which is rectangular in shape and has an open front, a cooking chamber 3 (see Figure 2) which is provided inside the main body 2 to accommodate food to be cooked (not shown), and a door 4 which opens and closes the front opening of the cooking chamber 3.

[0013] The oven range 1 of this embodiment includes a cooking function by steam heating, which heats the food to be cooked with superheated steam; a cooking function by microwave heating, which heats the food to be cooked by irradiating it with microwaves; a cooking function by grill heating, which heats the food to be cooked with the heat of a heater; and a cooking function by oven heating, which heats the food to be cooked with hot air.

[0014] A water inlet 6 is formed in the top plate portion 5 that forms the outer casing of the main body 2, and this water inlet 6 can be opened and closed by a lid 7. In this embodiment, the lid 7 is pivotally supported on the main body 2 and is rotatably attached. A concave handle portion 8 is formed on the lid 7, and the lid 7 can be opened and closed by placing a finger on this handle portion 8. The lid 7 may also be provided so as to be removable from the top plate portion 5.

[0015] A water tray 9 is provided on the lower front side of the main body 2. The water tray 9 is a bottomed container that receives food scraps and water droplets from the main body 2, as well as water from the water tank 16 and steam generator 27, which will be described later. The water tray 9 can be removed by pulling it forward, allowing for the disposal of food scraps and water accumulated in the water tray 9 or for cleaning. After disposing of food scraps and water or cleaning, the water tray 9 can be reattached to the main body 2 by pushing it inward.

[0016] Door 4 has a rectangular window 10 that allows the user to see inside the cooking chamber 3 located within the main body 2. Above the window 10 is a handle 11 for opening and closing the vertically opening door 4, which the user grasps when opening and closing it. To the right of the window 10 is an operation panel 12. The operation panel 12 is equipped with a display means 13 that displays the cooking settings and progress, and an operation means 14 that enables various operation inputs related to heating and cooking. The display means 13 is equipped with a capacitive touch panel 15 that allows touch operation on the screen.

[0017] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a water tank 16 is located below the water inlet 6. The water tank 16 has a funnel-shaped section 17 that tapers downwards and a hollow tank body section 18. The upper part of the funnel-shaped section 17 is connected to the water inlet 6, and the lower part of the funnel-shaped section 17 is connected to the tank body section 18. The bottom of the tank body section 18 has a sloping section 19 that tapers downwards.

[0018] At the lowermost part 20 of the inclined portion 19, the upper end portion 22 of a drain pipe 21, which is a drainage channel, is connected, and the lower end portion 23 of the drain pipe 21 is located above the water receiver 9. The lower end portion 23 is disposed at a position lower than the upper end portion 22. Therefore, the water W (see FIGS. 4 to 6) stored in the water tank 16 flows through the drain pipe 21 by gravity and flows into the water receiver 9. Also, at a position higher than the lowermost part 20 of the inclined portion 19, the upper end portion 25 of a water supply pipe 24, which is a water supply channel, is connected, and the lower end portion 26 of the water supply pipe 24 is connected to a water vapor generator 27. The water vapor generator 27 is disposed at a position lower than the water tank 16, and the lower end portion 26 is disposed at a position lower than the upper end portion 25. Therefore, the water W stored in the water tank 16 flows through the water supply pipe 24 by gravity and flows into the water vapor generator 27. Incidentally, the upper end portion 25 of the water supply pipe 24 may be connected to the side wall portion 28 of the water tank 16 other than the inclined portion 19, as long as it is at a position higher than the lowermost part 20 and the water W stored in the water tank 16 can flow into it. The inner diameter R of the drain pipe 21 is formed larger than the inner diameter r of the water supply pipe 24.

[0019] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, a disc-shaped switching mechanism 29 is provided in the middle of the drain pipe 21 and the water supply pipe 24 to switch the opening and closing of the drain pipe 21 and the water supply pipe 24. The switching mechanism 29 has a drain hole 30 and a water supply hole 31, which are through holes for water flow. The drain pipe 21 and the water supply pipe 24 are partially cut, and the switching mechanism 29 is installed at this cut point. The switching mechanism 29 is provided so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction. When the switching mechanism 29 rotates and the drain hole 30 moves to the position of the drain pipe 21, the drain pipe 21 is opened by the drain hole 30, and water W from the water tank 16 flows through the drain pipe 21 and into the water receiver 9. When the switching mechanism 29 rotates and the water supply hole 31 moves to the position of the water supply pipe 24, the water supply pipe 24 is opened by the water supply hole 31, and water W from the water tank 16 flows through the water supply pipe 24 and into the steam generator 27. Furthermore, the switching mechanism 29 rotates, moving the drain hole 30 and water supply hole 31 to a position where they do not open the drain pipe 21 and the water supply pipe 24, thereby simultaneously closing the drain pipe 21 and the water supply pipe 24. The drain hole 30 and the water supply hole 31 are formed in a position where the drain pipe 21 and the water supply pipe 24 do not open at the same time, so that when the drain pipe 21 is open the water supply pipe 24 is closed, and when the water supply pipe 24 is open the drain pipe 21 is closed. In other words, the switching mechanism 29 can be switched between a first state in which only the drain pipe 21 is open (see Figure 4), a second state in which only the water supply pipe 24 is open (see Figure 5), and a third state in which both the drain pipe 21 and the water supply pipe 24 are closed (see Figure 6). Although not shown, packings to prevent water leakage are provided at the connection points between the drain pipe 21 and the periphery of the drain hole 30, and between the water supply pipe 24 and the periphery of the water supply hole 31.

[0020] In this embodiment, switching control means (not shown) provided in the oven range 1 controls the drive of the switching mechanism 29. Normally, the switching mechanism 29 is maintained in the third state. Therefore, when the user opens the lid 7 and pours water W from the water supply port 6, the water W is stored in the water tank 16. Then, when the user operates the operation means 14 or the touch panel 15 and selects cooking by steam heating, the switching mechanism 29 rotates under the control of the switching control means, and the switching mechanism 29 enters the second state, so that the water W is supplied from the water tank 16 to the steam generator 27. The switching control means opens the water supply pipe 24 for a predetermined time and then rotates the switching mechanism 29 to switch it to the third state. Therefore, the amount of water W supplied to the steam generator 27 by one opening of the water supply pipe 24 is controlled. The amount of water W supplied to the steam generator 27 by one opening of the water supply pipe 24 is determined by the inner diameter r of the water supply pipe 24 and the opening time. In this embodiment, the opening time of the water supply pipe 24 is set to be the same every time cooking by steam heating is selected so that the same amount of water W is supplied to the steam generator 27, but the opening time of the water supply pipe 24 may be set to be different depending on the cooking content according to the cooking content set by the user so as to change the water supply amount to the steam generator 27.

[0021] The amount of water W supplied to the steam generator 27 by one opening of the water supply pipe 24 is set to an amount sufficient for one cooking by steam heating. However, when it is determined that the water W in the steam generator 27 is insufficient based on the temperature in the cooking chamber 3 detected during cooking by steam heating, etc., the switching control means may control the switching mechanism 29 to be in the second state and supply water to the steam generator 27. Further, a water amount sensor (not shown) for detecting the water amount (remaining amount) in the steam generator 27 may be provided, and when it is determined from the detection result of the water amount sensor that the water W in the steam generator 27 is insufficient, the switching control means may control the switching mechanism 29 to be in the second state and supply water to the steam generator 27.

[0022] If the operating means 14 or the touch panel 15 is not operated for a predetermined time or longer, and no heating or cooking is being performed by the oven range 1, the switching control means sets the switching mechanism 29 to the first state, opens the drain pipe 21, and allows the water W in the water tank 16 to flow into the water receiver 9. After a predetermined time has elapsed with the switching mechanism 29 in the first state, the switching control means sets the switching mechanism 29 to the third state. The predetermined time for the switching mechanism 29 to the first state is set to the time required for all the water W to flow into the water receiver 9, even if the water tank 16 is full.

[0023] In this embodiment, the switching mechanism 29 is driven and controlled by a switching control means, but the user may operate the operating means 14 or the touch panel 15 to drive the switching mechanism 29 and switch between the first state, second state, and third state. Alternatively, a lever (not shown) may be provided to manually operate the switching mechanism 29, allowing the user to rotate the switching mechanism 29 by operating the lever and switch between the first state, second state, and third state. When the switching mechanism 29 is controlled automatically, the switching control means is the switching operation unit, and when the switching mechanism 29 is controlled manually, the lever is the switching operation unit.

[0024] The main unit 2 is equipped with a heating means (not shown) for heating the water W contained in the water tank 16. After heating the water W to a high temperature, opening the drain pipe 21 allows the high-temperature water W to flow inside the drain pipe 21, thus providing a sterilization and cleaning effect inside the drain pipe 21. Alternatively, the unit can be equipped with a heating means (not shown) that directly heats the drain pipe 21 instead of the water W contained in the water tank 16, thereby raising the temperature inside the drain pipe 21 and providing a sterilization effect. It is also possible to provide both a heating means for heating the water W contained in the water tank 16 and a heating means for directly heating the drain pipe 21. Furthermore, one of the upper heater 44, lower heater 45, or the hot air heater of the hot air unit 43, described later, may be used in combination as a heating means for heating the water W contained in the water tank 16 or as a heating means for directly heating the drain pipe 21.

[0025] The lowermost part 33 of the bottom 32 of the steam generator 27 is connected to the upper end 35 of a drain pipe 34, which is a drainage channel. The lower end 36 of the drain pipe 34 is connected to a drain pipe 21. An on-off valve 37 is provided at the upper end 35, and when the on-off valve 37 opens, the water W inside the steam generator 27 flows through the drain pipe 34 and the drain pipe 21 by gravity and into the water receiver 6. In this embodiment, the lower end 36 of the drain pipe 34 is connected to the drain pipe 21, but the lower end 36 may be positioned above the water receiver 6, allowing the water W from the steam generator 27 to flow directly from the drain pipe 34 into the water receiver 6.

[0026] The on / off valve 37 is driven and controlled by an on / off control means (not shown) provided in the oven range 1. When cooking by steam heating is complete, the on / off valve 37 is opened by the on / off control means, and water W is discharged from the steam generator 27. The time for which the on / off valve 37 is open is set to ensure that all the water W is discharged, even if the steam generator 27 is full. By discharging the water W immediately after cooking by steam heating is complete, the high-temperature water W flows through the drain pipe 21 and the drain pipe 34, so a sterilization and cleaning effect on the inside of the drain pipe 21 and the drain pipe 34 can be expected. Alternatively, the time for opening the on / off valve 37 may be determined based on the detection result of the water volume sensor. Furthermore, it is conceivable that steam heating may be used multiple times in a short period of time, such as when cooking by steam heating continuously, or when other cooking is performed after steam heating, and then steam heating is used again. Since draining the water W each time would be wasteful, the system may be configured so that if the operating means 14 or the touch panel 15 is not operated for a predetermined time and no cooking is performed by the oven range 1, the opening / closing control means opens the opening / closing valve 37 and water W is discharged from the steam generator 27.

[0027] As shown in Figure 2, a steam outlet 39 communicating with a steam generator 27 is provided on the left inner wall 38 of the cooking chamber 3. By releasing steam into the cooking chamber 3 from this steam outlet 39, the food being cooked in the cooking chamber 3 is steam-heated. Note that the steam outlet 39 may be located on any other inner wall of the cooking chamber 3.

[0028] As shown in Figure 3, a printed circuit board (PCB) 40 that controls the display means 13 and the operating means 14 is located inside the door 4, behind the operation panel 12.

[0029] Inside the main body 2, in the upper right corner of the cooking compartment 3, is a door switch 41 that detects the opening and closing of the door 4. Behind the door switch 41 is an interior light 42 that illuminates the inside of the cooking compartment 3. Below the door switch 41 and the interior light 42 is a right-side opening and closing mechanism 43 for the door 4. The right-side opening and closing mechanism 43 is composed of a hinge (not shown) and a damper (not shown).

[0030] A control board 44 is located inside the main unit 2, below the cooking chamber 3. The control board 44 includes a CPU as a means of calculation, memory as a means of storage, a timer as a means of timing, and input / output devices. It also includes the switching control means and opening / closing control means mentioned above.

[0031] A hot air unit 45 is installed at the rear of the cooking chamber 3 to supply hot air into the cooking chamber 3. The hot air unit 45 includes a hot air heater (not shown) for heating the air, a hot air fan (not shown) for sending and circulating the air heated by the hot air heater (not shown) into the cooking chamber 3, and a hot air motor (not shown) for rotating the hot air fan. The hot air unit 45 functions as a heating means for hot air convection heating (oven heating) cooking.

[0032] As shown in Figure 7, an upper heater 46 is located inside the main body 2, above the cooking chamber 3, and a lower heater 47 is located below the cooking chamber 3. The upper heater 46 and the lower heater 47 function as heating means for grill cooking.

[0033] Inside the main body 2, on the left side of the cooking room 3, a left-side opening / closing mechanism 48 for the door 4 is provided. The left-side opening / closing mechanism 48 is composed of a hinge (not shown) and a damper (not shown). The right-side opening / closing mechanism 43 and the left-side opening / closing mechanism 48 are provided as a pair, one on the left and one on the right.

[0034] Behind the left-side opening / closing mechanism 48, a magnetron 49 is positioned, which serves as a source for generating microwaves. The microwaves generated from the magnetron 49 pass through a waveguide (not shown) and are radiated into the cooking chamber 3 from an antenna (not shown), causing the food to be cooked in the cooking chamber 3 to be microwaved (high-frequency heating).

[0035] A cooling fan 50 is installed on the lower rear side of the main unit 2 to air cool the control board 44.

[0036] As described above, the oven range 1 of this embodiment is an oven range 1 having a function of heating and cooking food using steam, and comprises a cooking chamber 3 for accommodating food, a steam generator 27 for generating steam, a built-in water tank 16 for accommodating water W for generating steam, a water inlet 6 for pouring water into the water tank 16, a lid 7 for opening and closing the water inlet 6, a water receiver 9 for accommodating waste water W, a drain pipe 21 connected to the water tank 16 for flowing water from the water tank 16 to the water receiver 9, a water supply pipe 24 connected to the water tank 16 for flowing water from the water tank 16 to the steam generator 27, and a switching mechanism 29 for opening and closing the drain pipe 21 and the water supply pipe 24, wherein the switching mechanism 29 can be switched between a first state in which only the drain pipe 21 is open, a second state in which only the water supply pipe 24 is open, and a third state in which the water supply pipe 24 and the drain pipe 21 are closed. Therefore, the drainage of water W contained in the water tank 16 to the water receiver 9 and the supply of water to the steam generator 27 can be easily switched using the switching mechanism 29.

[0037] Furthermore, the oven range 1 of this embodiment includes at least one of a heating means for heating the water W contained in the water tank 16 and a heating means for heating the drain pipe 21. As a result, the inside of the drain pipe 21 becomes hot, and a sterilizing effect can be expected.

[0038] Furthermore, the oven range 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a drain pipe 34 that allows water W in the steam generator 27 to flow into the water tray 9. Therefore, any excess water stored in the steam generator 27 can be drained into the water tray 9.

[0039] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the oven range 1 has a larger inner diameter R of the drain pipe 21 than the inner diameter r of the water supply pipe 24. Since the amount of water W supplied to the steam generator 27 at one time is not very large, it is not necessary to increase the inner diameter r of the water supply pipe 24. However, by increasing the inner diameter R of the drain pipe 21, the amount of water flowing through the drain pipe 21 per unit time is increased, making it possible to drain the water W in the water tank 16 in a shorter time.

[0040] Furthermore, the oven range 1 of this embodiment has a switching operation unit (switching control unit, lever) for operating the switching mechanism 29. Therefore, it is possible to switch between draining the water tank 16, supplying water to the steam generator 27, and retaining the water W in the water tank 16.

[0041] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the oven range 1 has a sloping section 19 at the bottom of the water tank 16, a drainage channel 21 connected to the lowest part 20 of the sloping section 19, and a water supply channel 24 connected to a position higher than the lowest part 20. Therefore, the water W in the water tank 16 can be completely drained by the drainage channel 21. Also, if a certain amount of water W is stored in the water tank 16, water can be supplied to the steam generator 27 from the water supply pipe 24.

[0042] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, a locking mechanism may be provided to maintain the state in which the lid 7 is locked to the top plate portion 5 when the lid 7 is closed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1. Oven 3 Galley 6 Water inlet 7 Lid 9 Water tray 16 water tanks 19 Slope 20 Bottom 21 Drain pipe (drainage channel) 24 Water supply pipe (water supply channel) 27. Steam Generator 29. Switching mechanism 34. Drainage pipe (drainage channel) R: Inner diameter of drain pipe (inner diameter of drain channel) r: Inner diameter of water supply pipe (inner diameter of water supply channel) W water

Claims

1. A cooking appliance having a function of heating and cooking food using steam, A kitchen for accommodating the food to be cooked, A steam generator that produces water vapor, A water tank provided for storing the water used to generate the steam, The water inlet for pouring water into the water tank, A lid for opening and closing the water inlet, A water basin for collecting wastewater, A drainage channel connected to the water tank, which allows water to flow from the water tank to the water receiver, A water supply channel connected to the water tank and for flowing water from the water tank to the steam generator, The system includes a switching mechanism for opening and closing the drainage channel and the water supply channel, The cooking appliance is characterized in that the switching mechanism can be switched between a first state in which only the drainage channel is open, a second state in which only the water supply channel is open, and a third state in which both the water supply channel and the drainage channel are closed.

2. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, further comprising a heating means for heating the water contained in the water tank and at least one of a heating means for heating the drainage channel.

3. The heating cooker according to claim 1, further characterized by having a drainage passage for allowing water in the steam generator to flow to the water receiver.

4. The heating appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner diameter of the drainage channel is formed to be larger than the inner diameter of the water supply channel.

5. The heating appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a switching operation unit for operating the switching mechanism.

6. A sloping section is provided at the bottom of the water tank. The drainage channel is connected to the lowest part of the inclined section. The heating appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the water supply channel is connected to a position higher than the lowest point.

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