Heating Regulator

Abstract

To provide a cooking appliance that easily harmonizes with other home appliances and the room's atmosphere, while maintaining and improving internal visibility and ease of use. [Solution] The heating cooker comprises a main body, a heating device, a door, an imaging unit, an illumination unit, and a display unit. The main body has a heating chamber inside capable of accommodating the object to be heated. The heating device heats the object to be heated. The door is provided to be openable and closable and has an inner surface and an outer surface. The imaging unit is provided on a part of the inner surface of the door and is capable of imaging the inside of the heating chamber. The illumination unit illuminates the inside of the heating chamber when imaging is performed by the imaging unit. The display unit is capable of displaying at least the image captured by the imaging unit. Furthermore, when the door is closed, the non-transparent occupancy rate of the non-transparent viewing area is greater than the transmittance occupancy rate of

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a cooking appliance.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a cooking appliance that heats and cooks an object to be heated, such as food, by storing it in a heating chamber (cooking chamber). The cooking appliance includes a door that can open and close an opening for taking in and out the object to be heated with respect to the heating chamber. Many of these doors have a viewing window formed of glass or the like, so that the heating state (cooking state) of the object to be heated during cooking can be visually confirmed. In addition, there has been proposed a cooking appliance in which an imaging device is arranged inside the heating chamber, and the state of the object to be heated during cooking and whether or not the object to be heated exists in the cooking chamber can be determined.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In recent years, the concept of total coordination has been introduced into household appliances. For example, in a cooking appliance arranged in a kitchen, consideration is being given to a design that is easy to harmonize with various household appliances arranged around it and the atmosphere of the kitchen. Also, in that case, it is desirable not only in terms of design but also to have a structure that makes it easy to confirm the state of the object to be heated stored inside the heating chamber as in a conventional cooking appliance.

[0005] One example of a problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a cooking appliance that is easy to harmonize with other home appliances and the atmosphere of a room (such as a kitchen), while maintaining and improving internal visibility and ease of use. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A heating cooker according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a main body, a heating device, a door, an imaging unit, an illumination unit, and a display unit. The main body includes a heating chamber inside that can accommodate an object to be heated and has an opening on the front side. The heating device heats the object to be heated contained in the heating chamber. The door is provided to open and close relative to the opening and includes an inner surface facing the opening and an outer surface opposite to the inner surface. The imaging unit is provided on a part of the inner surface of the door and is capable of capturing an image showing the internal state of the heating chamber. The illumination unit illuminates the inside of the heating chamber when the imaging unit is capturing an image. The display unit is capable of displaying at least the image captured by the imaging unit. Furthermore, when the door is closed, the non-transparent occupancy rate of the non-transparent viewing area is greater than the transparent occupancy rate of the transparent viewing area that allows transparent viewing of the inside of the heating chamber through the opening, and the display unit is positioned on the outer surface of the door in the non-transparent viewing area. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] With the above-described cooking appliance, the structure of the door is simplified by making the inside of the main body less visible, and the design of the outside of the door is also simplified, making it easier to harmonize with the surrounding environment (for example, other home appliances or the atmosphere of the room). Furthermore, the image (video information) showing the condition of the inside of the heating chamber captured by the imaging unit is displayed on a display unit located in the opaque viewing area that occupies a large area on the outside of the door, so when using the cooking appliance, it is easy for the user to perceive the state of the food being heated as if they were seeing through the glass. As a result, it is possible to provide a cooking appliance that harmonizes easily with its surroundings while maintaining and improving the internal visibility function and ease of use. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an exemplary and schematic perspective view showing the appearance of the cooking appliance according to the embodiment when it is not in use. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is an illustrative and schematic front view showing the inside of the heating chamber with the door of the heating appliance according to the embodiment in the open position. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an illustrative and schematic diagram showing the heating structure of a cooking appliance according to an embodiment, as well as the imaging by the imaging unit and the illumination by the lighting unit. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is an illustrative and schematic diagram showing setting operation information that assists in setting up the cooking appliance according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is an illustrative and schematic external perspective view showing the state in which the operation unit for setting the operating status of the heating cooker according to the embodiment is displayed on the display unit. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is an exemplary and schematic external perspective view showing video information of the inside of the heating chamber of the cooking appliance according to the embodiment being displayed on a display unit provided on the door. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is an exemplary and schematic external perspective view showing a cooling passage formed inside the door of the cooking appliance according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Several embodiments will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 7. Note that in this specification, components and descriptions of such components may be expressed in multiple ways. The components and their descriptions are examples and are not limited by the expressions used herein. Components may also be identified by names different from those used herein. Furthermore, components may also be described by expressions different from those used herein.

[0010] Figure 1 is an exemplary and schematic perspective view showing the external appearance of the cooking appliance 10 according to an embodiment. Figure 2 is an exemplary and schematic front view showing the inside of the heating chamber 14 with the door portion 12 of the cooking appliance 10 in the open state. Figure 3 is an exemplary and schematic explanatory diagram showing the heating structure of the cooking appliance 10, as well as the state of photography by the imaging unit 16 and illumination by the lighting unit 18. Figure 4 is an exemplary and schematic explanatory diagram showing setting operation information 20 that assists in setting operations when using the cooking appliance 10. Figure 5 is an exemplary and schematic external perspective view showing the state in which the operation unit 22a for setting the operating state of the cooking appliance 10 is displayed on the display unit 24. Figure 6 is an exemplary and schematic external perspective view showing the state in which video information 26, which is an image of the inside of the heating chamber 14 of the cooking appliance 10, is displayed on the display unit 24 provided on the door portion 12. Figure 7 is an exemplary and schematic external perspective view showing the cooling passage 28 formed inside the door portion 12 of the cooking appliance 10.

[0011] An example of the cooking appliance 10 in this embodiment is a multi-functional oven range capable of various cooking methods. In this embodiment, the cooking appliance 10 has defined X, Y, and Z directions. The X direction is the width direction of the cooking appliance 10, the Y direction is the depth direction of the cooking appliance 10, and the Z direction is the height direction of the cooking appliance 10.

[0012] The main body 30 of the cooking appliance 10 is configured in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and includes a metal cabinet 32. The cabinet 32 ​​is a component that covers the outer casing of the cooking appliance 10. That is, as shown in Figure 2, the cabinet 32 ​​covers the heating chamber 14. A door 12 that can be opened and closed is provided on the front of the main body 30. The door 12 is configured to open and close in relation to an opening 34 formed on the front side of the main body 30 (the front side of the heating chamber 14). In the case of the cooking appliance 10 of this embodiment, the door 12 is supported at the lower part of the opening 34, for example by a hinge, and can be opened and closed with the width direction (direction of arrow X in the figure) as the axis of rotation at the lower part of the opening 34. Therefore, the door 12 is a so-called vertically opening door that operates from the closed state shown in Figure 1 to the open state that is open towards the front of the heating chamber 14, as shown in Figure 2. This structure allows the door 12 to insert and remove the food to be cooked (food to be heated W) into and out of the heating chamber 14. Note that the configuration of the door section 12 is just one example, and it may also be a so-called side-opening door that opens and closes in either the left or right direction.

[0013] The upper part of the door section 12 is provided with a handle 12a (see Figures 1 and 2) for opening and closing the door section 12. The door section 12 also has an inner surface 12M (see Figure 2) that faces the opening 34, and an outer surface 12N (see Figure 1) that is opposite to the inner surface 12M.

[0014] As shown in Figure 3, the main body 30 is equipped with a heating chamber 14 (also called a cooking chamber) capable of accommodating food or ingredients, which are to be heated W. The food to be heated W is placed on the bottom surface 36a of the heating chamber 14 in an individual dish D. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 2, the food to be heated W may be placed directly on a rectangular plate (not shown) whose ends in the X direction are supported by a pair of left and right rectangular plate supports 38a, 38b and rectangular plate supports 38c, 38d extending in the depth direction (arrow Y direction in the figure) on the side walls 36b, 36c of the heating chamber 14, or it may be placed on an individual dish D, etc. In the case of Figure 2, rectangular plate supports 38a and 38b form the upper rectangular plate supports, and rectangular plate supports 38c and 38d form the lower rectangular plate supports. The number of rectangular plate supports may be, for example, one or three or more.

[0015] The cooking device 10 includes a heating device H that realizes a plurality of cooking functions. Examples of the cooking functions include an oven cooking function that heats the object to be heated W by hot air, a grill cooking function that heats the object to be heated W by the heat of a heater, a range cooking function that irradiates the object to be heated W with microwaves for cooking, a steam cooking function that heats the object to be heated W with superheated steam, and the like.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 3, for example, the oven cooking function is realized by a heating air circulation unit 40, which is an example of the heating device H provided rearward隔着后壁部36d of the rear wall portion 36d of the heating chamber 14. The heating air circulation unit 40 includes a heating heater 42a and a circulation fan 42b. When using the oven cooking function, the heat generated by the heating heater 42a heats the circulation air generated by the circulation fan 42b to hot air, which is supplied from the outlet 36da formed in the rear wall portion 36d to the heating chamber 14 to perform oven heating on the object to be heated W. The hot air that has circulated through the heating chamber 14 is sucked by the circulation fan 42b from the suction port 36db formed in the rear wall portion 36d and returned to the heating air circulation unit 40 to be reheated. Then, it is supplied again from the outlet 36da to the heating chamber 14, enabling continuous oven heating.

[0017] Also, as shown in FIG. 3, the grill cooking function is realized by an upper heater 44 for grill, which is an example of the heating device H. The upper heater 44 is provided, for example, on the upper wall surface 36e of the heating chamber 14, and radiatively heats the object to be heated W from above the heating chamber 14. Therefore, by the heat radiation associated with the energization of the upper heater 44, the object to be heated W accommodated in the heating chamber 14 can be grill-heated from above.

[0018] Next, the microwave cooking function will be described. As shown in Figure 3, the bottom surface 36a of the heating chamber 14 functions as a stand for placing the object to be heated W or individual plates D (containers, etc.). The bottom surface 36a is made of glass, ceramic, or the like, which transmits microwaves. Below the bottom surface 36a, an example of a heating device H, a microwave generator 46, is arranged to radiate microwaves into the internal space of the heating chamber 14. The microwave generator 46 consists of, for example, a magnetron 46a, a magnetron drive unit (not shown), a waveguide 46b, a rotating antenna 46c, an antenna rotation motor 46d, and an antenna housing 46e. The magnetron 46a is located in the rear (back) space of the main body 30 (for example, below the heating air circulation unit 40) and is capable of supplying microwaves, which are radio waves, into the heating chamber 14. The magnetron drive unit drives the magnetron 46a. The waveguide 46b is located below the bottom surface 36a of the heating chamber 14. The rotating antenna 46c is located below the bottom surface 36a, and the antenna rotation motor 46d rotates the rotating antenna 46c. The antenna housing 46e is made up of a part of the waveguide 46b and a metal plate, and is a concave housing component with an open top that houses the rotating antenna 46c. The bottom surface 36a covers the opening on the top surface of the antenna housing 46e, thereby forming a low wall in the heating chamber 14.

[0019] The rotating antenna 46c stirs the microwaves oscillated by the magnetron 46a and guided by the waveguide 46b directly below the rotating antenna 46c. As a result, the heated object W placed on the bottom surface 36a or the heated object W contained in a container such as an individual dish D placed on the bottom surface 36a is irradiated with microwaves evenly. The rotating antenna 46c is arranged to face the bottom surface 36a such that the entire rotating antenna 46c is parallel to the bottom surface 36a. Note that the main body 30 constituting the heating chamber 14 is covered with a metal cabinet 32, and the heating chamber 14 (sometimes referred to as an oven compartment) itself is also made of metal. Therefore, the inner surface of the heating chamber 14 except for the bottom surface 36a is formed of a material that is impermeable to microwaves. Also, the door 12 is formed of a material that is impermeable to microwaves. The peripheral wall of the microwave generator 46 except for the upper surface is also made of metal. Therefore, when performing range cooking in the heating chamber 14, the configuration is such that microwaves do not leak outside the heating cooker 10.

[0020] In this way, by energizing the microwave generator 46, microwaves can be radiated to the heated object W accommodated in the heating chamber 14 to range-heat the heated object W.

[0021] Also, the steam heating cooking function is realized, for example, by spraying steam supplied from the steam ejection holes 48a of a steam supply device 48, which is an example of a heating device H provided in the side wall portions 36b, 36c, etc., so as to wrap the heated object W.

[0022] Each cooking function of the heating cooker 10 configured in this way is realized by executing a pre-stored cooking program. As will be described later, the cooking program refers to the setting operation information 20 (for example, FIG. 4) provided on the inner door surface 12M of the door 12, etc., selects numbers (menu numbers) etc. associated with them in advance based on the food ingredients and cooking names, etc., and can be executed by inputting using an operation unit 22a (for example, an input key group) displayed on the outer door surface 12N of the door 12.

[0023] Incidentally, in the case of many existing cooking appliances, the interior of the heating chamber is visible through the door so that the condition of the food being heated can be checked during cooking. For example, the door is designed so that the interior of the heating chamber can be seen through, with heat-resistant glass covering almost the entire inner surface (heating chamber side) of the door and surface glass (which may also be heat-resistant glass) covering almost the entire outer surface (door surface side) of the door. Furthermore, when using the microwave cooking function of the cooking appliance, the door is designed to form an electromagnetic shield structure by sandwiching perforated metal or the like between the front and back glass to ensure that microwave leakage remains within regulatory limits. Perforated metal is, for example, a mesh-like plate member with many circular openings. By turning on the lighting unit installed inside the heating chamber, the interior of the heating chamber (the progress of cooking, etc.) can be seen through the numerous openings via the door (the glass sandwiching the perforated metal). The interior of the heating chamber can be seen in a similar manner when using other cooking functions.

[0024] Thus, in the case of a cooking appliance whose door is made of glass and perforated metal, while it is possible to make it difficult to see inside by turning off the light when not in use, depending on the lighting conditions of the room (kitchen, etc.) and the viewing direction, the inside of the heating chamber may be visible or the presence of the perforated metal may be conspicuous. In addition, surrounding objects may be reflected in the glass surface of the door. As a result, it may be difficult to harmonize with other home appliances and the atmosphere of the room (kitchen, etc.).

[0025] Therefore, in this embodiment, the door portion 12 of the heating cooker 10 is configured such that, when the door portion 12 is closed, the opacity of the opacity of the opacity of the opacity of the visibility portion 52, which does not allow visibility into the heating chamber 14 through the opening 34, is greater than the visibility of the visibility portion 50 in the door portion 12, which allows visibility into the heating chamber 14 through the opening 34. For example, the opacity of the visibility portion 52 is arranged in a region including the central part of the outer surface 12N of the door. Note that the door portion 12 may have a visibility portion 50 in part, but basically, the entire surface of the door portion 12 (outer surface 12N), including the central part, can be made an opacity of the visibility portion 52 so that the inside of the heating chamber 14 cannot be seen through the door portion 12. The provision of a visibility portion 50 in part will be described later. Also, Figure 1 shows a position where a visibility portion 50 can be placed in part of the door portion 12, but the explanation will be given assuming that the entire surface of the door portion 12 (outer surface 12N) is an opacity of the visibility portion 52.

[0026] If the entire surface of the door section 12 (outer door surface 12N) is made into an opaque viewing area 52, the door section 12 does not need to have transparent materials (such as glass) on the inner and outer surfaces of the door, as is the case with conventional heating appliance doors, nor does it need to have a laminated structure with perforated metal or the like interposed between the inner and outer surfaces of the door. In other words, the door section 12 can be constructed from a metal plate or the like, similar to the side wall section 36b, etc., to realize an electromagnetic shielding structure that suppresses microwave leakage. This contributes to simplifying the structure of the door section 12.

[0027] As described above, when the door portion 12 (door outer surface 12N) is configured such that the transparency occupancy rate of the opaque viewing portion 52 is greater than the transparency occupancy rate of the transparent viewing portion 50, for example, when the entire surface of the door portion 12 (door outer surface 12N) is made up of the opaque viewing portion 52, a structure is needed that allows the inside of the heating chamber 14 to be seen, similar to conventional heating cookers. Therefore, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the heating cooker 10 of this embodiment includes an imaging unit 16 capable of capturing images (image information) showing the internal state of the heating chamber 14, and an illumination unit 18 that illuminates the inside of the heating chamber 14. The heating cooker 10 also includes a display unit 24 capable of displaying the images captured by the imaging unit 16.

[0028] The imaging unit 16 is provided, for example, on a part of the inner surface 12M of the door 12. The installation position of the imaging unit 16 can be appropriately selected as long as it is on the inner surface 12M of the door, but as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the imaging unit 16 can be provided, for example, in the central region of the inner surface 12M of the door 12. For example, in Figure 2, by arranging the imaging unit 16 (lens) in the central region C, which includes the central part in the X direction and the central part in the Y direction, it becomes possible to image almost the entire area of ​​the heating chamber 14 when the door 12 is closed. In this case, the imaging unit 16 can capture an image as if looking into the interior from the outer surface 12N side of the door when the door 12 is closed. In other words, it becomes possible to obtain an image equivalent to the state of seeing through the door in a conventional heating cooker.

[0029] The imaging unit 16 can be any known imaging device, provided it is configured and positioned so as not to be affected by microwaves or cooking in the heating chamber 14 (heat, steam, etc.). The imaging unit 16 can, for example, utilize a digital camera incorporating an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or CIS (CMOS image sensor). The imaging unit 16 can output video data at a predetermined frame rate. Alternatively, the imaging unit 16 may capture and output still images.

[0030] Furthermore, the inner surface 12M of the door, which does not need to be visible from the outer surface 12N, can be used as free space except for the installation position of the imaging unit 16. Therefore, the non-transparent visible area 52 on the inner surface 12M side of the door unit 12 can be used as a setting information area 20a for displaying (indicating) setting operation information 20 for setting the operating state of the heating appliance 10 shown in Figure 4.

[0031] The setting operation information 20 is information that supports the use of the cooking appliance 10, and is operation information (for example, operation menu, cooking menu, etc.) that is input via the operation unit 22a when using the cooking appliance 10. Details of the operation unit 22a will be described later. Figure 4 is an example of the setting operation information 20 displayed (notated) on the setting information area 20a (non-transparent viewing area 52) on the inner surface 12M of the door of the cooking appliance 10. In the example shown in Figure 4, ingredients or dish names are associated with numbers and displayed as "reheating menu" and "cooking menu". Also, cleaning types are associated with numbers and displayed as "maintenance menu". By specifying a number (menu number) from the operation unit 22a and operating the cooking appliance 10, the cooking appliance 10 operates according to the operating conditions corresponding to the menu number. Note that the setting operation information 20 shown in Figure 4 is just an example, and various menus for realizing the functions of the cooking appliance 10 are displayed. In addition, information specifying the heating time, the quantity to be heated, the heating temperature, etc. may be displayed for each menu.

[0032] The setting operation information 20 can be arranged to be displayed directly on the setting information area 20a (non-transparent viewing area 52) using heat-resistant paint or the like, so that the upper side of the display (notation) faces the back side (Y direction) of the inner surface 12M of the door, allowing the user to easily recognize the displayed characters, etc., when facing the cooking appliance 10 with the door 12 open. In this case, it is possible to easily form setting operation information 20 that is less prone to distortion of characters and numbers due to thermal deformation, and it is easier to maintain visibility because distortion is easily suppressed. In addition, the setting information area 20a can be set over a wide area on the inner surface 12M of the door, excluding the installation area of ​​the imaging unit 16. Therefore, it is possible to display the setting operation information 20 in a large, easy-to-recognize font, for example, or to group and arrange it by menu, thereby contributing to improved recognition of the setting operation information 20. In another embodiment, the setting operation information 20 printed on a sheet-like base may be placed on the setting information area 20a. In this case, if the number of available menus increases due to an update of the cooking control program of the heating appliance 10, the setting operation information 20 can be easily updated by replacing the sheet-like base, thereby contributing to improved convenience.

[0033] When cooking based on the setting operation information 20, the user of the cooking appliance 10 first opens the door 12 and places the food to be cooked (the food to be heated W) in a suitable state for cooking, for example, on an individual plate D or on a rectangular plate, in a predetermined position (for example, the center) inside the heating chamber 14. Then, the user finds the number corresponding to the food to be cooked or the name of the dish from the setting operation information 20 located in the setting information area 20a. In this case, since the setting operation information 20 is located on the inner surface 12M of the door 12, even if the food to be heated W, individual plate D, rectangular plate, etc. are already placed in the heating chamber 14, the setting operation information 20 can be easily viewed without being hidden by the food to be heated W, individual plate D, rectangular plate, etc. Furthermore, even if spills occur inside the heating chamber 14 during past cooking, there is little possibility that the spilled liquid will adhere to the inner surface 12M of the door 12, which is in a nearly upright position when closed. In other words, even when the cooking appliance 10 is used for a long period of time, it is possible to avoid a decrease in the visibility of the setting operation information 20.

[0034] Furthermore, when the door section 12 is open, the setting operation information 20 is located on the inner surface 12M of the opened door section 12, in a position where the user can look down on it and closer to the user than the main unit 30. Therefore, it is easier to recognize compared to when the setting operation information 20 is displayed on another part of the cooking appliance 10.

[0035] The illumination unit 18 is controlled to light up to illuminate the inside of the heating chamber 14 when imaging is performed by the imaging unit 16. In the case of the heating cooker 10 of this embodiment, as described above, the outer surface 12N of the door 12 is configured such that the opacity of the opaque viewing area 52 is large (for example, so that the entire surface becomes the opaque viewing area 52). Therefore, when the door 12 is closed, it is difficult to illuminate the inside of the heating chamber 14 with ambient light. To address this, the illumination unit 18 is configured to illuminate the inside of the heating chamber 14 at the time imaging is performed by the imaging unit 16. As a result, the object to be heated W that can be housed inside can be brought into a state suitable for photography. In this embodiment, the illumination unit 18 is positioned approximately in the center of the upper wall surface 36e of the heating chamber 14 and is positioned to illuminate downwards (-Z direction). By illuminating downwards from approximately the center of the upper wall surface 36e with the illumination unit 18, the object to be heated W placed on the bottom surface 36a of the heating chamber 14 can be effectively illuminated. The installation location of the lighting unit 18 is just an example; it may be installed on the side wall 36b, side wall 36c, rear wall 36d, etc., as long as it can illuminate the object W to be heated. Alternatively, multiple lighting units 18 may be installed inside the heating chamber 14.

[0036] As described above, in the case of the heating appliance 10 of this embodiment, an opaque viewing section 52 is provided on the outer surface 12N of the door. Therefore, it is possible to place a display unit 24 capable of displaying at least the image captured by the imaging unit 16 in the opaque viewing section 52. As described above, since the opaque viewing section 52 is located in an area including the central part of the outer surface 12N of the door, the display unit 24 can also be located in an area including the central part of the outer surface 12N of the door. In this case, it becomes possible to install the display unit 24 using a wide area including the central area of ​​the outer surface 12N of the door, and the image information captured by the imaging unit 16 can be provided to the user of the heating appliance 10 in an easy-to-view state. In addition, the display unit 24 may have a display area similar in size to the viewing window for transparent viewing in conventional heating appliances, but it is also possible to have a large display unit that uses the entire outer surface 12N of the door as the display area. In this case, it becomes possible to display the status of the heating chamber 14 in a more magnified and easy-to-view state, and the status of the heated object W can be checked more effectively.

[0037] Furthermore, the display unit 24 may also be an operation display unit 22 that includes an operation unit 22a for performing setting operations based on the setting operation information 20 described above. That is, the display unit 24 can be configured as a touch panel to form an operation display unit 22 that displays a touch-operable operation unit 22a. In conventional heating appliances, almost the entire surface of the door was occupied by a viewing window for transparent viewing of the inside of the heating chamber, so the operation unit was often placed in a limited position such as the side of the door. On the other hand, in the case of the heating appliance 10 of this embodiment, as described above, the non-transparent viewing unit 52 is arranged over a wide area including the central part of the outer surface 12N of the door, and the display unit 24 (operation display unit 22) is also arranged in an area including the central part of the outer surface 12N of the door. In other words, the operation unit 22a can also be installed (displayed) using a wide area in the central part of the outer surface 12N of the door. As a result, compared to the case where a dedicated operation unit is placed in a limited position such as the side of the door as in the conventional case, it becomes possible to form a large, easy-to-operate operation unit 22a in, for example, the central area of ​​the outer surface 12N of the door. Therefore, by arranging the controls in this way, it is possible to provide an operation unit 22a that is easier to operate (easier to input and to confirm input content). The position of the operation unit 22a can be changed as appropriate. For example, it may be positioned (displayed) in an easily accessible location on the outer surface 12N of the door through user settings. The layout and display colors of each switch and display unit of the operation unit 22a may also be changed as appropriate by the user.

[0038] When the cooking appliance 10 is not in use, the display unit 24 is completely hidden (unlit), as shown in Figure 1, and is, for example, black. As described above, the operation unit 22a is configured to display on the display unit 24, so when the cooking appliance 10 is not in use, the entire outer surface 12N of the door can be a simple, flat configuration without switches or anything like that. In other words, the operation unit 22a is displayed only when in use and hidden when the cooking appliance 10 is not in use. As a result, it is easy to simplify the outer surface 12N of the door. In other words, it is possible to configure a cooking appliance 10 that is easy to harmonize with its surroundings. In addition, since the inside of the heating chamber 14 is not visible, the cooking appliance 10 is easy to harmonize with the colors of surrounding home appliances and the atmosphere of the room (kitchen, etc.), which can contribute to improving the product value. The surface color of the display unit 24 when it is unlit can be selected as appropriate. Furthermore, when the cooking appliance 10 is not in use, the display unit 24 may display a single color (for example, black or white), or display an arbitrary design image or video. As a result, it becomes possible to harmonize the colors of surrounding home appliances and the atmosphere of the room (kitchen, etc.) according to the user's preferences. Thus, in the case of the cooking appliance 10 of this embodiment, the user can select the color and design of the cooking appliance 10 (outer door surface 12N) according to their preferences, and even if the surrounding atmosphere changes after the cooking appliance 10 is installed (for example, by replacing other home appliances), it is possible to easily re-harmonize the appliance.

[0039] As described above, when the heating cooker 10 is first used, the display unit 24 can display the operation unit 22a, which functions as an input key for the touch panel, as shown in Figure 5. The operation unit 22a displays the following: selection switch 22aa, input switch 22ab, menu number display unit 22ac, quantity display unit 22ad, cooking time display unit 22ae, start switch 22af, cancel switch 22ag, etc. The selection switch 22aa is a switch for selecting the heating cooking function. The input switch 22ab is a switch for inputting the cooking menu number selected in the setting operation information 20. The menu number display unit 22ac is an area that displays the cooking menu number entered by the input switch 22ab. The quantity display unit 22ad is an area that displays the cooking quantity. The cooking time display unit 22ae is an area that displays the remaining cooking time, etc. The start switch 22af is a switch that starts processing such as cooking or cleaning. The cancel switch 22ag is a switch that cancels the input content or cooking. Note that the display content on the control unit 22a is just an example and can be changed as appropriate by updating the control program of the cooking appliance 10 or by user settings.

[0040] The operation unit 22a can be displayed, for example, by touching a part of the display unit 24 (operation display unit 22) when the display unit 24 is turned off (not in use). Alternatively, when the open door unit 12 is closed, the operation unit 22a may be displayed for a predetermined display period (for example, about 10 to 20 seconds). In this case, if the operation unit 22a is operated after the door unit 12 is closed, the display of the operation unit 22a will continue at least during the operation. In this case, the display content of the operation unit 22a may change sequentially depending on the operation. On the other hand, if the operation unit 22a is not operated, the display of the operation unit 22a will end after the predetermined display period has elapsed. That is, the entire display unit 24 will be, for example, in a non-display state (off state). As a result, the outer surface of the door 12N will return to, for example, black, and will transition to a state that is easy to harmonize with the surroundings, as shown in Figure 1.

[0041] Furthermore, at least a portion of the outer surface 12N of the door section 12 may be provided with an anti-reflective layer. The anti-reflective layer can be composed of a film layer or a glass layer. The anti-reflective layer can be formed using, for example, an AR (Anti-Reflection) film, an LR (Low-Reflection) film, an AG film (Anti-Glare), a phase difference film, or frosted glass, and suppresses or reduces reflection on the outer surface 12N of the door. By suppressing or reducing reflection on the outer surface 12N of the door, reflections on the outer surface 12N are suppressed or reduced, which contributes to maintaining the uniformity of the color of the outer surface 12N of the door when the cooking appliance 10 is not in use (when the display section 24 is not displayed), such as black, and suppressing surface inconsistencies such as reflections. As a result, a cooking appliance 10 that easily harmonizes with surrounding home appliances and the atmosphere of the room (kitchen) can be provided. Furthermore, by providing an anti-reflective layer, even if fingerprints or other marks adhere to the outer surface 12N of the door (display area 24), the marks will be less noticeable. In this respect as well, it is easier to harmonize the door with surrounding home appliances and the atmosphere of the room (kitchen).

[0042] In the heating appliance 10 configured as described above, after the food to be heated W is placed in the heating chamber 14, the user selects a cooking menu number or the like from the setting operation information 20 displayed on the inner surface 12M of the open door section 12. Then, with the door section 12 closed, the user performs the necessary setting operations for heating using the operation section 22a displayed on the display section 24 (operation display section 22). Once the setting operations are complete and the start switch 22af is touched, heating begins.

[0043] In the heating cooker 10, when heating is initiated, the imaging unit 16 transitions to a state where it can begin imaging the heating chamber 14. The imaging unit 16 may continuously perform imaging during heating, or it may perform imaging at predetermined intervals for predetermined periods. The imaging unit 16 may capture video or still images. The user may select between video and still image capture via the operation unit 22a, or it may be automatically switched according to the progress of cooking. The lighting unit 18 lights up at the timing when imaging is performed by the imaging unit 16, illuminating the inside of the heating chamber 14. By turning off the lighting unit 18 when not imaging, energy saving can be improved.

[0044] When imaging is being performed by the imaging unit 16, the display unit 24 may display video information 26 of the inside of the heating chamber 14, as shown in Figure 6. The display unit 24 may display the video information 26 at all times when imaging is being performed by the imaging unit 16, or it may display the video information 26 when the user performs a predetermined display operation, such as double-touching the display unit 24 (operation display unit 22). Alternatively, the display unit 24 may display the video information 26 at predetermined intervals for a predetermined period during heating.

[0045] The cooking appliance 10 may also store the video information 26 captured by the imaging unit 16 in a storage unit (not shown) for a predetermined period. The stored video information 26 can be accessed as needed and displayed on the display unit 24 during or after cooking, allowing users to review and confirm the progress of the cooking. The video information 26 (including stored past video information 26) may also be transferable to a predetermined terminal device or cloud server via a wired or wireless connection. In this case, it becomes possible to check the progress of cooking from a location away from the cooking appliance 10 (for example, in the living room). Furthermore, the video information 26 stored on the cloud server can be used as an attached video for cooking records, recipes, etc.

[0046] The display unit 24 may continue to display the video information 26 for a predetermined period after the completion of cooking, for example, until the door unit 12 is open. In this case, displaying the video information 26 along with an output such as an alarm indicating the end of cooking makes it easier for the user to clearly recognize that cooking has ended. It also helps prevent forgetting to remove the heated food W after cooking is complete. Alternatively, the display unit 24 may switch between displaying and hiding the video information 26 at predetermined intervals after the completion of cooking. In this case, it makes it easier to highlight the end of cooking and the presence of the heated food W inside the heating chamber 14.

[0047] The display unit 24 shows video information 26 after cooking is complete; this may be a still image of the completed cooking or a video. When video information 26 is displayed as a video after cooking is complete, it makes it easier for the user to understand the situation if the heat from the heating chamber 14 continues to heat the food being cooked W after cooking is complete.

[0048] When the object to be heated W is removed from the heating chamber 14, the cooking appliance 10 determines that the series of heating and cooking processes is complete, terminates the display on the display unit 24, returns to the non-use state shown in Figure 1, that is, returns the outer surface of the door 12N to, for example, a black state, and enters a pause state. As a result, the cooking appliance 10 returns to a form that easily blends in with surrounding home appliances and the atmosphere of the room.

[0049] Incidentally, when various cooking processes are performed, the inside of the heating chamber of a cooking appliance becomes very hot. Therefore, heat dissipation and cooling structures are sometimes provided in various places. In particular, the door, which users may touch during or after cooking, may have a cooling structure inside the door. In conventional cooking appliances where the inside of the heating chamber can be seen through a viewing window on the door, the placement of the cooling structure inside the door was often constrained, such as having to avoid the viewing window.

[0050] On the other hand, in the case of the heating appliance 10 of this embodiment, the opacity of the opacity of the opacity of the visibility portion 52 is greater than the transparency of the visibility portion 50 in the door portion 12. For example, in the configuration shown in Figure 1, etc., the substantially entire surface of the door portion 12 can basically be made up of the opacity of the visibility portion 52. Therefore, as shown in Figure 7, when a cooling passage 28 through which a cooling medium for cooling the door portion 12 can flow is formed inside the door portion 12 (between the inner surface 12M and the outer surface 12N of the door), it is less constrained by other parts, etc. In other words, the degree of freedom in the arrangement and design of the cooling passage 28 in the door portion 12 can be improved. As a result, it is possible to improve the cooling efficiency of the heating appliance 10 (door portion 12). The cooling medium flowing inside the cooling passage 28 may be air flowing by a cooling fan installed on the main body portion 30 side, or it may be a liquid cooling medium.

[0051] In the case of Figure 7, when the door section 12 is closed to the main body section 30, the cooling passage 28's inlet 28a is connected (closely sealed) to a supply port (not shown) formed on the main body section 30 side, and receives a supply of cooling medium. The cooling medium then flows through the cooling passage 28, which meanders inside the door section 12, and is returned to the main body section 30 side via a return port (not shown) formed on the main body section 30 through the outlet 28b. By circulating the cooling medium in this way, the door section 12 can be cooled effectively.

[0052] Note that the formation pattern of the cooling passage 28 shown in Figure 7 is just one example and can be changed as appropriate. In the case of Figure 7, it is a meandering pattern with the longer side portion in the X direction, but in other embodiments, the formation pattern may be a meandering pattern with the longer side portion in the Z direction. In addition, multiple inlets 28a and outlets 28b may be provided to form multiple independent cooling passages 28. In this case, it becomes possible to shorten the flow path length of each cooling passage 28, and cooling can be performed more efficiently compared to the case where the entire door section 12 is cooled by a single cooling passage 28 as in Figure 7. Furthermore, in other embodiments, the temperature distribution of the door section 12 during cooking may be obtained by experimentation, etc., and the formation pattern and distribution density of the cooling passages 28 may be determined based on that temperature distribution. In this case, it becomes possible to more effectively cool the parts of the door section 12 that can become hot, and the overall cooling efficiency of the door section 12 can be further improved.

[0053] In this embodiment, as an example of configuring the door portion 12 (door outer surface 12N) such that the percentage of the opaque viewing area 52 that is transparent is greater than the percentage of the transparent viewing area 50 that is transparent, the case in which the entire surface of the door portion 12 (door outer surface 12N) is made opaque viewing area 52 is shown. In other embodiments, a transparent viewing area 50 may be provided in a part of the door portion 12 (door outer surface 12N). Another embodiment in which a transparent viewing area 50 is provided will be described using Figure 1. The position of the transparent viewing area 50 can be selected as appropriate, but as shown by the dashed line in Figure 1, it can be formed as a relatively small viewing window in a part of the door portion 12 (door outer surface 12N), for example, in an inconspicuous position near the handle 12a. In this case, the transparent viewing section 50 can be constructed in a similar manner to the door of a conventional cooking appliance, with the outer surface 12N and inner surface 12M of the door made of a transparent material such as glass, and a perforated metal or the like for preventing microwave leakage interposed between them. The viewing window, which is the transparent viewing section 50, can be used to check the inside of the heating chamber 14 as an auxiliary measure, for example, to directly view the object being heated W if there is a problem with imaging by the imaging unit 16.

[0054] Thus, even when a transparent viewing section 50 is provided on the outer surface 12N of the door, by minimizing its size, the configuration on the outer surface 12N of the door can be mainly composed of an opaque viewing section 52, making it easier to maintain harmony with the surrounding environment (for example, other home appliances or the atmosphere of the room).

[0055] The imaging unit 16 may also be capable of changing the field of view, zooming in, and zooming out during shooting. Changing the field of view, zooming in, and zooming out may be done automatically according to the progress of cooking, or the user may be able to do so as appropriate using the operation unit 22a. In addition, in the case of the heating cooker 10 of this embodiment, an example is shown in which only one imaging unit 16 is placed on the inner surface 12M of the door, but multiple imaging units 16 may be installed inside the heating chamber 14 so that images captured from multiple directions are displayed on the display unit 24. In this case, the selection of the image to be displayed may be done automatically according to the progress of cooking, or the user may be able to do so as appropriate using the operation unit 22a. In the case of the heating cooker 10 of this embodiment, the display unit 24 can be configured as a single screen, so it is possible to display image information captured by multiple imaging units 16 side by side, and each image information can be checked.

[0056] <Summary> The heating cooker 10 according to the embodiment described above comprises a main body 30 having a heating chamber 14 inside that can accommodate an object to be heated W and has an opening 34 on the front side; a heating device H for heating the object to be heated W housed in the heating chamber 14; a door 12 that is openable and closable relative to the opening 34 and has an inner door surface 12M facing the opening 34 and an outer door surface 12N on the opposite side of the inner door surface 12M; an imaging unit 16 provided on a part of the inner door surface 12M that can capture an image showing the internal state of the heating chamber 14; an illumination unit 18 that illuminates the inside of the heating chamber 14 when imaging is performed by the imaging unit 16; and a display unit 24 that can display at least the image captured by the imaging unit 16. Furthermore, when the door section 12 is closed, the non-transparent occupancy rate of the non-transparent viewing section 52, which does not allow transparent viewing, is greater than the transparent occupancy rate of the transparent viewing section 50 in the door section 12, which allows transparent viewing of the inside of the heating chamber 14 through the opening 34. The display section 24 is located on the outer surface 12N of the door in the non-transparent viewing section 52.

[0057] In this way, by making the interior of the main body 30 difficult to see, the structure of the door 12 is simplified, and the design of the door exterior 12N is also simplified, making it possible to provide a cooking appliance 10 that easily harmonizes with the surrounding environment (for example, other home appliances or the atmosphere of the room). Furthermore, since the condition of the interior of the heating chamber 14 captured by the imaging unit 16 is displayed on the display unit 24 located on the opaque viewing unit 52 which occupies a large area of ​​the door exterior 12N, when using the cooking appliance 10, it is possible to make it easy for the user to recognize the state of the food being heated W as if they were seeing through the glass. As a result, it is possible to provide a cooking appliance that easily harmonizes with its surroundings while maintaining and improving the internal visibility function and ease of use.

[0058] Furthermore, the opaque viewing section 52 of the cooking appliance 10 may be arranged in an area including the central part of the outer surface 12N of the door, for example, and the display section 24 may be positioned at the central position of the opaque viewing section 52. With this configuration, for example, the display section 24 can be installed using a wide area of ​​the central part of the outer surface 12N of the door, and the video information captured by the imaging section 16 can be provided to the user of the cooking appliance 10 in an easy-to-view state.

[0059] Furthermore, the display unit 24 of the heating appliance 10 may be, for example, an operation display unit 22 equipped with an operation unit 22a for setting the operating status of the heating device H. With this configuration, for example, the operation unit 22a can be displayed only when in use and can be hidden when the heating appliance 10 is not in use. As a result, the outer surface of the door 12N can be simplified, or in other words, it can be made easier to harmonize with the surroundings. In addition, by placing the operation unit 22a on the opaque viewing area 52 of the outer surface of the door 12N, it becomes possible to form a larger, easier-to-operate operation unit 22a compared to the case where a dedicated operation unit is provided on the outer surface of the door 12N.

[0060] Furthermore, the inner surface 12M of the door portion 12 of the heating cooker 10 may include, for example, a setting information area 20a on the non-transparent viewing portion 52 where setting operation information 20 for setting the operating state of the heating device H is displayed. With this configuration, for example, it is possible to set the setting operation information 20 over a wide area on the inner surface 12M of the door, excluding the installation area of ​​the imaging unit 16. Therefore, it becomes possible to display the setting operation information 20 in, for example, a large, easily recognizable font, or to group and arrange it by menu, thereby contributing to improved recognition of the setting operation information 20.

[0061] Furthermore, the imaging unit 16 of the heating cooker 10 may be provided, for example, in the central region C of the inner surface 12M of the door 12. With this configuration, for example, when the door 12 is closed, it is possible to capture an image of almost the entire heating chamber 14 as if looking inside from the outer surface 12N side of the door with the door 12 closed. As a result, it becomes possible to obtain an image equivalent to seeing through the door 12 to the inside of the heating chamber 14.

[0062] Furthermore, the door portion 12 of the cooking appliance 10 may have, for example, a cooling passage 28 through which a cooling medium for cooling the door portion 12 can flow, between the inner surface 12M and the outer surface 12N of the door. In this case, the cooling passage 28 can be arranged using an opaque, visible portion 52 that occupies a large area of ​​the door portion 12. Therefore, when a cooling passage 28 through which a cooling medium for cooling the door portion 12 can flow is formed inside the door portion 12 (between the inner surface 12M and the outer surface 12N of the door), it is less susceptible to constraints from other parts, for example. As a result, the degree of freedom in the arrangement and design of the cooling passage 28 in the door portion 12 can be improved. It can also contribute to improving the cooling efficiency of the cooking appliance 10 (door portion 12).

[0063] Furthermore, at least a portion of the outer surface 12N of the door 12 of the cooking appliance 10 may be provided with, for example, an anti-reflective layer. With this configuration, reflection suppression or reduction of reflections on the outer surface 12N of the door can be suppressed or reduced, for example, reflections on the outer surface 12N of the door. As a result, it contributes to maintaining the uniformity of the color of the outer surface 12N of the door when the cooking appliance 10 is not in use (when the display unit 24 is not displayed), such as black, and to suppress any sense of incongruity on the outer surface 12N of the door due to reflections, making it easier to harmonize with surrounding home appliances and the atmosphere of the room (kitchen). In addition, by providing an anti-reflective layer, even if fingerprints or the like adhere to the outer surface 12N of the door (display unit 24), the adherence of fingerprints or the like can be made less noticeable. As a result, it is possible to provide a cooking appliance 10 that is easy to harmonize with surrounding home appliances and the atmosphere of the room (kitchen).

[0064] While several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be carried out in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims of the invention and its equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0065] 10...Cooking unit, 12...Door section, 12M...Inner surface of door, 12N...Outer surface of door, 14...Cooking chamber, 16...Imaging unit, 18...Illumination unit, 20...Setting operation information, 20a...Setting information area, 22...Operation display unit, 22a...Operation unit, 24...Display unit, 26...Video information, 28...Cooling path, 50...Transparent viewing unit, 52...Opaque viewing unit.

Claims

1. A main body having a heating chamber inside that can accommodate the object to be heated and has an opening on the front side, A heating device for heating the object to be heated, which is housed in the heating chamber, A door portion provided so as to be openable and closable with respect to the opening, having an inner surface of the door facing the opening and an outer surface of the door on the opposite side from the inner surface of the door, An imaging unit is provided on a part of the inner surface of the door and is capable of capturing images showing the internal state of the heating chamber. An illumination unit that illuminates the inside of the heating chamber when imaging is performed by the imaging unit, At least a display unit capable of displaying the image captured by the imaging unit, Equipped with, The door portion, when the door portion is closed, has a greater non-transparent occupancy rate of the non-transparent viewing portion that does not allow visibility through the opening than the transparent occupancy rate of the transparent viewing portion that allows visibility through the opening into the heating chamber. The display unit is positioned on the outer surface of the door in the opaque viewing area. Heating cooker.

2. The non-transparent viewing portion is arranged in a region including the central part of the outer surface of the door, The display unit is positioned at the central location of the opaque viewing unit. A heating appliance according to claim 1.

3. The display unit is an operation display unit that includes an operation unit for setting the operating status of the heating device. A cooking appliance according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. The inner surface of the door portion includes a setting information area in the non-transparent viewing area where setting operation information for setting the operating state of the heating device is displayed. A cooking appliance according to claim 1 or claim 2.

5. The imaging unit is provided in the central region of the inner surface of the door portion. A cooking appliance according to claim 1 or claim 2.

6. The door portion has a cooling passage between the inner surface of the door and the outer surface of the door through which at least a cooling medium for cooling the door portion can flow. A cooking appliance according to claim 1 or claim 2.

7. At least a portion of the outer surface of the door is provided with an anti-reflective layer. A heating appliance according to claim 1.

Images