Cooking appliances and grills

Abstract

To provide a cooking appliance and grill that can improve convenience. [Solution] The heating cooker 1 according to the present disclosure is characterized by comprising: a grilling net 3 on which an object to be heated (food 4) is placed; handles 6 attached to both the left and right sides of the grilling net 3, which are heat resistant and have a lower thermal conductivity than the grilling net 3; and a heating chamber 2 that houses the grilling net 3 and in which at least one of microwave heating and infrared heating is performed on the object to be heated (food 4) placed on the grilling net 3.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a heating cooker and a grill rack.

Background Art

[0002] In the heating cooker described in Patent Document 1, a grill rack is accommodated in a heating chamber, and an object to be heated (referred to as "object to be cooked" in the text) placed on the grill rack is heated by microwaves.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes that a detachable handle is attached to the grill rack when the grill rack is taken out of the heating chamber. However, attaching and detaching the handle to and from the grill rack, and separately managing the grill rack and the detachable handle are inconvenient for the user.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a heating cooker and a grill rack that can improve convenience.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] A heating cooker according to the present disclosure is characterized by comprising: a grill rack on which an object to be heated is placed; handles attached to both left and right side portions of the grill rack, having heat resistance, and having a lower thermal conductivity than the grill rack; and a heating chamber that accommodates the grill rack and in which at least one of microwave heating and infrared heating is performed on the object to be heated placed on the grill rack.

[0007] In this disclosure, the object to be heated is placed on a grilling rack. The grilling rack on which the object to be heated is placed is housed in a heating chamber. In the heating chamber, the object to be heated on the grilling rack is subjected to at least one of microwave heating and infrared heating. Handles are attached to both the left and right sides of the grill grate. Since the handles have a lower thermal conductivity than the grill grate, the user can hold the grate by the handles, which helps to prevent high heat from being transferred from the grill grate to the user's hands. Therefore, this improves the convenience of carrying the grill grate. Since the handle is heat-resistant, the grill can be placed in the heating chamber with the handle still attached. Therefore, there is no need to attach or detach the handle from the grill, nor is there a need to manage the grill and the detachable handle separately, thus improving convenience.

[0008] The heating appliance according to this disclosure is characterized by comprising metal support bodies protruding from the inner wall surfaces on both the left and right sides of the heating chamber, having electrically insulating handles, and having a metal grilling net that is placed on the support bodies via the handles.

[0009] In this disclosure, the grilling net and the support are made of metal. The support is provided protruding from the inner walls on both the left and right sides of the heating chamber. The grilling net is placed on the left and right support via handles on the left and right sides. When the user places the handles on the left and right onto the left and right supports from above, the grilling rack is supported by the left and right supports. When the user lifts the grilling rack, it can be easily removed from the left and right supports. Therefore, inserting and removing the grilling rack from the heating chamber is easy. Since an electrically insulating handle is interposed between the grilling net and the support, both of which are conductive materials, it is possible to suppress the generation of sparks between the grilling net and the support during microwave irradiation.

[0010] The heating cooker according to this disclosure comprises an irradiation device that irradiates microwaves from below toward the internal space of the heating chamber, and a heater that radiates infrared rays from above toward the internal space of the heating chamber, and is characterized in that multiple pairs of the left and right support bodies are arranged side by side vertically.

[0011] In this disclosure, multiple pairs of left-right support members are arranged side by side vertically. The irradiation device irradiates microwaves from below into the internal space of the heating chamber. The heater emits infrared rays from above into the internal space of the heating chamber. Therefore, when prioritizing heating by microwaves, placing the grilling net on the lower support makes it easier for microwaves to enter the object to be heated. On the other hand, when prioritizing heating by infrared rays, placing the grilling net on the upper support makes it easier for infrared rays to enter the object to be heated.

[0012] The heating appliance according to this disclosure is characterized in that the grilling net is dish-shaped and comprises a net body on which the object to be heated is placed, and attachment pieces provided on both the left and right sides of the net body to which the handle is attached.

[0013] In this disclosure, the grilling net is dish-shaped. Therefore, the grilling net has a portion corresponding to the bottom plate of the dish and a portion corresponding to the side plate of the dish. The object to be heated is placed on the portion corresponding to the bottom plate of the dish. In this case, even if the object to be heated shifts position, it will come into contact with the portion corresponding to the side plate of the dish, thus preventing the object to be heated from falling off the grilling net. The grilling net comprises a net body and attachment pieces. The attachment pieces are provided on both the left and right sides of the net body. The handle is attached to the attachment pieces. Since no object to be heated is placed on the attachment pieces, the attachment pieces only need to have a shape and dimensions suitable for attaching the handle, regardless of heating the object to be heated.

[0014] The heating appliance according to this disclosure is characterized in that the handle is a hollow rod-shaped body extending forward and backward, and a through hole is provided on its lower surface.

[0015] In this disclosure, the handle is a rod-shaped body that extends in the front-to-back direction. The handle is hollow and has a through-hole, making it lightweight. The through-hole is located on the underside of the handle and functions as a drain for liquids that have entered the internal space of the handle. Therefore, when the grill is washed after use, both the grill and the handle dry easily. In addition, the through-hole located on the underside of the handle is inconspicuous, so there is no risk of it detracting from the aesthetics.

[0016] The heating appliance according to this disclosure is characterized by comprising a cooking plate on which an object to be heated is placed and which is housed in the heating chamber when the grilling net is not housed in the heating chamber, and second handles attached to both the left and right sides of the cooking plate, which have a lower thermal conductivity than the cooking plate and are identical in shape, dimensions, and material to the handles.

[0017] In this disclosure, second handles are attached to both the left and right sides of the cooking plate. Since the second handles have a lower thermal conductivity than the cooking plate, the user can prevent high heat from the cooking plate from being transferred to the user's hands by holding the second handles. Therefore, the convenience of carrying the cooking plate can be improved. The shape, dimensions, and material of the second handle attached to the cooking plate are identical to those of the handle attached to the grill. In other words, since the second handle attached to the cooking plate and the handle attached to the grill are interchangeable, the manufacturing costs of the grill and cooking plate (and consequently the cooking appliance) can be reduced.

[0018] The cooking appliance according to this disclosure is characterized in that the grilling net comprises a rectangular frame that is long from left to right, and a plurality of wires that each have an outer diameter of 1.5 mm to 5 mm and are arranged on the left and right at a pitch of 5 mm to 50 mm, extending from the front edge to the rear edge of the frame.

[0019] In this disclosure, the grilling net comprises a frame and a plurality of wires. The frame is rectangular in shape. The wires extend from the front edge to the rear edge of the frame. The frame is long from left to right, but it is reinforced by supporting the wires that extend from the front edge to the rear edge of the frame. The wire rod has an outer diameter of 1.5 mm or more and 5 mm or less. When the outer diameter of the wire rod is less than 1.5 mm, the wire rod is too thin and easily deforms. When the outer diameter of the wire rod exceeds 5 mm, the wire rod is too thick, which increases the manufacturing cost of the grill net. The plurality of wire rods are arranged side by side at a pitch of 5 mm or more and 50 mm or less. When the pitch of the wire rods is less than 5 mm, the number of wire rods is too large, which increases the manufacturing cost of the grill net. When the pitch of the wire rods exceeds 50 mm, small objects to be heated are prone to fall out from between adjacent wire rods.

[0020] The heating cooker according to the present disclosure is characterized in that the grill net has rectangular meshes, and the diagonal length of each mesh is 6 mm or more and 71 mm or less.

[0021] In the present disclosure, the grill net has rectangular meshes, and the diagonal length of each mesh is 6 mm or more and 71 mm or less. When the diagonal length of the mesh is less than 6 mm, the mesh is prone to clogging by small objects to be heated, and microwaves hardly pass through the mesh. When the diagonal length of the mesh exceeds 71 mm, small objects to be heated easily fall out through the mesh.

[0022] The heating cooker according to the present disclosure is characterized in that in the heating chamber, microwave heating and infrared heating are each performed at least once on the object to be heated placed on the grill net.

[0023] In the present disclosure, in the heating chamber, microwave heating and infrared heating are each performed at least once on the object to be heated placed on the grill net.

[0024] In the case of microwave heating, microwaves enter the surface of the object to be heated and penetrate to the inside. The heat generated by water molecules contained in the object to be heated upon receiving the microwaves allows the object to be heated to be cooked from the surface to the inside in a short time. In the case of infrared heating, infrared rays are incident on the surface of the object being heated. The heat emitted by the molecules contained in the object upon receiving the infrared rays allows for cooking at a higher temperature, particularly on the surface of the object, than with microwave heating. By using both microwaves and infrared rays, it is possible to achieve both rapid cooking and high-temperature cooking simultaneously. Therefore, it is possible to effectively raise the temperature of the entire object being heated (for example, by preventing the surface of the object from becoming sticky and effectively reheating the object).

[0025] The grilling net according to this disclosure is housed in a heating chamber in which at least one of microwave heating and infrared heating is performed on the object placed on it, and is characterized in that a handle having heat resistance and a lower thermal conductivity than the one side and the other side is attached to one side and the other side opposite to the one side.

[0026] In this disclosure, it can be used as a grilling net for a cooking appliance relating to this disclosure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0027] The heating appliance and grilling net of this disclosure can improve convenience. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0028] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a heating appliance according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a schematic side cross-sectional view of a cooking appliance. [Figure 3] This is a schematic front cross-sectional view of a cooking appliance. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of a grilling net. [Figure 5] This is a plan view of the grilling rack. [Figure 6] This is a bottom view of the grilling rack. [Figure 7] This is an enlarged view of the area enclosed by line VII in Figure 3. [Figure 8] This is a perspective view of a serving dish. [Figure 9] This is a front cross-section of the cooking plate. [Figure 10] This is a front cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the piece to be attached on the left side of the cooking plate. [Figure 11] This diagram shows a modified version of a grilling net. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0029] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the arrows in the drawings will indicate the top / bottom, front / back, and left / right directions. For illustrative purposes, the dimensional ratios in the drawings may differ from the actual ratios, and parts may be exaggerated or omitted.

[0030] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cooking appliance according to an embodiment. In the figure, 1 is a cooking appliance, and cooking appliance 1 is configured as, for example, a microwave oven. Cooking appliance 1 includes an outer casing 11 and a door 12. Figure 2 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the cooking appliance 1. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the outer box 11 is rectangular in shape and has an open front. The door 12 opens and closes the front opening of the outer box 11. As shown in Figure 1, a handle 121 and an operating part 122 are provided on the outer surface of the door 12.

[0031] As shown in Figure 2, the cooking appliance 1 includes an inner box 13 and a partition wall 14. The inner box 13 is housed in the outer box 11. The inner box 13 is rectangular in shape and has an open front. When the door 12 opens and closes the front opening of the outer box 11, the front opening of the inner box 13 is also opened and closed. The outer casing 11, door 12, and inner casing 13 are heat-resistant and microwave-reflective. For example, the outer casing 11 and inner casing 13 are made of metal.

[0032] Figure 3 is a schematic front cross-sectional view of the cooking appliance 1. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a recess is provided in the center of the inner bottom surface of the inner box 13, and the opening of this recess is liquid-tightly closed by a partition wall 14 positioned along the bottom plate of the inner box 13. The partition wall 14 has heat resistance and microwave permeability and is made of, for example, ceramic.

[0033] The portion of the inner box 13 above the partition wall 14 is used as the heating chamber 2. The inner top surface of the inner box 13 and the top surface of the partition wall 14 function as the inner top surface and inner bottom surface of the heating chamber 2. The portions of the left and right inner walls of the inner box 13 above the partition wall 14 function as the left and right inner walls of the heating chamber 2. The portion of the inner surface of the door 12 between the inner top surface and inner bottom surface of the heating chamber 2 functions as the front inner wall surface of the heating chamber 2. The portion of the rear inner wall of the inner box 13 above the partition wall 14 functions as the rear inner wall surface of the heating chamber 2. The door 12 comprises, for example, a metal plate (perforated metal) with numerous through-holes and transparent heat-resistant glass covering this metal plate. When the door 12 is closed, the heating chamber 2 can be seen through the door 12.

[0034] The area below the partition wall 14 of the inner box 13 (the recess in the center of the inner bottom surface of the inner box 13) is used as the antenna room 10. The cooking appliance 1 is equipped with an irradiation device 15. The irradiation device 15 is equipped with a rotating antenna 151 and a magnetron 152. The rotating antenna 151 is housed in the antenna chamber 10. The rotating antenna 151 is disc-shaped with both sides facing up and down, and rotates circumferentially driven by a motor (not shown). The magnetron 152 is housed in a space enclosed, for example, by the inner surface of the outer casing 11 and the outer surface of the inner casing 13. The magnetron 152 generates microwaves.

[0035] The microwaves generated by the magnetron 152 are guided into the antenna chamber 10 by a waveguide member (not shown) (see the dashed arrow in Figure 2). The microwaves guided into the antenna chamber 10 are scattered by the rotating antenna 151. The scattered microwaves pass through the partition wall 14 and are irradiated from below into the internal space of the heating chamber 2. When the irradiation device 15 is used, microwaves are incident on the food 4 (object to be heated), allowing for heating at a relatively low temperature (below 100°C).

[0036] The cooking appliance 1 is equipped with a heater 16. The heater 16 emits infrared rays and is, for example, a graphite heater. The heater 16 is mounted on the inner top surface of the heating chamber 2 and emits infrared rays from above toward the internal space of the heating chamber 2 (see the dashed arrow in Figure 3). When the heater 16 is used, infrared rays are incident on the food 4, allowing for heating to a relatively high temperature (e.g., 250°C).

[0037] The microwave heating using the irradiation device 15 and the infrared heating using the heater 16 are mutually exclusive. Therefore, there is no risk of the microwaves adversely affecting the heater 16 while it is operating, nor is there any risk of the high heat emitted by the heater 16 adversely affecting the irradiation device 15 while it is operating. In other words, there is no risk of the two types of heating adversely affecting each other. Microwave heating and infrared heating may be performed simultaneously if there are no or negligible adverse effects between the two heating methods.

[0038] A grilling rack 3 is placed inside the heating chamber 2. Food 4 is placed on the grilling rack 3. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the grilling net 3. Figure 5 is a plan view of the grilling net 3. The grill net 3 is made of metal, for example, stainless steel. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the grilling net 3 comprises a net body 31 and two attachment pieces 32. The net body 31 is composed of a frame 311 and multiple (23 in the figures) wires 312. The frame 311 has a long rectangular shape and is formed by bending metal wire into a rectangular shape. The frame 311 supports multiple wires 312.

[0039] Each wire 312 extends from the front edge to the rear edge of the frame 311. Both ends of the wire 312 are fixed (e.g., welded) to the frame 311 so as to contact it from below. The frame 311 is long from left to right, but it is reinforced by supporting the wires 312. Each wire 312 has an outer diameter of 1.5 mm or more and 5 mm or less. If the outer diameter of the wire 312 is less than 1.5 mm, the wire 312 is too thin and easily deformed. If the outer diameter of the wire 312 exceeds 5 mm, the wire 312 is too thick and the manufacturing cost of the grilling net 3 increases.

[0040] Multiple wires 312 are arranged side by side at a pitch of 5 mm to 50 mm. If the pitch of the wires 312 is less than 5 mm, there are too many wires 312, increasing the manufacturing cost of the grill. Since the wires 312 are made of metal, if the pitch of the wires 312 is excessively short, the wires 312 may obstruct the passage of microwaves between adjacent wires 312, or sparks may occur between adjacent wires 312. On the other hand, if the pitch of the wires 312 exceeds 50 mm, small food items 4 are more likely to fall out from between adjacent wires 312.

[0041] The two attachment pieces 32 are provided on both the left and right sides of the mesh body 31. Each attachment piece 32 is strip-shaped, with its longitudinal direction facing front to back and its width direction facing left to right. The thickness of the attachment piece 32 is, for example, 0.3 mm to 1 mm. The attachment pieces 32 are made of metal. The left and right attachment pieces 32 are fixed (for example, by welding) to the left and right sides of the frame 311 inside the frame 311.

[0042] As shown in Figure 4, the central portion 31a of each wire 312 extends linearly in the front-to-back direction. The front and rear ends 31b of the wire 312 each extend linearly in the front-to-back direction at a position above the central portion 31a. The front end of the front end 31b is fixed to the front edge of the frame 311, and the rear end of the rear end 31b is fixed to the rear edge of the frame 311. The intermediate portion 31c, located midway between the central portion 31a and the front end 31b, extends vertically, connecting the front end of the central portion 31a and the rear end of the front

[0043] The central portion 31a of the multiple wires 312 arranged on the left and right resembles the bottom plate 3a of a dish. The bottom plate 3a appears as a long rectangle. The intermediate portion 31c of the multiple wires 312 arranged on the left and right at the rear of the bottom plate 3a resembles the rear side plate 3b of the dish. Similarly, the intermediate portion 31c of the multiple wires 312 arranged on the left and right at the front of the bottom plate 3a resembles the front side plate 3b of the dish. The frame 311, the ends 31b of the multiple wires 312 arranged on the left and right at the rear of the bottom plate 3a, the left attachment piece 32, the ends 31b of the multiple wires 312 arranged on the left and right at the front of the bottom plate 3a, and the right attachment piece 32 resemble a flange 3c provided on the opening periphery of the dish.

[0044] In other words, the multiple wires 312 constitute the base plate 3a, the front and rear side plates 3b, and the flange 3c. The frame 311 constitutes the outer periphery of the flange 3c. As a result, the grilling net 3 has a rectangular dish shape that is long from left to right. The grilling net 3 further has legs 3d. The legs 3d are located at the four corners of the base plate 3a (see Figures 2 and 3). The legs 3d are formed by partially curving downward the central portion 31a of the wires 312 located at both the left and right ends of a plurality of wires 312. The number or arrangement of the legs 3d is not limited.

[0045] Figure 6 is a bottom view of the grilling net 3. As shown in Figures 2 to 6, two handles 5 are attached to both the left and right sides (one side and the other side) of the grilling net 3. The handle 5 has lower thermal conductivity than the grill grate 3 and possesses heat resistance, electrical insulation, and microwave permeability. The handle 5 is made of, for example, synthetic resin, preferably engineering plastic.

[0046] The handle 5 is attached to the piece to be attached 32. The configuration for attaching the handle 5 to the piece to be attached 32 is not limited. Since no food 4 is placed on the piece to be attached 32, the piece to be attached 32 only needs to have a shape and dimensions suitable for attaching the handle 5, regardless of heating of the food 4. For example, multiple through holes 33 are provided on the upper surface of the piece to be attached 32 so as to be arranged front to back (see Figure 4), and the handle 5 is screwed to the piece to be attached 32 using male screws 50 that pass through each through hole 33 (see Figure 5. The male screws 50 are not shown in Figure 4).

[0047] In this embodiment, the handle 5 is a rod-shaped body that extends in the front-to-back direction. The left handle 5 covers the lower surface of the left attachment piece 32 from below and the right side, and further covers the left side of the frame 311 from below and the left side. Hereinafter, the portion of the left handle 5 that covers the left side of the frame 311 will be referred to as the mounting portion 51. Similarly, the right-side handle 5 covers the lower surface of the right-side attachment piece 32 from below and the left side, and further covers the right-side edge of the frame 311 from below and the right side. Hereafter, the portion of the right-side handle 5 that covers the right-side edge of the frame 311 will also be referred to as the mounting portion 51.

[0048] The grill grate 3 does not have the wire members 312 that make up the left and right side plates 3b. However, the left and right handles 5 are located in the space corresponding to the left and right side plates 3b. Since the handle 5 has lower thermal conductivity than the grill grate 3, the user can prevent high heat from the grill grate 3 from being transferred to the user's hand by holding the handle 5. Therefore, the convenience of carrying the grill grate 3 can be improved.

[0049] Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the area enclosed by line VII in Figure 3. The mounting portion 51 of the left handle 5 is located on the upper edge of the left side surface of the left handle 5. The left side surface of the left handle 5 is concave along its entire length. For the right-hand handle 5, the mounting portion 51 is located on the upper edge of the right side of the handle 5. The right side of the right-hand handle 5 is concave along its entire length.

[0050] The heating appliance 1 is equipped with multiple support bodies 17. In the case of the heating appliance 1 of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, two sets of left and right support members 17 are provided, arranged vertically. The upper left and right pair of support members 17 are provided on the left and right inner walls of the heating chamber 2. The height of the left and right support members 17 from the inner bottom surface of the heating chamber 2 is equal. Each support member 17 is located in the vertical center of the heating chamber 2, and the height of the support member 17 from the inner bottom surface of the heating chamber 2 is greater than the height from the lower end of the leg portion 3d to the lower end of the mounting portion 51. The support members 17 have a convex ridge shape, and the longitudinal direction of the support members 17 is oriented front to back.

[0051] The left support 17 is formed by curving a portion of the left wall of the inner box 13 so that it protrudes to the right (see Figure 7). Similarly, the right support 17 is formed by curving a portion of the right wall of the inner box 13 so that it protrudes to the left. In this embodiment, the support 17 is part of the inner box 13, but it is not limited to this, and a support 17 separate from the inner box 13 may be fixed to the inner box 13 (for example, by welding). The configuration of the lower left and right pair of support members 17 is substantially the same as that of the upper left and right pair of support members 17, except that they are located closer to the inner bottom surface of the heating chamber 2 than the upper left and right pair of support members 17.

[0052] When cooking food 4, the user places the food 4 on the grill rack 3. In this case, the food 4 comes into contact with the wire 312 that make up the bottom plate 3a. Even if the food 4 shifts position in any direction, it will still come into contact with the wire 312 that make up the side plate 3b or the handle 5, thus preventing the food 4 from falling off the grill rack 3.

[0053] The user grasps the handle 121 to open the door 12 and places the grilling rack 3 on which the food 4 is placed into the heating chamber 2. At this time, the user places the mounting parts 51 of the left and right handles 5 on the left and right support bodies 17 from above. As a result, both the left and right sides of the grilling rack 3 are placed on the left and right support bodies 17 via the mounting parts 51 of the left and right handles 5. With the grilling rack 3 in place, the left and right support bodies 17 support the grilling rack 3 so that the bottom plate 3a is aligned with the inner bottom surface of the heating chamber 2. Since the left side surface of the left handle 5 is concave, the support body 17 protruding to the right does not interfere with the handle 5. Similarly, since the right side surface of the right handle 5 is concave, the support body 17 protruding to the left does not interfere with the handle 5.

[0054] When the grilling net 3 is placed in the heating chamber 2, the distance between the inner wall surface of the heating chamber 2 and the frame 311 is 1.5 mm or more and 9 mm or less. After placing the grilling rack 3 into the heating chamber 2, the user closes the door 12 and operates the control unit 122. In response to the operation of the control unit 122, the cooking appliance 1 activates the irradiation device 15 and the heater 16 at least once each, mutually exclusive of each other. As a result, the food 4 placed on the grilling rack 3 is heated by microwaves and infrared rays at least once each, mutually exclusive of each other, thus cooking the food 4.

[0055] For example, food item 4 could be fried chicken, tempura, or a prepared bread roll. The user operates the control unit 122 to instruct the cooking appliance 1 to reheat food item 4. Upon receiving such an instruction, the cooking appliance 1 operates the irradiation device 15 for a first predetermined time to perform microwave heating, and then operates the heater 16 for a second predetermined time to perform infrared heating. For example, the first predetermined time is 1 minute and the second predetermined time is 4 minutes. These times can be set by the user, for example, or by the cooking appliance 1 according to the quantity of food item 4, but usually the first predetermined time is shorter than the second predetermined time.

[0056] In the case of microwave heating, microwaves enter the surface of the food 4 and penetrate to the interior. The heat generated by the water molecules contained in the food 4 when exposed to microwaves allows the food 4 to be heated and cooked from the surface to the interior in a short time. In the case of heating by infrared radiation, infrared rays are incident on the surface of the food 4. The heat emitted by the molecules contained in the food 4 upon receiving infrared radiation allows the surface of the food 4 to be heated to a higher temperature than when heated by microwaves.

[0057] By using both microwaves and infrared rays, it is possible to achieve both rapid, overall heating and high-temperature, surface heating simultaneously. Therefore, the overall temperature of the food can be effectively raised. Furthermore, by performing relatively low-temperature, short-duration heating with microwaves followed by relatively high-temperature, long-duration heating with infrared rays, it is possible to prevent excessive moisture loss from the inside of the food 4 while simultaneously removing moisture from the surface of the food 4. As a result, the food 4 can be reheated effectively without the surface becoming sticky. For example, the inside of the food 4 may develop a moist or fluffy texture, while the surface of the food 4 may develop a crisp or crunchy texture.

[0058] When the grilling net 3 is placed on the support 17, the grilling net 3 is supported at an upper distance from the inner bottom surface of the heating chamber 2. Therefore, compared to when the grilling net 3 is placed on the inner bottom surface of the heating chamber 2, microwaves incident on the internal space of the heating chamber 2 are more easily scattered, so microwaves are more easily incident on the food 4 as a whole. Consequently, uneven heating of the food 4 can be suppressed. Also, compared to when the grilling net 3 is placed on the inner bottom surface of the heating chamber 2, the food 4 is closer to the heater 16, so infrared rays are more easily incident on the surface of the food 4. Consequently, the surface of the food 4 can be sufficiently heated.

[0059] As mentioned above, the clearance distance between the inner wall surface of the heating chamber 2 and the frame 311 is 1.5 mm or more. If, for example, the clearance distance between the left inner wall surface of the heating chamber 2 and the left edge of the frame 311 is less than 1.5 mm, the grilling net 3 will be too close to the left inner wall surface of the heating chamber 2, and there is a risk of sparks occurring between the left inner wall surface of the heating chamber 2 and the grilling net 3. Furthermore, an electrically insulating handle 5 is interposed between the wire rack 3 and the support 17, both of which are conductive materials. As a result of the above, there is no risk of sparks occurring between the grilling net 3 and the support 17 during microwave irradiation.

[0060] As mentioned above, the clearance distance between the inner wall surface of the heating chamber 2 and the frame 311 is 9 mm or less. For example, if the clearance distance between the left inner wall surface of the heating chamber 2 and the left edge of the frame 311 exceeds 9 mm, the grilling net 3 is too far from the left inner wall surface of the heating chamber 2, which may result in a large dead space on the left side of the grilling net 3. In other words, the grilling net 3 in this embodiment is large enough that sparks do not occur, so a large amount of food 4 can be placed on the grilling net 3.

[0061] After cooking, the user grasps the handle 121 to open the door 12 and removes the grill rack 3 from the heating chamber 2. At this time, the user can easily remove the grill rack 3 from the left and right support supports 17 by lifting it. Based on the above, it is easy to insert and remove the grilling net 3 from the heating chamber 2. For example, when a user places the grilling net 3 on a table, the four legs 3d on the front, back, left, and right sides come into contact with the top surface of the table, thus separating the grilling net 3 from the table. Therefore, it is possible to prevent food 4 that protrudes below the grilling net 3 through the mesh of the grilling net 3 from coming into contact with the table.

[0062] Since the handle 5 is heat-resistant, the grilling net 3 can be placed in the heating chamber 2 with the handle 5 still attached to it. Therefore, there is no need to attach or detach the handle 5 to the grilling net 3, nor is there a need to manage the grilling net 3 and the detachable handle 5 separately, thus improving convenience.

[0063] The closer the grilling net 3 is to the rotating antenna 151, the easier it is for microwaves to enter the food 4, and the harder it is for infrared rays to enter the food 4. On the other hand, the closer the grilling net 3 is to the heater 16, the easier it is for infrared rays to enter the food 4, and the harder it is for microwaves to enter the food 4. Therefore, users who prioritize heating by microwaves can use the lower set of support members 17, and users who prioritize heating by infrared rays can use the upper set of support members 17. In Figure 3, the upper set of support members 17 supports the grilling net 3. In addition, the heating chamber 2 may have three or more sets of support members 17 arranged vertically, or it may have only one set of support members 17.

[0064] If the grilling rack 3 is not placed in the heating chamber 2, the cooking plate 7, which will be described below, may be placed in the heating chamber 2. Figure 8 is a perspective view of the cooking dish 7. Figure 9 is a front cross-sectional view of the cooking plate 7. Cooking plate 7 is heat-resistant and microwave-impermeable. Cooking plate 7 generates heat when exposed to microwaves. Food 4 is placed on the cooking plate 7. The heat emitted by the cooking plate 7 when it receives microwaves cooks the food 4 placed on the cooking plate 7.

[0065] Specifically, the cooking plate 7 is a rectangular plate comprising a bottom plate 7a, side plates 7b, and a flange 7c integrally. The bottom plate 7a is rectangular in shape, elongated from left to right. The food 4 is placed on the bottom plate 7a. The side plates 7b rise from the periphery of the bottom plate 7a. The flange 7c extends outward from the upper end of the side plates 7b. The bottom plate 7a, side plates 7b, and flange 7c are microwave reflectors and are made of, for example, metal. The thickness of the cooking plate 7 is, for example, 0.3 mm or more and 1 mm or less.

[0066] The cooking plate 7 is equipped with a heating element 71 (see Figure 9). The heating element 71 absorbs microwaves and generates heat when exposed to them. The heating element 71 is integrally disposed at least on the outer surface of the bottom plate 7a. The heat generated by the heating element 71 is transferred at least to the bottom plate 7a of the cooking plate 7, and further to the food 4 placed on the bottom plate 7a. Therefore, the food 4 is heated and cooked. When both the irradiation device 15 and the cooking plate 7 are used, the heat generated by the heating element 71 allows for heating to a relatively high temperature (for example, 250°C).

[0067] In this embodiment, the heating element 71 is a rectangular plate made of ferrite and is attached to the outer surface of the bottom plate 7a. However, the configuration for realizing the heating function of the cooking dish 7 is not limited to the configuration in which the heating element 71 is attached to the outer surface of the bottom plate 7a. For example, the outer surface of the bottom plate 7a may be coated with a paint containing ferrite. Furthermore, the heating element 71 may not only be integrally disposed on the outer surface of the bottom plate 7a, but may also be integrally disposed on the outer surface of, for example, the side plate 7b.

[0068] In the following, the portion of the flange 7c that follows the left edge of the opening of the cooking plate 7 will be referred to as the attachment piece 72. Similarly, the portion of the flange 7c that follows the right edge of the opening of the cooking plate 7 will also be referred to as the attachment piece 72. Each attachment piece 72 is strip-shaped, with its longitudinal direction facing front to back and its width direction facing left to right. The left attachment piece 72 protrudes to the left from the left edge of the opening of the cooking plate 7. The left edge of the left attachment piece 72 is bent downwards. The right attachment piece 72 protrudes to the right from the right edge of the opening of the cooking plate 7. The right edge of the right attachment piece 72 is bent downwards.

[0069] Figure 10 is a front cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the attachment piece 72 on the left side of the cooking plate 7. As shown in Figures 8 to 10, two handles 6 (second handles) are attached to both the left and right sides of the cooking plate 7. Handle 6 is identical to handle 5 in shape, dimensions, and material, and has a lower thermal conductivity than cooking plate 7. In the following, the corresponding parts of handles 5 and 6 will be denoted by the same reference numeral.

[0070] The left handle 6 covers the lower surface and left edge of the left attachment piece 72, as well as the left outer surface of the cooking plate 7. The mounting portion 51 of the left handle 6 is the part of the left handle 6 that covers the left edge of the left attachment piece 72. Similarly, the right handle 6 covers the lower surface and right edge of the right attachment piece 72, as well as the right outer surface of the cooking plate 7. The mounting portion 51 of the right handle 6 is the part of the right handle 6 that covers the right edge of the right attachment piece 72.

[0071] Since the handle 6 has a lower thermal conductivity than the cooking plate 7, the user holding the handle 6 can prevent high heat from the cooking plate 7 from being transferred to the user's hand. Therefore, the convenience of carrying the cooking plate 7 can be improved.

[0072] The handle 6 is attached to the piece to be attached 72. The configuration for attaching the handle 6 to the piece to be attached 72 is the same as the configuration for attaching the handle 5 to the piece to be attached 32. In this embodiment, a plurality of through holes 73 are provided on the upper surface of the piece to be attached 72, arranged front to back, and the handle 6 is screwed to the piece to be attached 72 using male screws (not shown, male screws similar to male screws 50) that pass through each through hole 73.

[0073] When cooking food 4, the user grasps the handle 121 to open the door 12 and places the cooking plate 7 on which the food 4 is placed into the heating chamber 2. At this time, the user places the mounting parts 51 of the left and right handles 6 on the left and right support bodies 17 from above (see Figure 10). As a result, both the left and right sides of the cooking plate 7 are placed on the left and right support bodies 17 via the mounting parts 51 of the left and right handles 6. With the cooking plate 7 placed, the left and right support bodies 17 support the cooking plate 7 so that the bottom plate 7a is aligned with the inner bottom surface of the heating chamber 2. When the cooking plate 7 is placed in the heating chamber 2, the clearance distance between the inner wall surface of the heating chamber 2 and the flange 7c is 1.5 mm or more and 9 mm or less.

[0074] After placing the cooking plate 7 into the heating chamber 2, the user closes the door 12 and operates the control unit 122. In response to the operation of the control unit 122, the cooking appliance 1 activates the irradiation device 15 and the heater 16 at least once each, mutually exclusive of each other. As a result, the food 4 placed on the cooking plate 7 is heated by microwaves and infrared rays at least once each, mutually exclusive of each other, thus cooking the food 4.

[0075] For example, food item 4 is sliced ​​bread. The user instructs the cooking appliance 1 to toast food item 4 by operating the control unit 122. Upon receiving such an instruction, the cooking appliance 1 operates the irradiation device 15 for a third predetermined time to perform microwave heating, and then operates the heater 16 for a fourth predetermined time to perform infrared heating. The third and fourth predetermined times are set, for example, by the user, or set by the cooking appliance 1 according to the amount of food item 4.

[0076] When the cooking plate 7 is placed on the support 17, the cooking plate 7 is supported at an upper distance from the inner bottom surface of the heating chamber 2. Therefore, compared to when the cooking plate 7 is placed on the inner bottom surface of the heating chamber 2, microwaves incident on the internal space of the heating chamber 2 are more easily scattered, so microwaves are more easily incident on the heating element 71 as a whole. Consequently, uneven heating of the heating element 71, and thus uneven heating of the food 4, can be suppressed. Also, compared to when the cooking plate 7 is placed on the inner bottom surface of the heating chamber 2, the food 4 is closer to the heater 16, so infrared rays are more easily incident on the surface of the food 4. Consequently, the surface of the food 4 can be sufficiently heated.

[0077] In the case of microwave heating, the heating element 71 absorbs the microwaves and generates heat. The heat emitted by the heating element 71 is transferred at least to the bottom plate 7a of the cooking dish 7, and further to the food 4 (especially the underside of the food 4) placed on the bottom plate 7a. Therefore, the food 4 is heated and cooked from below. In the case of heating by infrared radiation, the infrared radiation enters the surface of the food 4 (especially the top surface of the food 4). Therefore, the food 4 is heated and cooked from above.

[0078] By using both microwaves and infrared rays, it is possible to achieve both top-side and bottom-side heating simultaneously. Therefore, the overall temperature of the food can be effectively raised. The cooking plate 7 is particularly suitable for cooking food 4 by heating it to remove moisture from both the top and bottom surfaces and to create a browned surface.

[0079] As mentioned above, the separation distance between the inner wall surface of the heating chamber 2 and the flange 7c is 1.5 mm or more. If, for example, the separation distance between the left inner wall surface of the heating chamber 2 and the left attached piece 72 is less than 1.5 mm, the cooking plate 7 is too close to the left inner wall surface of the heating chamber 2, and there is a risk of sparks occurring between the left inner wall surface of the heating chamber 2 and the cooking plate 7. Furthermore, an electrically insulating handle 6 is interposed between the cooking plate 7 and the support 17, both of which are conductive materials. As a result of the above, there is no risk of sparks occurring between the cooking plate 7 and the support 17 during microwave irradiation.

[0080] As mentioned above, the separation distance between the inner wall surface of the heating chamber 2 and the flange 7c is 9 mm or less. For example, if the separation distance between the left inner wall surface of the heating chamber 2 and the left attachment piece 72 exceeds 9 mm, the cooking plate 7 is too far from the left inner wall surface of the heating chamber 2, which may result in a large dead space on the left side of the cooking plate 7. In other words, the cooking plate 7 in this embodiment is large enough that sparks do not occur, so a large amount of food 4 can be placed on the cooking plate 7.

[0081] After cooking, the user grasps the handle 121 to open the door 12 and removes the cooking plate 7 from the heating chamber 2. At this time, the user can easily remove the cooking plate 7 from the left and right support supports 17 by lifting it. Based on the above, it is easy to insert and remove the cooking plate 7 from the heating chamber 2.

[0082] The cooking plate 7 in this embodiment does not have legs. Therefore, the handle 6 is integrally equipped with legs 52. The legs 52 are tongue-shaped pieces that protrude downward from the lowest surface of the handle 6. There are two legs 52, and the two legs 52 are arranged front to back (see Figure 6). The lower end of the legs 52 is located below the lower end of the cooking plate 7. For example, when a user places the cooking plate 7 on a table, the four legs 52 on the front, back, left, and right sides come into contact with the top surface of the table, so the cooking plate 7 is separated from the table. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the transfer of high heat from the cooking plate 7 to the table.

[0083] The handle 5 also has legs 52 integrated into it, but since the grill net 3 has legs 3d, the lower end of the legs 52 of the handle 5 is at or above the lower end of the legs 3d. If the grill net 3 does not have legs 3d, the lower end of the legs 52 of the handle 5 should be lower than the lower end of the grill net 3.

[0084] As shown in Figure 10, the handle 6 is hollow and has through holes 53 on its underside. Similarly, the handle 5 is hollow and has through holes 53 on its underside (see Figure 6). Therefore, the handles 5 and 6 are lightweight. Since the through holes 53 are located on the underside of the handles 5 and 6, they function as drainage holes for liquids (e.g., water) that have entered the internal space of the handles 5 and 6. Consequently, when the grill net 3 and cooking plate 7 are washed after use, both the grill net 3 and cooking plate 7, as well as the handles 5 and 6, dry easily. Also, since the through holes 53 located on the underside of the handles 5 and 6 are inconspicuous, there is no risk of them detracting from the aesthetics. Each of the handles 5 and 6 has three through holes 53, and the three through holes 53 are arranged front to back (see Figure 6).

[0085] The handle 6 is composed of, for example, a first member 5a that is screwed to the piece to be attached 72, and a second member 5b that engages with the first member 5a. Similarly, the handle 5 is composed of a first member 5a and a second member 5b, with the first member 5a being screwed to the piece to be attached 32. As described above, since the handles 5 and 6 are common to each other, the manufacturing costs of the grilling net 3 and the cooking plate 7 (and consequently the heating appliance 1) can be reduced. In addition, the grilling net 3 and the cooking plate 7 can share the same support 17.

[0086] The cooking appliance 1 may be used with a cooking plate different from the grilling net 3, a cooking plate different from the cooking plate 7, or heat-resistant tableware, etc. The grilling net 3 may be produced or sold separately. Alternatively, the grilling net 3 on which one food item 4 is placed may be placed on the support 17, and then a cooking plate or dish on which another food item 4 is placed may be placed on the inner bottom surface of the heating chamber 2. However, the cooking plate or dish used in this case must have heat resistance and microwave permeability, and must not have a heating function like the cooking plate 7. Such a cooking plate or dish may be made of ceramic, for example. A handle 6 may also be attached to such a cooking plate. Whether using the grilling net 3 or the cooking plate 7, heating by microwaves or heating by infrared rays may be performed by only one of these methods.

[0087] Figure 11 shows a modified example of the grilling net 3. The grilling net 3 further comprises multiple wires 313. The outer diameter and material of the wires 313 may be the same as those of the wires 312. Each wire 313 extends linearly to the left and right, reaching the wires 312 located at both the left and right ends of the multiple wires 312. The multiple wires 313 are arranged in a front-to-back configuration. As a result, rectangular mesh 3e are arranged in a grid pattern. The length of the diagonal of the mesh 3e is between 6 mm and 71 mm.

[0088] If the diagonal length of the mesh 3e is less than 6 mm, there will be too many wires 312 and 313, increasing the manufacturing cost of the grilling net 3. Also, small food items 4 can easily clog the mesh 3e. If the mesh 3e is excessively small, the wires 312 and 313 may obstruct microwaves from passing through the mesh 3e. If the diagonal length of the mesh 3e exceeds 71 ​​mm, small food items 4 are likely to fall through the mesh 3e. In this embodiment, a dish-shaped grilling net 3 is shown as an example, but the grilling net 3 is not limited to a dish shape; for example, it may be flat.

[0089] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is intended to include, but not in the sense described above, the equivalents of the claims and all modifications within the claims. The independent and dependent claims described in the claims can be combined with each other in any combination, regardless of the form of reference. Furthermore, while the claims use a multi-claim format in which claims refer to two or more other claims (multi-claim format), this is not the only option. A multi-claim format in which at least one multi-claim is referenced (multi-multi-claim format) may also be used. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0090] 1 Cooker 15 Irradiation device 16 Heater 17 Support 2 Heating chamber 3. Grilling net 3e mesh 31 Net body 311 Frame 312 Wire rod 32 Piece to be attached 4 Food (items to be heated) 5. Handle 53 Through hole 6. Handle (Second handle) 7 serving dishes

Claims

1. A grilling net on which the food to be heated is placed, The grill grate is fitted with handles on both the left and right sides, which are heat-resistant and have a lower thermal conductivity than the grill grate. A heating chamber housing the aforementioned grilling net, wherein at least one of microwave heating and infrared heating is performed on the object to be heated placed on the grilling net. A cooking appliance characterized by being equipped with the following features.

2. Metal supports protruding from the inner walls on both the left and right sides of the heating chamber Equipped with, The aforementioned handle has electrical insulation properties. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the grilling net is made of metal and is placed on the support via the handle.

3. An irradiation device that irradiates the microwaves from below toward the internal space of the heating chamber, A heater that emits infrared rays from above toward the internal space of the heating chamber Equipped with, The heating appliance according to claim 2, characterized in that multiple sets of the left and right supports are arranged side by side in an up and down configuration.

4. The aforementioned grilling net is dish-shaped, The aforementioned grill body on which the object to be heated is placed, The attachment piece to which the handle is attached is provided on both the left and right sides of the net body. A heating appliance according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by comprising the following features.

5. The aforementioned handle is a hollow rod-shaped body that extends forward and backward. A heating appliance according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a through hole is provided on the lower surface.

6. A cooking plate placed in the heating chamber when the object to be heated is placed on it and the grilling net is not housed in the heating chamber, A second handle is attached to both the left and right sides of the cooking plate, has a lower thermal conductivity than the cooking plate, and is identical in shape, dimensions, and material to the first handle. A heating appliance according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by comprising the following features.

7. The aforementioned grilling net is A rectangular frame that is long from left to right, Each of the wires extends from the front edge to the rear edge of the frame, having an outer diameter of 1.5 mm to 5 mm, and arranged horizontally at a pitch of 5 mm to 50 mm. A heating appliance according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by comprising the following features.

8. The cooking appliance according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the grilling net has a rectangular mesh, and the length of the diagonal of the mesh is 6 mm or more and 71 mm or less.

9. The heating appliance according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the object to be heated, placed on the grilling rack, is heated by microwaves and by infrared rays at least once each in the heating chamber.

10. It is housed in a heating chamber in which at least one of microwave heating and infrared heating is performed on the object placed inside. A grilling net characterized in that a handle having heat resistance and a lower thermal conductivity than the aforementioned side and the other side is attached to one side and the other side opposite to the aforementioned side.

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