Heating cooker

Abstract

To suppress occurrence of lacking in a visual field of a camera.SOLUTION: A heating cooker 10 includes a heating chamber 12, an openable / closable door 20 having a sheet of transparent glass (inside door glass 31) which transmits external light into the heating chamber; and a camera 50 capable of imaging a region further on the depth side than the glass via the glass. At the glass, electromagnetic wave-shielding glass is used which has higher opening ratio than punching metal. The camera is arranged opposing to the heating chamber by sandwiching the electromagnetic wave-shielding glass, inside the door.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooking heater.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in cooking heaters such as microwave ovens, ovens, and oven ranges, in order to heat food ingredients (objects to be heated) well, the food ingredients in the heating chamber have been photographed. As this type of conventional technology, a camera fixed to a through hole of an electromagnetic wave shielding plate generally called "punching metal" provided inside the door photographs the inside of the heating chamber through the inner door glass provided on the door so that at least one through hole is within the field of view of the camera (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Here, "punching metal" is a mesh-shaped metal plate in which a plurality of through holes are formed. Also, as this type of conventional technology, a technique has been proposed in which a through hole is formed in the inner door glass provided on the door, a heat-resistant glass is fitted therein, and a camera provided inside the door photographs the inside of the heating chamber through the heat-resistant glass (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the conventional technology described in Patent Document 1 has a problem that since the through holes of the punching metal (electromagnetic wave shielding plate) are included in the field of view of the camera, there are deficiencies in the field of view of the camera.

[0005] In addition, since the inner door glass and the heat-resistant lens are separate in the prior art described in Patent Document 2, there is a problem that when dirt accumulates at the boundary between the inner door glass and the heat-resistant lens, a defect occurs in the field of view of the camera.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a cooking appliance including a heating chamber, an openable and closable door having a transparent glass that transmits external light to the heating chamber, and a camera capable of photographing a region behind the glass through the glass. An operation substrate integrated with an operation unit for receiving a user's operation, and a cooling air passage provided inside the door through which cooling air passes. The back surface of the camera faces the cooling air passage. The cooling air passage communicates with the space where the operation substrate is provided through an intake hole and also communicates with the external space through an exhaust hole provided near the camera. It is configured as such. Other means will be described later.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4A

Figure 4B

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8A

Figure 8B

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "the present embodiment") will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that each drawing only schematically shows the present invention to such an extent that it can be sufficiently understood. Therefore, the present invention is not limited only to the illustrated examples. Also, in each drawing, common components and similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0009] [Embodiment 1] The prior art described in Patent Document 1 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "the first prior art") and the prior art described in Patent Document 2 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "the second prior art") have the following problems. Embodiment 1 of the present invention also intends to provide a cooking heater that solves the following problems.

[0010] (1) In the first prior art described in Patent Document 1, since the through-hole of the punching metal (electromagnetic wave shielding plate) is included in the field of view of the camera, there is a problem that a defect in the field of view of the camera occurs even when dirt accumulates in the through-hole of the punching metal (electromagnetic wave shielding plate). Further, in the first prior art, there is a problem that the through-hole of the punching metal (electromagnetic wave shielding plate) is reflected in the captured image, which may cause a change in the color tone of the captured image and hinder good imaging of the foodstuffs stored in the heating chamber.

[0011] (2) Further, the second prior art described in Patent Document 2 had the problem that when the area of the heat-resistant lens was increased, the area of the inner door glass became narrow, and the visibility from the user inside the heating chamber decreased. Further, the second prior art had the problem that when the through-hole provided in the inner door glass was enlarged, the shielding property of electromagnetic waves was reduced by the through-hole. Further, the second prior art had the problem that environmental light (external light) inserted from the outer door glass provided on the door was reflected by the heat-resistant lens, and the reflected light might impair the visibility from the user inside the heating chamber. Further, the second prior art had the problem that environmental light (external light) inserted from the outer door glass was reflected in the heat-resistant glass, causing a change in the color tone of the photographed image and possibly hindering good photographing of the foodstuffs stored in the heating chamber.

[0012] <Configuration of the cooking appliance> Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, the configuration of the cooking appliance 10 according to Embodiment 1 will be described. FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views of the cooking appliance 10 according to Embodiment 1, respectively. FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the cooking appliance 10 with the door closed, and FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the cooking appliance 10 with the door open. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the main part of the cooking appliance 10. Here, the cooking appliance 10 will be described as a microwave oven, but the cooking appliance 10 may be in the form of an oven, an oven range, or the like.

[0013] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cooking appliance 10 according to Embodiment 1 includes a heating chamber 12 provided inside a housing 11, and a door 20 that opens and closes an opening provided on the front side of the heating chamber 12.

[0014] The heating chamber 12 is a component that heats food (object to be heated) housed inside with a heating source 13 provided around it. In the present embodiment, it will be described assuming that the heating source 13 is configured as electromagnetic wave irradiation means for irradiating electromagnetic waves onto the food (object to be heated). As shown in FIG. 2, the heating chamber 12 is surrounded by a top surface 16a, a left surface 16b, a right surface 16c, a rear surface 16d (rear wall surface), and a bottom surface 16e, and has a configuration in which the front side is open as an opening.

[0015] The door 20 is supported to be openable and closable by a rotation support portion 15 provided at the lower part on the front side of the housing 11. The door 20 opens the heating chamber 12 by falling forward (see FIG. 2), and closes the heating chamber 12 by standing up on the back side (see FIG. 1). A handle 25 for the user to grip is provided at the upper part of the door 20. Further, a door glass 30 for the user to visually recognize the inside of the heating chamber 12 is provided on the door 20.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 3, the door glass 30 has an inner door glass 31 (glass) arranged inside the door 20 and an outer door glass 32 arranged outside the door 20. The inner door glass 31 is arranged such that the inner chamber surface 31a faces the heating chamber 12 and the outer chamber surface 31b faces the inner space of the door 20. Further, the outer door glass 32 is arranged such that the inner chamber surface 32a faces the inner space of the door 20 and the outer chamber surface 32b faces the outside world.

[0017] The inner door glass 31 is fixed to a door base 21 arranged inside the door 20. The door base 21 has a choke structure so that the electromagnetic waves generated by the heating source 13 can be efficiently attenuated.

[0018] The heating cooker 10 uses an electromagnetic wave shielding glass as the inner door glass 31 so that the electromagnetic waves generated by the heat source 13 can be efficiently attenuated. The electromagnetic wave shielding glass is a glass in which a metal mesh 42 is integrated with a tempered glass 41. The metal mesh 42 is a metal material for attenuating electromagnetic waves and is formed in a mesh shape. The metal mesh 42 is integrated with the tempered glass 41 by being joined to the tempered glass 41 with an adhesive (not shown) or by plating.

[0019] The aperture ratio of the metal mesh 42 is higher than the aperture ratio (generally about 50% or less) of the punching metal used in the first conventional technique described above, and is, for example, about 78%. Since the lines forming the mesh of such a metal mesh 42 are thin, it appears transparent (almost transparent). The inner door glass 31 (glass) provided with such a metal mesh 42 also appears transparent (almost transparent).

[0020] In the illustrated example, the inner door glass 31 has a configuration in which the metal mesh 42 is disposed between the tempered glass 41 and the pressing glass 43, that is, a configuration having a plurality of layers of glass. The tempered glass 41 and the pressing glass 43 have the same thickness or the tempered glass 41 is thicker than the pressing glass 43.

[0021] However, the inner door glass 31 can also have a configuration in which the metal mesh 42 is joined to the tempered glass 41 to eliminate the pressing glass 43, that is, a configuration having only one layer (single phase) of glass.

[0022] Note that the heating cooker 10 may use electromagnetic wave shielding glass not only for the inner door glass 31 but also for the outer door glass 32.

[0023] The inner door glass 31 and the outer door glass 32 are transparent so that the inside of the heating chamber 12 can be seen from the outside. Therefore, the user can clearly see the inside of the heating chamber 12 through the inner door glass 31 and the outer door glass 32 during heating cooking or the like.

[0024] The heating cooker 10 is provided with a camera 50 for photographing food ingredients (objects to be heated) inside the door 20. The camera 50 is fixed to a frame 24 arranged at the upper edge of a door frame 23 of the door 20 in a state where a lens optical axis 51 is inclined downward from the horizontal. The camera 50 is surrounded by a door base 21, a frame 24 of the door frame 23, a shielding plate 61 that shields ambient light (external light), and an inner door glass 31. The door base 21, the frame 24 of the door frame 23, the shielding plate 61, and the inner door glass 31 form an ambient light shielding portion 60 that shields ambient light (external light) and blocks the entry of ambient light (external light) into the visual field of the camera 50.

[0025] The shielding plate 61 is arranged parallel to the lens optical axis 51 of the camera 50 or inclined downward from the lens optical axis 51 of the camera 50. Thereby, the heating cooker 10 secures the visual field of the camera 50.

[0026] A photographing hole 22 for facing (photographing) the heating chamber 12 from the inner door glass 31 is provided between the door base 21 and the shielding plate 61. The camera 50 photographs the inside of the heating chamber 12 through a transparent electromagnetic wave shielding glass used as the inner door glass 31. A portion of the inner door glass 31 facing the camera 50 functions as a camera protection portion 31c that protects the camera 50. The camera protection portion 31c also serves as a peephole used when the user peeks inside the heating chamber 12. Since the camera protection portion 31c is a part of the inner door glass 31, even if deposits such as oil or steam adhere and get dirty, the deposits can be easily wiped off. Thereby, the heating cooker 10 can easily secure a good visual field of the camera 50. The inner door glass 31 has substantially the same dimensions as the outer door glass 32 except for the support structure.

[0027] The ambient light shielding unit 60 prevents ambient light (external light) that enters through the outer door glass 32 from reflecting off the outer surface 31b of the inner door glass 31 on the outside of the cabinet and entering the imaging unit of the camera 50 and appearing in the captured image. Further, the ambient light shielding unit 60 also doubles as an air duct for cooling the camera 50. The shielding plate 61 of the ambient light shielding unit 60 is configured such that the end portion located at a position facing the outer surface 31b of the inner door glass 31 on the outside of the cabinet is disposed closer to the inside of the cabinet than the camera 50. A gap 62 is formed between the shielding plate 61 and the outer surface 31b of the inner door glass 31 on the outside of the cabinet so that ambient light (external light) does not enter. The gap 62 prevents the outer surface 31b of the inner door glass 31 from being scratched when the shielding plate 61 contacts it. Note that the cooking heater 10 may be configured such that the shielding plate 61 contacts the outer surface 31b of the inner door glass 31 via an elastically deformable sealing material instead of forming the gap 62 between the shielding plate 61 and the outer surface 31b of the inner door glass 31. It is preferable to paint the surface of the ambient light shielding unit 60 facing the camera 50 with matte black or the like to prevent internal reflection and stray light.

[0028] The cooking heater 10 has an operation board 28 at the lower part of the door 20. The operation board 28 is a board integrated with an operation unit for receiving user operations. The operation board 28 is electrically connected to a control board 29 disposed inside the housing 11 (see FIG. 1). The control board 29 is a board that controls the operations of the heating source 13, the camera 50, etc. The control board 29 is electrically connected to the heating source 13 and the camera 50. The control board 29 has a control unit 29a that controls the overall operation of the cooking heater 10 and an ambient light correction unit 29b that performs color correction of the captured image captured by the camera 50. The control unit 29a and the ambient light correction unit 29b can be configured by an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0029] <Operation of the cooking heater> Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 5, the operation of the cooking appliance 10 will be described. FIGS. 4A and 4B are explanatory diagrams of the photographing operation of the cooking appliance 10, respectively. FIG. 4A shows the operation of the cooking appliance 10 when obtaining (photographing) ambient light (light from the outside world 99), and FIG. 4B shows the operation of the cooking appliance 10 when photographing the inside of the heating chamber 12. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the white balance setting operation of the cooking appliance 10.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 4A, when setting the white balance, the cooking appliance 10 obtains (photographs) ambient light (light from the outside world 99) with the camera 50 while the door 20 is open. At this time, the ambient light correction unit 29b of the cooking appliance 10 calculates a white balance setting value based on the obtained (photographed) ambient light (light from the outside world 99), and stores the calculated white balance setting value in a storage unit (not shown).

[0031] Next, as shown in FIG. 4B, the cooking appliance 10 photographs an image of the inside of the heating chamber 12 with the camera 50 while the door 20 is closed. At this time, the cooking appliance 10 adjusts the white balance of the photographed image of the inside of the heating chamber 12 based on the white balance setting value stored in a storage unit (not shown).

[0032] FIG. 5 shows such a white balance setting operation of the cooking appliance 10. Here, as shown in FIG. 4A, it will be described assuming that the door 20 is closed at the initial stage.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 5, first, the ambient light correction unit 29b of the cooking appliance 10 performs an initial setting of the white balance (step S105). Next, the ambient light correction unit 29b of the cooking appliance 10 determines whether to perform an automatic setting of the white balance (or a manual setting) (step S110).

[0034] When it is determined in the determination of step S110 that automatic setting is to be performed ("Yes"), the control unit 29a of the cooking heater 10 waits until it is determined that the door 20 is opened (step S115). When it is determined that the door 20 is opened (see FIG. 4B) (step S120), the camera 50 captures an image of the outside world 99 (see FIG. 4B). As a result, the cooking heater 10 acquires (captures) ambient light (the light of the outside world 99) (step S125). After step S125, the ambient light correction unit 29b of the cooking heater 10 automatically sets the white balance based on the acquired (captured) ambient light (the light of the outside world 99) (step S130). In this case, the ambient light correction unit 29b of the cooking heater 10 calculates the set value of the white balance based on the acquired (captured) ambient light (the light of the outside world 99), and stores the calculated set value of the white balance in a storage unit (not shown).

[0035] On the other hand, when it is determined in the determination of step S110 that automatic setting is not to be performed ("No"), the control unit 29a of the cooking heater 10 manually sets the white balance (step S135). In this case, the ambient light correction unit 29b of the cooking heater 10 receives the set value of the white balance input by the user using the operation unit provided on the operation board 28, and stores the set value of the white balance in a storage unit (not shown).

[0036] After step S130 or step S135, when the user instructs to cook the food (object to be heated) stored in the heating chamber 12, the control unit 29a of the cooking heater 10 captures an image of the inside of the heating chamber 12 using the camera 50 (step S140).

[0037] After step S140, the ambient light correction unit 29b of the cooking heater 10 performs image processing on the captured image of the inside of the heating chamber 12, and stores the processed image in a storage unit (not shown) (step S140). At this time, as image processing on the captured image of the inside of the heating chamber 12, the ambient light correction unit 29b of the cooking heater 10 adjusts the white balance of the captured image of the inside of the heating chamber 12 based on the set value of the white balance stored in the storage unit (not shown) in step S130 or step S135.

[0038] In such a configuration, the cooking heater 10 is configured such that the camera 50 is rotatable with respect to the heating chamber 12. Specifically, when the door 20 is opened, the cooking heater 10 is configured such that when the door 20 is rotated about the rotation support portion 15, the camera 50 rotates together with the door 20. In such a cooking heater 10, when the door 20 is opened, since the lens optical axis 51 of the camera 50 passes through the outside of the chamber (the outside world), ambient light (the light of the outside world 99) can be directly acquired (photographed). Then, the cooking heater 10 can surely perform color correction of the photographed image by adjusting the white balance for the image inside the heating chamber 12 photographed by the camera 50 based on the acquired (photographed) ambient light (the light of the outside world 99).

[0039] <Main features of the cooking heater> (1) As shown in FIG. 3, the cooking heater 10 according to Embodiment 1 includes a heating chamber 12, an openable and closable door 20 having a transparent glass (inner door glass 31) that transmits ambient light (light from the outside world) to the heating chamber 12, and a camera 50 that can photograph a region behind the glass through the glass.

[0040] Unlike the first prior art described above, the cooking heater 10 according to Embodiment 1 does not include a through hole of the punching metal (electromagnetic wave shielding plate) in the field of view of the camera, so that the occurrence of a defect in the field of view of the camera 50 can be suppressed. Further, unlike the first prior art described above, in the cooking heater 10 according to Embodiment 1, dirt does not accumulate in the through hole of the punching metal (electromagnetic wave shielding plate), and thus the occurrence of a defect in the field of view of the camera 50 can also be suppressed. Further, unlike the first prior art described above, in the cooking heater 10 according to Embodiment 1, since the through hole of the punching metal (electromagnetic wave shielding plate) does not appear in the photographed image, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a change in the color tone of the photographed image and the inhibition of good photographing of the foodstuffs stored in the heating chamber.

[0041] Further, unlike the second prior art described above, in the cooking heater 10 according to the first embodiment, dirt does not accumulate at the boundary between the inner door glass and the heat-resistant lens, so that the occurrence of a visual field defect of the camera 50 can be suppressed. Further, unlike the second prior art described above, in the cooking heater 10 according to the first embodiment, since there is no area of the heat-resistant lens, by increasing the area of the heat-resistant lens, the area of the inner door glass becomes narrow, and it is possible to eliminate the decrease in visibility from the user. Further, unlike the second prior art described above, in the cooking heater 10 according to the first embodiment, since no through hole is provided in the inner door glass, it is possible to prevent the shielding property of electromagnetic waves from being reduced by the through hole. Further, unlike the second prior art described above, in the cooking heater 10 according to the first embodiment, since the ambient light (external light) inserted from the outer door glass is not reflected by the heat-resistant lens, it is possible to eliminate the impairment of visibility from the user inside the heating chamber due to the reflected light. Further, unlike the second prior art described above, in the cooking heater 10 according to the first embodiment, since the ambient light (external light) inserted from the outer door glass is reflected in the heat-resistant glass, it is possible to eliminate the occurrence of a change in the color tone of the captured image and the inhibition of good imaging of the foodstuffs stored in the heating chamber.

[0042] Further, the cooking heater 10 according to the first embodiment has a simple structure in which the glass (inner door glass 31) does not have the punching metal (electromagnetic wave shielding plate) of the first prior art or the heat-resistant lens of the second prior art described above. Even if deposits such as oil or steam adhere to and stain the glass (inner door glass 31) in the cooking heater 10 according to the first embodiment, the deposits can be easily wiped off. Thereby, the cooking heater 10 according to the first embodiment can easily ensure a good visual field of the camera 50 even in a usage environment with a lot of dirt such as oil or steam.

[0043] (2) As shown in FIG. 3, the cooking heater 10 according to the first embodiment has a heating source 13 that irradiates electromagnetic waves to the food (object to be heated) accommodated in the heating chamber 12 for heating. As the glass (inner door glass 31), a transparent electromagnetic wave shielding glass with an aperture ratio higher than that of punching metal is used. The camera 50 is disposed inside the door 20, facing the heating chamber 12 with the electromagnetic wave shielding glass interposed therebetween. Note that the aperture ratio of the punching metal is generally about 50% or less. The electromagnetic wave shielding glass used in the cooking heater 10 according to the first embodiment preferably has an aperture ratio of 70% or more, more preferably about 78% or more, such that the wires of the metal mesh 42 are thinned and the entire glass looks transparent.

[0044] The cooking heater 10 according to the first embodiment as described above can achieve both an improvement in visibility of the food (object to be heated) accommodated inside the heating chamber 12 and an improvement in electromagnetic wave shielding performance.

[0045] (3) As shown in FIG. 3, the camera 50 of the cooking heater 10 according to the first embodiment is fixed to the frame at the upper edge of the door 20 in a state where the lens optical axis 51 is inclined downward from the horizontal.

[0046] The cooking heater 10 according to the first embodiment as described above can capture the food (object to be heated) accommodated inside the heating chamber 12 well.

[0047] (4) As shown in FIG. 3, the camera 50 of the cooking heater 10 according to the first embodiment is surrounded by a shielding plate 61 that shields ambient light (light from the outside) and glass (inner door glass 31).

[0048] The cooking heater 10 according to the first embodiment as described above can prevent ambient light (light from the outside) from being reflected in the captured image.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 3, the shielding plate 61 of the cooking heater 10 according to the first embodiment is arranged parallel to the lens optical axis 51 of the camera 50 or inclined downward with respect to the lens optical axis 51 of the camera 50, and a gap 62 is provided between the shielding plate 61 and the glass (inner door glass 31).

[0050] With the cooking heater 10 according to the first embodiment configured as described above, the gap 62 can prevent the shielding plate 61 and the glass (inner door glass 31) from colliding with each other, and thus can prevent the glass (inner door glass 31) from being scratched.

[0051] (6) As shown in FIG. 3, the cooking heater 10 according to the first embodiment includes an ambient light correction unit 29b that suppresses the influence of ambient light (external light) on the image captured by the camera 50.

[0052] With the cooking heater 10 according to the first embodiment configured as described above, it is possible to suppress changes in the color tone of the captured image due to the influence of ambient light (external light) and the unintended reflection of ambient light (external light) in the captured image.

[0053] (7) As shown in FIG. 5, the ambient light correction unit 29b of the cooking heater 10 according to the first embodiment adjusts the white balance of the image inside the heating chamber 12 captured by the camera 50 in a state where the door 20 is closed (see FIG. 4A) based on the image outside the heating chamber 12 captured by the camera 50 in a state where the door 20 is open (see FIG. 4B).

[0054] With the cooking heater 10 according to the first embodiment configured as described above, it can directly receive ambient light (external light) in a state where the door 20 is open (see FIG. 4B) and be used to adjust the white balance of the image captured during the heating of the food (object to be heated) housed inside the heating chamber 12.

[0055] As described above, according to the cooking heater 10 according to the first embodiment, the occurrence of a defect in the field of view of the camera 50 can be suppressed.

[0056] [Embodiment 2] The cooking heater 10 (see FIG. 3) according to Embodiment 1 includes a mechanism for cooling the camera 50 in the ambient light shielding portion 60. In contrast, in the present Embodiment 2, a cooking heater 10A is provided which has an air passage for cooling the camera 50 between the inner door glass 31 and the outer door glass 32.

[0057] Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 6, the configuration of the cooking heater 10A according to the present Embodiment 2 will be described. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the main part of the cooking heater 10A according to the present Embodiment 2.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 6, the cooking heater 10A according to the present Embodiment 2 is different from the cooking heater 10 (see FIG. 3) according to Embodiment 1 in the following points. (1) The cooking heater 10A has a cooling air passage 26 inside the door 20 through which cooling air for cooling the operation substrate 28 passes. (2) Instead of the ambient light shielding portion 60 (see FIG. 3), the cooking heater 10A is provided with an ambient light shielding portion 60a in which a shielding plate 61a shorter than the shielding plate 61 (see FIG. 3) is disposed below the camera 50, exposing the back surface of the camera 50 to the outside. (3) The back surface of the camera 50 faces the cooling air passage 26.

[0059] The camera 50 closes a part of the ambient light shielding portion 60a (the portion facing the cooling air passage 26). In other words, in the ambient light shielding portion 60a, a space blocked by the camera 50 is provided on the side of the cooling air passage 26.

[0060] The cooling air passage 26 is provided between the inner door glass 31 and the outer door glass 32, communicates with the space where the operation substrate 28 is provided through the intake hole 27a, and communicates with the space outside the cooling air passage 26 (the outside world) through the exhaust hole 27b provided near the camera 50.

[0061] When the cooking heater 10A cools the operation board 28 with the cooling air, it guides the cooling air to the cooling air passage 26 to cool the camera 50. Such a cooking heater 10A can efficiently cool the camera 50, so that the stability of the operation of the camera 50 can be improved. Moreover, since the cooking heater 10A cools the camera 50 with the cooling air for cooling the operation board 28, it is not necessary to provide a mechanism for generating dedicated cooling air for cooling the camera 50. Such a cooking heater 10A can efficiently cool the camera 50 without increasing the size.

[0062] As described above, according to the cooking heater 10A according to the second embodiment, similarly to the cooking heater 10 according to the first embodiment, the occurrence of the loss of the viewing field of the camera 50 can be suppressed. Moreover, according to the cooking heater 10A according to the second embodiment, compared with the cooking heater 10 according to the first embodiment, since the camera 50 can be efficiently cooled with the cooling air for cooling the operation board 28, the stability of the operation of the camera 50 can be improved.

[0063] [Embodiment 3] The cooking heaters 10 and 10A (see FIGS. 3 and 6) according to the first and second embodiments include the camera 50 inside the door 20. In contrast, in the third embodiment, a cooking heater 10B including the camera 50 inside the heating chamber 12 is provided.

[0064] Note that the cooking heater 10B according to the third embodiment is also intended to solve the problems of the first prior art described in Patent Document 1 and the problems of the second prior art described in Patent Document 2 described above in the first embodiment.

[0065] Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 7, the configuration of the cooking heater 10B according to the third embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the main part of the cooking heater 10B according to the third embodiment.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 7, the cooking heater 10B according to the third embodiment is different in that the camera 50 is disposed inside the heating chamber 12 instead of inside the door 20 as compared with the cooking heaters 10 and 10A (see FIGS. 3 and 6) according to other embodiments.

[0067] The cooking heater 10B according to the present embodiment uses, as the glass (inner door glass 31), a transparent electromagnetic wave shielding glass having a higher aperture ratio than punching metal (about 50% or less). The camera 50 is disposed on any one or more of the top surface 16a, left surface 16b, right surface 16c, rear surface 16d, and bottom surface 16e of the heating chamber 12. In the present embodiment, the camera 50 will be described as being disposed on the top surface 16a of the heating chamber 12 with the lens optical axis 51 inclined downward from the horizontal. In addition to the inside of the heating chamber 12, it is possible to take a picture outside the cooking heater 10 through the glass (inner door glass 31).

[0068] The cooking heater 10B includes an arc-shaped observation window 54 and an arc-shaped shutter 55 around the camera 50. The camera 50 and the shutter 55 rotate about the same rotation center 53 by a rotation unit 52.

[0069] The cooking heater 10B may be configured such that the camera 50 rotates (see arrow A52) so that the lens optical axis 51 switches between the inside direction and the outside direction of the heating chamber 12.

[0070] In this configuration, when setting the white balance, the cooking heater 10B causes the camera 50 to acquire (photograph) ambient light (light from the outside world 99) with the lens optical axis 51 of the camera 50 directed outward from the heating chamber 12. At this time, the ambient light correction unit 29b of the cooking heater 10B calculates a white balance setting value based on the acquired (photographed) ambient light (light from the outside world 99), and stores the calculated white balance setting value in a storage unit (not shown). Next, the cooking heater 10B causes the camera 50 to photograph the inside of the heating chamber 12 with the lens optical axis 51 of the camera 50 directed inward toward the heating chamber 12. At this time, the ambient light correction unit 29b of the cooking heater 10B adjusts the white balance of the photographed image of the inside of the heating chamber 12 based on the white balance setting value stored in the storage unit (not shown).

[0071] In this configuration, with the camera 50 rotated and positioned such that the optical axis of the camera 50 intersects any of the inner walls of the heating chamber 12, the heating chamber 12 has a configuration that also serves as an ambient light shielding unit. Further, the camera 50 is configured to photograph an image including a region deeper than the door glass 30 through the door glass 30. As shown in FIG. 8B, the cooking heater 10B can acquire (photograph) ambient light without opening the door 20, and can adjust the white balance of the photographed image of the inside of the heating chamber 12 based on the acquired ambient light.

[0072] Further, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the cooking heater 10B may be configured to acquire (photograph) ambient light (light from the outside world 99) or photograph the inside of the heating chamber 12 by opening and closing the door 20. FIGS. 8A and 8B are explanatory diagrams of the photographing operation of the cooking heater 10B. FIG. 8A shows the operation of the cooking heater 10B when acquiring (photographing) ambient light (light from the outside world 99), and FIG. 8B shows the operation of the cooking heater 10B when photographing the inside of the heating chamber 12.

[0073] In this configuration, as shown in FIG. 8A, when setting the white balance, the cooking heater 10B acquires (shoots) ambient light (light from the outside world 99) with the camera 50 while the door 20 is open. At this time, the ambient light correction unit 29b of the cooking heater 10B calculates a white balance setting value based on the acquired (shot) ambient light (light from the outside world 99), and stores the calculated white balance setting value in a storage unit (not shown).

[0074] Next, as shown in FIG. 8B, the cooking heater 10B shoots an image inside the heating chamber 12 with the camera 50 while the door 20 is closed. At this time, the ambient light correction unit 29b of the cooking heater 10B adjusts the white balance of the captured image inside the heating chamber 12 based on the white balance setting value stored in a storage unit (not shown).

[0075] Also in this configuration, the heating chamber 12 has a configuration that also serves as an ambient light shielding unit. Further, the camera 50 is configured to shoot an image including a region deeper than the door glass 30 through the door glass 30. The cooking heater 10B can directly acquire (shoot) ambient light by opening the door 20 even when the aperture ratio of the door 20 is low, such as punching metal, and based on the acquired ambient light, can adjust the white balance of the captured image inside the heating chamber 12. If the aperture ratio of the door 20 is high, such as electromagnetic shielding glass, ambient light can be directly acquired (shot) with the door 20 closed.

[0076] Note that the cooking heater 10B may be configured to receive a white balance setting value input by the user with an operation unit provided on the operation board 28, similar to the cooking heaters 10 and 10A according to Embodiments 1 and 2 (see FIGS. 3 and 6). In this case, the cooking heater 10B stores the received white balance setting value in a storage unit (not shown), similar to the cooking heaters 10 and 10A according to Embodiments 1 and 2 (see FIGS. 3 and 6), and adjusts the white balance of the captured image inside the heating chamber 12 based on the white balance setting value stored in the storage unit (not shown).

[0077] Unlike the first and second prior arts described in Embodiment 1, the cooking heater 10B according to Embodiment 3 is configured to directly photograph food (object to be heated) with a camera 50 disposed inside the heating chamber 12. Such a cooking heater 10B can prevent the visual field of the camera 50 from being missing and suppress the occurrence of a missing visual field of the camera 50. Further, the cooking heater 10B can suppress the occurrence of a change in the color tone of the photographed image and the inhibition of good photographing of the food stored in the heating chamber.

[0078] In addition, the cooking heater 10B can use the camera 50 for detecting the loading and unloading of food (object to be heated) in the heating chamber 12. Further, when acquiring (photographing) the ambient light outside the chamber (light of the outside world 99), the cooking heater 10B can use the camera 50 for purposes such as improving the security outside the chamber, monitoring outside the chamber, and detecting dirt on the door glass 30. Note that "security outside the chamber" means, for example, monitoring a person who has entered the room where the cooking heater 10B is installed or monitoring an article that handles a combustible such as a gas stove. Also, "monitoring outside the chamber" means, for example, watching a child or a pet in the room where the cooking heater 10B is installed.

[0079] As described above, according to the cooking heater 10B according to Embodiment 3, similar to the cooking heaters 10 and 10A according to other embodiments, the occurrence of a missing visual field of the camera 50 can be suppressed. Moreover, according to the cooking heater 10B according to Embodiment 3, compared with the cooking heaters 10 and 10A according to other embodiments, the camera 50 can also be used for purposes such as detecting the loading and unloading of food (object to be heated) in the heating chamber 12, improving the security outside the chamber, monitoring outside the chamber, and detecting dirt on the door glass 30.

[0080] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. Also, a part of the configuration of the embodiment can be replaced with another configuration, and another configuration can be added to the configuration of the embodiment. Further, for a part of each configuration, addition, deletion, or replacement with another configuration is possible.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0081] 10, 10A, 10B Cooking appliance 11 Housing 12 Heating chamber 13 Heat source 14 Opening 15 Rotating support portion 16a Top surface 16b Left surface 16c Right surface 16d Rear surface (back wall surface) 16e Bottom surface 20 Door 21 Door base 22 Photographing hole 23 Door frame 24 Frame 25 Handle 26 Cooling air passage 27a Intake hole 27b Exhaust hole 28 Operation substrate 29 Control substrate 29a Control portion 29b Ambient light correction portion 30 Door glass 31 Inner door glass (glass) 31a Inner surface of the chamber 31b Outer surface of the chamber 31c Camera protection portion 32 Outer door glass 32a Inner surface of the chamber 32b Outer surface of the chamber 41 Reinforced glass 42 Metal mesh 43 Suppression glass 50 Camera 51 Lens optical axis 52 Rotating unit 53 Rotation center 54 Observation window 55 Shutter 60, 60a Ambient light shielding part 61, 61a Shielding plate 62 Gap 99 External environment

Claims

1. A heating chamber, An openable and closable door having a transparent glass that transmits external light to the heating chamber, A camera capable of photographing a region behind the glass through the glass, An operation substrate integrated with an operation unit for receiving a user's operation, A cooling air passage provided inside the door through which cooling air passes, The back surface of the camera faces the cooling air passage, The cooling air passage communicates with the space where the operation substrate is provided through an intake hole and communicates with the external space through an exhaust hole provided near the camera A heating cooker characterized by the above.

2. In the heating cooker according to Claim 1, It has a heating source that generates electromagnetic waves, As the glass, a transparent electromagnetic wave shielding glass having a higher aperture ratio than punching metal is used, The camera is disposed inside the door, facing the heating chamber with the electromagnetic wave shielding glass interposed therebetween A heating cooker characterized by the above.

3. In the heating cooker according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, The camera is fixed to the frame at the upper edge of the door in a state where the lens optical axis is inclined downward from the horizontal A heating cooker characterized by the above.

4. In the heating cooker according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, The camera is surrounded by a shielding plate that shields ambient light and the glass A heating cooker characterized by the above.

5. In the heating cooker according to Claim 4, The shielding plate is arranged parallel to the lens optical axis of the camera or inclined downward from the lens optical axis of the camera, A gap is provided between the shielding plate and the glass A heating cooker characterized by the above.

6. In the heating cooker according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, An ambient light correction unit for performing color correction on an image captured by the camera is provided A heating cooker characterized by the above.

7. In the heating cooker according to Claim 6, Based on the ambient light captured by the camera, the ambient light correction unit adjusts the white balance of the image inside the heating chamber captured by the camera with the door closed A heating cooker characterized by the above.

Images