kitchen machines

Abstract

To suppress the occurrence of a trouble of an oil rotary vacuum pump in a kitchen apparatus.SOLUTION: In a vacuum packaging machine, a controller determines necessity of warm-up operation of a vacuum pump based on temperature information of a pump oil detected by a temperature sensor (S202); and if it is determined that the warm-up operation is required (S202; YES); outputs warm-up operation information for prompting a user start operation of the warm-up operation to an operation panel (S203). Thereby, because the necessity of the warm-up operation is determined based on the temperature information on the pump oil of the vacuum pump, the warm-up operation information is outputted to the operation panel without an excessive load on pump components such as a rotor, a sliding vane plate, a stator, and a motor of the vacuum pump, and the user can be notified that the warm-up operation is necessary. Thus, because it is possible to prevent the excessive load from being applied to the pump component constituting the vacuum pump, the occurrence of a trouble of the vacuum pump can be suppressed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a kitchen appliance including a sealed container capable of forming a sealed space and an oil circulation type oil rotary vacuum pump that evacuates the inside of the sealed container to create a negative pressure. [Background technology]

[0002] An example of kitchen equipment equipped with an airtight container capable of forming an airtight space and an oil-circulating rotary vacuum pump that evacuates the airtight container to create a negative pressure is the vacuum packaging machine disclosed in Patent Document 1 listed below. In this vacuum packaging machine, a case heater capable of heating the pump case is attached near the vacuum pump (oil rotary vacuum pump). The case heater increases the temperature of the oil circulating inside the pump for lubrication and airtightness maintenance, thereby lowering the viscosity of the oil, enabling the vacuum pump to start up smoothly even at low temperatures. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-245010 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 06-14485 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the vacuum packaging machine of Patent Document 1, the case heater that heats the pump case is turned on by utilizing the atmosphere opening operation of the vacuum chamber that forms the sealed space. That is, at low temperatures, the viscosity of the oil is high, making it difficult for the rotor to rotate, and the case heater is turned on to start heating due to an overcurrent flowing in the electric motor of the vacuum pump (Patent Document 1, paragraph 0027). Because such an overcurrent flows when the electric motor of the vacuum pump is overloaded, it is desirable to prevent it from occurring in order to prevent malfunctions of the vacuum pump.

[0005] In addition, in oil-sealed rotary vacuum pumps such as those disclosed in Patent Document 2, which have a built-in axial fan that rotates in conjunction with the pump shaft that drives the pump mechanism, the axial fan also rotates when the pump mechanism is operating, cooling the pump mechanism and the internal oil regardless of the oil temperature. In vacuum packaging machines equipped with such vacuum pumps with axial fans, the oil temperature in the vacuum pump does not rise easily during short-term operation or in low-temperature environments, making it difficult for the oil to reach a temperature sufficient to evaporate the moisture contained in the oil, which can lead to rust formation inside the pump and lead to vacuum pump malfunctions. The present invention aims to prevent malfunctions in oil-sealed rotary vacuum pumps. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a kitchen appliance comprising: an airtight container capable of forming an airtight space; an oil circulation type oil rotary vacuum pump that evacuates the air inside the airtight container to create a negative pressure; an oil temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the oil circulating inside the oil rotary vacuum pump and outputs oil temperature information; and a control device that acquires the oil temperature information from the oil temperature sensor, wherein the control device determines whether or not a warm-up operation of the oil rotary vacuum pump is necessary based on the oil temperature information, and if it determines that a warm-up operation is necessary, outputs warm-up operation information to a specified output device to prompt the user to start the warm-up operation.

[0007] In the kitchen appliance configured as described above, the control device determines whether the oil rotary vacuum pump needs to be warmed up based on oil temperature information, and if it determines that warming up is necessary, outputs warm-up information to a predetermined output device to prompt the user to start the warm-up operation. Because the control device determines whether the warm-up operation is necessary based on the oil temperature information of the oil rotary vacuum pump, it is possible to output the warm-up information to the predetermined output device and notify the user that a warm-up operation is necessary without placing excessive load on the pump mechanism of the oil rotary vacuum pump or pump components such as the motor that drives it. Therefore, the pump components that make up the oil rotary vacuum pump are less likely to be overloaded, thereby suppressing the occurrence of malfunctions in the oil rotary vacuum pump.

[0008] In the kitchen appliance configured as described above, the control device is capable of controlling the operation of the oil rotary vacuum pump, and preferably terminates the warm-up operation when it determines, based on the oil temperature information, that the oil temperature has reached a predetermined warm-up completion temperature. As a result, the warm-up operation automatically terminates when the oil temperature of the oil rotary vacuum pump reaches the predetermined warm-up completion temperature, which makes it possible to minimize the user's waiting time for use due to the warm-up operation compared to a case without such an automatic termination function, and also to suppress unnecessary energy consumption such as electricity.

[0009] The kitchen appliance configured as described above is equipped with a cooling fan that can cool the oil rotary vacuum pump and whose drive can be controlled by a control device, and the control device preferably controls the drive of the cooling fan based on oil temperature information. This makes it possible to control the drive of the cooling fan based on oil temperature information independently of the operation of the pump, as opposed to the oil rotary vacuum pump of Patent Document 2, which has an axial fan that rotates in conjunction with the pump shaft that drives the pump mechanism, and thus makes it possible to appropriately cool the oil and pump components of the oil rotary vacuum pump. This makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of temperature-related problems in the oil rotary vacuum pump.

[0010] For example, in such kitchen equipment, the drive control of the cooling fan based on oil temperature information switches to high rotation drive, which increases cooling capacity, when it is determined that the oil temperature is higher than a predetermined first threshold temperature. As a result, when the oil temperature of the oil rotary vacuum pump is higher than the predetermined first threshold temperature, the cooling fan is driven at high rotation speed, increasing cooling capacity compared to normal rotation, making it possible to rapidly cool the oil rotary vacuum pump and the oil therein, and preventing malfunctions in the oil rotary vacuum pump.

[0011] Furthermore, in such kitchen equipment, the drive control of the cooling fan based on oil temperature information switches to low-speed drive, which reduces cooling capacity, when it is determined that the oil temperature is lower than a predetermined second threshold temperature. As a result, when the oil temperature of the oil rotary vacuum pump is lower than the predetermined second threshold temperature, the cooling fan is driven at low speed, and cooling capacity is reduced compared to normal rotation, making it possible to cool the oil rotary vacuum pump and the oil therein appropriately rather than excessively, and reducing unnecessary energy consumption such as electricity.

[0012] Furthermore, the cooling fan drive control based on the oil temperature information preferably continues low-speed operation if it is determined that the oil temperature is lower than a predetermined moisture evaporation temperature after low-speed operation has started. This allows the oil temperature of the oil-sealed rotary vacuum pump to be raised until it reaches the predetermined moisture evaporation temperature at which the moisture contained therein can evaporate. For example, if the oil contains moisture, the moisture can be evaporated. This makes it difficult for rust to form inside the pump or in the oil, thereby preventing malfunctions of the oil-sealed rotary vacuum pump caused by such rust. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the state in which the chamber cover of FIG. 1 is opened. [Figure 3] AA cross-sectional view. [Figure 4] BB cross section. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vacuum packaging machine. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control device. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart of a main routine of a control program for the vacuum packaging machine. [Figure 8] 8 is a flowchart of a subroutine (processing for determining whether warm-up is necessary) in FIG. 7; [Figure 9]8 is a flowchart of a warm-up program that can be selected in the function menu display / selection process of FIG. 7. [Figure 10] 8 is a flowchart of a packaging program that can be selected in the function menu display / selection process of FIG. 7. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart of a cooling fan control program executed while the vacuum pump is operating. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart of a contained moisture vaporization program. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0014] An embodiment of a vacuum packaging machine of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the vacuum packaging machine 10 includes a chamber 20 provided in the upper part of a casing 11, a sealing device 30 that seals the peripheral edge of the opening of a packaging bag within the chamber 20, and a vacuum pump 40 that evacuates the chamber 20 to create a negative pressure, located in the lower part of the casing 11 below the chamber 20. In the following description, one side of the chamber 20 will be referred to as the front, the other side as the rear, the direction connecting the front and rear will be referred to as the front-to-rear direction, and the direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction and the horizontal direction will be referred to as the left-to-right direction.

[0015] The casing 11 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a chamber 20 is provided at the top of the casing 11. The chamber 20 includes a chamber base 21, a chamber cover 22, and a packing 23, which are provided at the top of the casing 11, and is configured so that an enclosed space SS capable of containing a packaging bag can be defined and formed inside by closing the upper side of the chamber base 21 with the chamber cover 22 to which the packing 23 is attached in a freely openable and closable manner.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 2, the chamber base 21 is a shallow box-like body with an open top and a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is formed by pressing a sheet metal member such as stainless steel. As shown in Fig. 3, a step 21a that is shallower than other parts is formed in the front part of the chamber base 21, and a lower block 31 that constitutes the sealing device 30 is provided above the step 21a so as to be movable up and down.

[0017] As shown in Figure 4, the chamber base 21, excluding the stepped portion 21a, is curved so that the center portion in the left-right direction is the lowest, and packaging bags to be placed in the chamber 20 are easily placed in the center portion in the left-right direction, which is the lowest. By placing the packaging bag in the center in the left-right direction within the chamber 20, the peripheral edge of the opening of the packaging bag is placed in the center in the left-right direction of the lower block 31. Furthermore, when a tall item to be packaged, such as a block of meat, is placed in the middle portion in the front-to-rear direction, away from the lower block 31, which is located at the front of the chamber 20, to prevent wrinkles from forming around the peripheral edge of the opening of the packaging bag.

[0018] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the chamber cover 22 is a lid made of a transparent material such as pressure-resistant acrylic, polycarbonate, or polyethylene terephthalate that can freely close the top opening of the chamber base 21, and can form a sealed space (sealed space) between the chamber cover 22 and the chamber base 21 that can accommodate a packaging bag. The rear end of the chamber cover 22 is pivotally supported on the rear end of the casing 11 so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis, and the front part of the chamber cover 22 can be rotated up and down. As shown in Figure 1, when the chamber cover 22 is in a horizontal position, it is in a closed position that closes the top opening of the chamber base 21. As shown in Figure 2, when the front part of the chamber cover 22 is rotated upward, the chamber cover 22 is in an inclined position that exposes the top surface of the chamber base 21.

[0019] 2 and 3, a gas spring 12 is provided at the rear of the casing 11, and the gas spring 12 urges the front of the chamber cover 22 upward, urging the chamber cover 22 to an open position where it is released from the chamber base 21. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, a packing 23 is provided as a sealing member at a connecting portion 23 on the periphery of the lower surface of the chamber cover 22.

[0020] 1 and 4, the chamber cover 22 has flat plate-like flat portions 22a on both left and right sides and a protruding portion 22b that protrudes upward in the left and right center. In addition, a rising portion 22c that rises from the flat portion 22a to the protruding portion 22b is formed between the flat portion 22a and the protruding portion 22b.

[0021] The lower surface of the flat portion 22a is at a height that allows it to abut against the upper edge of the chamber base 21, and covers both the left and right sides of the chamber base 21. The curved surface of the bottom wall of the chamber base 21 makes it easy for the packaging bag contained in the chamber 20 to be placed in the center in the left-right direction, and when a packaging bag containing a tall packaged item is placed in the center in the left-right direction of the chamber base 21, it is difficult for the tall packaged item inside the packaging bag to be placed below the flat portion 22a of the chamber cover 22.

[0022] In this way, flat portion 22a is located in a position where it is difficult to place a tall packaged item in a packaging bag, and has the function of preventing excessive space from being formed on both the left and right sides of chamber 20. As shown in Fig. 4, rising portion 22c is an inclined surface that slopes obliquely upward while approaching protruding portion 22b from flat portion 22a, and rising portion 22c made of an inclined surface has the function of placing a packaged item in a tall packaging bag placed on chamber base 21 in the center in the left-right direction.

[0023] 1 and 4, the protrusion 22b of the chamber cover 22 has the function of making it difficult for a packaging bag containing a tall packaged item to hit the chamber cover 22 when the packaging bag is placed in the center in the left-right direction of the chamber base 21. The packaging bag contained in the chamber 20 is easily placed in the center in the left-right direction, and when the packaging bag containing a tall packaged item is placed in the center in the left-right direction of the chamber base 21, the protrusion 22b of the chamber cover 22 can accommodate the packaging bag containing the tall packaged item.

[0024] 1 and 3, protrusion 22b rises from the front end slightly rearward of the center in the front-to-rear direction, and descends from slightly rearward of the center in the front-to-rear direction toward the rear end, so that the height of the middle part in the front-to-rear direction (slightly rearward of the center in the front-to-rear direction) is the highest. When a packaging bag containing a tall packaged item is placed in chamber 20, the packaged item is placed at the bottom of the packaging bag as far away from the opening of the packaging bag as possible to prevent wrinkles from forming around the opening edge of the packaging bag, and the tall packaged item is placed at the rear, away from the front of chamber 20 where lower block 31 is placed.

[0025] Furthermore, even if a tall packaged item is stored closer to the bottom than the opening of the packaging bag, the packaging bag is pulled in the height direction, so the packaged item in the packaging bag is not positioned at the rear of chamber 20. For this reason, when a packaging bag containing a tall packaged item is placed in chamber 20, the packaged item will be positioned in the middle of chamber 20 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0026] 2 and 3, a gas spring 12 is provided at the rear end of the casing 11, and the gas spring 12 urges upward the front of a chamber cover 22, which is supported at the rear of the casing 11 so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis. A stopper 13 is provided at the front end of the right side surface of the casing 11 so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis, and the stopper 13 engages with the upper front surface of the chamber cover 22 to hold the chamber cover 22 in a position that blocks the top opening of the chamber base 21.

[0027] 5, a cover detector 14 that detects the closed state of the chamber cover 22 is provided at the rear of the casing 11. The cover detector 14 uses a proximity switch such as a reed switch, and a magnet 15 that causes the cover detector 14 to detect the closed state of the chamber cover 22 is provided at the rear of the chamber cover 22.

[0028] When the chamber cover 22 is in a closed position that blocks the top opening of the chamber base 21, the magnet 15 is close to the cover detector 14, and the cover detector 14 outputs an ON signal. When the chamber cover 22 is in an open position that opens the top opening of the chamber base 21, the magnet 15 is away from the cover detector 14, and the cover detector 14 outputs an OFF signal.

[0029] 3 and 5, a sealing device 30 is provided at the front of the chamber 20. The sealing device 30 seals the peripheral opening of the packaging bag contained in the chamber 20 by heat welding. The sealing device 30 includes lower and upper blocks 31 and 32 that clamp the peripheral opening of the packaging bag.

[0030] The lower block 31 is made of an aluminum square pipe member and is detachably and vertically movably supported on the upper side of the step portion 21a of the chamber base 21. A strip-shaped heater 33 made of nichrome material is provided on the upper surface of the lower block 31. The upper block 32 is made of an elastically deformable silicon block and is attached to the front lower surface of the chamber cover 22 at a position facing the upper side of the lower block 31.

[0031] 3 and 5, a pair of left and right lifting mechanisms 34 for vertically raising and lowering the lower block 31 are provided on the underside of the step portion 21a of the chamber base 21. Each lifting mechanism 34 includes a support shaft 35 that penetrates the bottom wall of the step portion 21a of the chamber base 21, and a lifting cylinder 36 that moves the support shaft 35 up and down.

[0032] 5, a flange 37 is provided at the axial middle of the support shaft 35, and the flange 37 airtightly divides the interior of the lift cylinder 36 into an upper space 36a and a lower space 36b. A spring member 38 is interposed around the outer periphery of the support shaft 35 in the upper space 36a of the lift cylinder 36, and the spring member 38 biases the support shaft 35 downward via the flange 37.

[0033] 5, a vacuum pump 40 is provided in the lower part of the casing 11. The vacuum pump 40 is, for example, a positive displacement vacuum pump (oil rotary vacuum pump) and is composed of a cylindrical stator filled with pump oil, a rotor rotatably housed in the stator, a plurality of sliding blades incorporated in the rotor so as to be radially movable and in sliding contact with the inner peripheral surface of the stator, an electric motor (pump motor) that rotates the rotor, and the like.

[0034] When the vacuum pump 40 configured in this manner is in operation, the sliding vanes that are in sliding contact with the inner surface of the stator rotate at high speed together with the rotor due to the rotational drive of the pump motor. Although the pump oil (lubricating oil) cools the heated stator and sliding vanes, the entire vacuum pump 40, including the pump oil, generates heat.

[0035] For this reason, in this embodiment, the vacuum pump 40 itself is not provided with an axial flow fan or the like, but instead a cooling fan 70 that can be driven and controlled independently of the vacuum pump 40 is provided in the space SP near the vacuum pump 40. In addition, the vacuum pump 40 is equipped with a temperature sensor 81 that can detect the temperature of the pump oil circulating within the vacuum pump 40.

[0036] The cooling fan 70 is mainly composed of, for example, a DC brushless motor (hereinafter referred to as "fan motor"), fan blades attached to the rotating shaft of the motor, and a frame fixed to the center of the fan motor and surrounding the fan blades. In this embodiment, the fan motor is configured so that its rotation speed (number of rotations per unit time) can be controlled by, for example, PWM control, and the cooling fan 70 is provided with a driver circuit (not shown) for PWM control.

[0037] The temperature sensor 81 is, for example, a thermistor, a resistance temperature detector, or a thermocouple, and is provided in the casing of the vacuum pump 40 so as to be able to indirectly detect the temperature of the pump oil inside the vacuum pump 40, or is incorporated into the vacuum pump 40 so as to be able to directly detect the temperature of the pump oil inside the vacuum pump 40. In this embodiment, the temperature sensor 81 detects the temperature of the pump oil circulating inside the vacuum pump 40 and outputs pump oil temperature information to the control device 60.

[0038] When the temperature sensor 81 is provided in the casing of the vacuum pump 40 to indirectly detect the temperature of the pump oil, the oil temperature To is immediately estimated based on temperature information acquired from the temperature sensor 81 in information processing executed by the CPU of the control device 60. For example, a predetermined oil temperature estimation map or calculation formula stored in advance in the ROM is used for such estimation.

[0039] In the vacuum packaging machine 10, the vacuum pump 40 mainly functions to suck the inside of the chamber 20, exhausting the air in the sealed space SS within the chamber 20 and creating a negative pressure inside the chamber 20. A suction pipe 41 that connects the vacuum pump 40 and the chamber 20 is provided inside the casing 11, and a vacuum valve 42 is installed in the suction pipe 41. The air inside the chamber 20 can be sucked into the vacuum pump 40 by opening the vacuum valve 42.

[0040] An outside air introduction pipe 43 that introduces outside air between the chamber 20 and the vacuum valve 42 is connected to the suction pipe 41, and includes a first pipe section 43a and a second pipe section 43b branching from the first pipe section 43a. First and second outside air introduction valves 44, 45 that open and close the first and second pipe sections 43a, 43b are provided. The first outside air introduction valve 44 has a larger valve diameter than the second outside air introduction valve 45, so that when the first outside air introduction valve 44 is opened, outside air is introduced into the chamber 20 quickly, and when the second outside air introduction valve 45 is opened, outside air is introduced into the chamber 20 slowly.

[0041] A pressure detection pipe 46 is connected to the suction pipe 41 via a first pipe section 43a of the outside air introduction pipe 43, and a vacuum gauge 47 is provided on the pressure detection pipe 46 to detect the pressure in the chamber 20. When the chamber 20 is not evacuated, the pressure inside the chamber 20 detected by the vacuum gauge 47 is 100 kPa (abs), the same as atmospheric pressure, and the degree of vacuum is 0%. When the chamber 20 is evacuated to a negative pressure using the vacuum pump 40 and the pressure inside the chamber detected by the vacuum gauge 47 is 0 kPa (abs), the degree of vacuum is 100%. Note that although it is the pressure inside the chamber 20 that is directly detected by the vacuum gauge 47, in the following explanation, the pressure detected by the vacuum gauge 47 will be referred to as the degree of vacuum P inside the chamber 20.

[0042] A cylinder pipe 48 branches off from the suction pipe 41 between the vacuum pump 40 and the vacuum valve 42, and the cylinder pipe 48 is connected to the upper space 36a of the lift cylinder 36. A three-way valve 49 is installed in the cylinder pipe 48, and two ports of the three-way valve 49 are connected to the vacuum pump 40 side and the lift cylinder 36 side of the cylinder pipe 48, and the remaining port of the three-way valve 49 is open to the outside air (hereinafter referred to as the "vacuum pump side port," "lift cylinder side port," and "outside air port").

[0043] When the vacuum pump 40 is operated with the vacuum pump 40 side and the lift cylinder 36 side of the three-way valve 49 in communication, the upper space 36a of the lift cylinder 36 is negatively pressurized, and the support shaft 35 rises against the biasing force of the spring member 38. When the lift cylinder 36 side and the outside air side of the three-way valve 49 are in communication, the upper space 36a of the lift cylinder 36 is no longer negatively pressurized, and the support shaft 35 is lowered by the biasing force of the spring member 38.

[0044] 3 and 5, a bulge detection unit 50 that detects the bulge of the package bag contained therein is provided within the chamber 20. The bulge detection unit 50 includes a detection plate 51 that is supported rotatably about a horizontal axis on the front part of the lower surface of the chamber cover 22, a magnet 52 fixed to the rear end of the detection plate 51, and a bulge detector 53 that is made up of a proximity switch such as a reed switch that detects the position of the detection plate 51.

[0045] The detection plate 51, like the lower and upper blocks 31 and 32, has a strip-like shape extending in the left-right direction. The detection plate 51 is located immediately behind the upper block 32 on the underside of the chamber cover 22 and is supported rotatably about a horizontal axis so that the rear side can move up and down. A magnet 52 is fixed to the rear end of the left end of the detection plate 51, and the magnet 52 moves up and down as the detection plate 51 rotates. When the packaging bag contained in the chamber 20 is not inflated, the detection plate 51 is tilted diagonally downward, and the magnet 52 at the rear end of the detection plate 51 is located at the bottom (lower position) within the chamber 20 (shown by solid lines in Figures 3 and 5). When the packaging bag contained in the chamber 20 inflates, the detection plate 51 is lifted and rotated by the inflated packaging bag, and the magnet 52 at the rear end of the detection plate 51 is located at the top (upper position) within the chamber 20 (shown by chain double-dashed lines in Figures 3 and 5).

[0046] The bulge detector 53 detects the bulge of the packaging bag by detecting the position of the magnet 52 at the rear end of the detection plate 51, which rotates upward when the packaging bag bulges. The bulge detector 53 is disposed outside the chamber base 21 in a position facing the magnet 52 of the detection plate 51 when it is in the upper position. When the packaging bag is not bulging and the magnet 52 of the detection plate 51 is in the lower position, the bulge detector 53 outputs an OFF signal as the magnet 52 in the lower position is away. When the packaging bag is bulging and the magnet 52 of the detection plate 51 is in the upper position, the bulge detector 53 outputs an ON signal as the magnet 52 in the upper position approaches.

[0047] The vacuum packaging machine 10 is equipped with a control device 60, which, as shown in Figure 6, is connected to the cover detector 14, the heater 33, the vacuum pump 40, the vacuum valve 42, the first and second outside air introduction valves 44, 45, the vacuum gauge 47, the three-way valve 49, the inflation detector 53, an operation panel 61 provided on the front of the casing 11, a cooling fan 70 that cools the vacuum pump 40, and a temperature sensor 81 that can detect the temperature of the pump oil in the vacuum pump 40.

[0048] The operation panel 61 is equipped with input devices such as an operation button (power switch) that is pressed when the power is turned on, a program button, a water drain button, and a warm-up operation button, and output devices such as a liquid crystal display or LED display that can display program numbers, a vacuum gauge, remaining time, etc. An input / output device such as a liquid crystal touch panel that serves as both an input device and an output device may also be used.

[0049] The control device 60 has a microcomputer (not shown), which is equipped with a CPU, RAM, ROM, timer, and clock function (all not shown), which are connected via a bus. The ROM pre-stores a control program, a warm-up necessity determination program, a warm-up program, a packaging program, etc., which will be described later, and the CPU reads these programs from the ROM as appropriate, expands them into the RAM, and executes them. In this embodiment, when the power switch of the vacuum packaging machine 10 is turned on, the CPU first reads and executes the main routine of the control program shown in Figure 7. In other words, when the power to the vacuum packaging machine 10 is turned on, the control device 60 performs the main control processing of Figure 7.

[0050] First, in step 100, a predetermined initialization process is performed. For example, predetermined work areas and various flags provided in RAM are set to initial values, and the vacuum pump 40, vacuum valve 42, first outside air introduction valve 44, second outside air introduction valve 45, three-way valve 49, etc. are set to their initial states. In this embodiment, for example, the vacuum pump 40 is stopped, the vacuum valve 42 is closed, the first outside air introduction valve 44 is open, the second outside air introduction valve 45 is closed, and the three-way valve 49 is controlled so that the lift-cylinder side port and the outside air port are connected and the vacuum pump side port is shut off.

[0051] In the next step 200, a warm-up necessity determination process is performed. This process determines whether the vacuum pump 40 is in a relatively low temperature environment and outputs information indicating that a warm-up operation is necessary if one is required. This process is stored in the ROM of the control device 60 as a warm-up necessity determination program. The flow of this determination process is shown as a subroutine in Figure 8, so the following description will be given with reference to Figure 8.

[0052] In the warm-up necessity determination process, first, in step 201, temperature information of the pump oil is acquired. In this embodiment, the temperature sensor 81 outputs temperature information of the pump oil in the vacuum pump 40, which is acquired by the control device 60. Then, in the following step 202, it is determined from this temperature information whether the oil temperature To in the vacuum pump 40 is lower than a predetermined warm-up completion temperature Tx. The warm-up completion temperature Tx is set to, for example, a temperature lower than a second threshold temperature Tb used in the cooling fan control process described below.

[0053] If it is determined in step 202 that the oil temperature To is lower than the warm-up completion temperature Tx (S202; YES), in the following step 203, warm-up operation information (warm-up operation necessary information) that prompts the user to start the warm-up operation is output to the operation panel 61. For example, the LED display of the warm-up operation button on the operation panel 61 is flashed, or a buzzer (not shown) that emits a confirmation sound or warning sound is sounded at a predetermined pitch, thereby informing the user of the vacuum packaging machine 10 that a warm-up operation is necessary.

[0054] On the other hand, if it is not determined that the oil temperature To is lower than the warm-up completion temperature Tx, that is, if it is determined that the oil temperature To is equal to or higher than the warm-up completion temperature Tx (S202; NO), there is no need to warm up the vacuum pump 40. Therefore, the warm-up necessity determination process is terminated and the process returns to the main control process of Fig. 7. After the warm-up operation necessity information is output in step 203, the warm-up necessity determination process is also terminated and the process returns to the main control process.

[0055] Returning to the main control process shown in Fig. 7, next, a function menu display / selection process is performed in step 300. This process displays the functions that the vacuum packaging machine 10 can perform next on the operation panel 61 and makes them selectable via the operation panel 61. For example, as will be described later, a packaging program (packaging function) for vacuum-packing items to be packaged, such as food ingredients and cooked foods, is selectably displayed on the operation panel 61. Furthermore, the above-mentioned warm-up operation requirement information is displayed on the operation panel 61, and if a warm-up operation is required, a warm-up program (warm-up function) is selectably displayed on the operation panel 61.

[0056] The program corresponding to the function selected in step 300 is executed by the selected function execution process in the following step 400, and when this process is completed, the process returns to the warm-up necessity determination process in step 200, where it is again determined whether or not warm-up of the vacuum pump 40 is necessary. In this main control process, the information processing in each step is repeated until, for example, the operation button is pressed and held down and a power-off interrupt signal is input, thereby making it possible to determine whether or not warm-up is necessary in the standby state (S200).

[0057] Next, the warm-up process by the warm-up program will be described. This process can be executed when the warm-up operation necessary information is displayed on the operation panel 61 and it is necessary to warm up the vacuum pump 40. The program operates the vacuum pump 40 at a low load to raise the temperature of the pump oil to the warm-up completion temperature Tx.

[0058] 9, in the warm-up process, first, the warm-up operation of the vacuum pump 40 is started in step 401. That is, the vacuum valve 42 and the first outside air introduction valve 44 are controlled to be open, and then the vacuum pump 40 is operated. This enables the vacuum pump 40 to operate under a low load, so that the pump motor can be driven without an overcurrent even if the oil temperature To inside the vacuum pump 40 is low and the viscosity of the pump oil is high.

[0059] Then, in the next step 402, temperature information of the pump oil is obtained, and in step 403, it is determined from this temperature information whether the oil temperature To in the vacuum pump 40 is equal to or higher than a predetermined warm-up completion temperature Tx, and acquisition of the pump oil temperature information is repeated until it is determined that the oil temperature To is equal to or higher than the warm-up completion temperature Tx (S403; NO). The warm-up completion temperature Tx is the same temperature as the warm-up completion temperature Tx used in the above-mentioned warm-up necessity determination process, but it may be set to a different temperature.

[0060] If it is determined in step 403 that the oil temperature To is equal to or higher than the warm-up completion temperature Tx (S403; YES), the warm-up operation is ended by stopping the operation of the vacuum pump 40 and controlling the vacuum valve 42 to a closed state in the following step 404. The first outside air introduction valve 44 is also controlled to a closed state as necessary. When this warm-up process is ended, the process returns to the main control process of Figure 7. As a result, the viscosity of the pump oil of the vacuum pump 40 is reduced, so that even when a vacuum is drawn by a packaging program or the like, an excessive load is placed on the pump motor of the vacuum pump 40 and no overcurrent flows.

[0061] Next, the packaging process by the packaging program will be described. In this process, the vacuum pump 40 creates a negative pressure in the chamber 20 of the vacuum packaging machine 10 to a predetermined pressure, and after degassing the packaging bag contained in the chamber 20, the sealing device 30 seals the opening periphery of the packaging bag, sealing the degassed packaging bag, i.e., vacuum-packing the packaged item.

[0062] The packaging program is set up with a plurality of programs that vary in the degree of vacuum in the chamber 20 and the manner in which the first and second outside air introduction valves 44, 45 are opened depending on the temperature of the food to be put into the packaging bag, etc. Here, as an example of a packaging program, a packaging program when the food is at room temperature (low temperature) will be specifically described.

[0063] Before the packaging process begins, a packaging bag containing food ingredients, cooked food, or other packaged items must be placed inside chamber 20, and chamber cover 22 is closed with the opening periphery of the packaging bag placed on top of lower block 31 of sealing device 30. In addition, vacuum valve 42 and second outside air introduction valve 45 are controlled to be closed, the lift cylinder side port of three-way valve 49 is connected to the outside air port, and the vacuum pump side port is controlled to be closed.

[0064] 10, in the packaging process, first, in step 411, a process is performed to determine whether or not the cover detector 14 is in the ON state, i.e., whether or not the chamber cover 22 is closed. If the chamber cover 22 is not closed (S411; NO), whether or not the cover detector 14 is in the ON state is repeatedly determined until the chamber cover 22 is closed. For example, if the cover detector 14 does not turn on even after a certain period of time (e.g., three minutes) has elapsed, the processing flow may be configured to end the packaging process and return to the main control process of FIG. 7.

[0065] If it is determined that the chamber cover 22 is closed (S411; YES), the next step 412 is to start evacuation by the vacuum pump 40. That is, the vacuum valve 42 is controlled to be open and the first outside air introduction valve 44 is controlled to be closed, and then the vacuum pump 40 is operated. As a result, the vacuum pump 40 starts degassing the chamber 20, creating a negative pressure, and in the following step 413, it is repeatedly determined whether the degree of vacuum P in the chamber 20 detected by the vacuum gauge 47 has reached or exceeded a preset degree of vacuum Px (below a predetermined pressure).

[0066] Then, when it is determined in step 413 that the pressure inside chamber 20 gradually decreases and the degree of vacuum P inside chamber 20 detected by vacuum gauge 47 has reached or exceeded the degree of vacuum Px (S413; YES), degassing is stopped and the periphery of the opening of the packaging bag is sealed. That is, after controlling vacuum valve 42 to a closed state in step 414, step 415 controls three-way valve 49 so that the lift-cylinder side port and the vacuum pump side port are connected and the outside air port is closed.

[0067] As a result, the upper space 36a of the lifting cylinder 36 is negatively pressurized by the vacuum pump 40, the support shaft 35 rises against the biasing force of the spring member 38, and the lower block 31 rises due to the rising support shaft 35. Therefore, the lower block 31 is pressed against the upper block 32 by the rising support shaft 35, and the peripheral edge of the opening of the packaging bag is clamped between the lower block 31 and the upper block 32.

[0068] In this state, in step 416, the heater 33 is energized to generate heat, thereby closing (sealing) the opening periphery of the packaging bag by heat welding, and the packaging bag is sealed in a degassed state (vacuum state), i.e., the packaged item is vacuum-packed. In the next step 417, the operation of the vacuum pump 40 is stopped and the first outside air introduction valve 44 is controlled to be open, and further in step 418, the lift-cylinder side port and the outside air port of the three-way valve 49 are controlled to be in a communicating state and the vacuum pump side port to be in a closed state. When this packaging process is completed, the process returns to the main control process of Figure 7.

[0069] As a result, the pressure inside the chamber 20 is returned to atmospheric pressure by outside air introduced through the first outside air introduction valve 44, and the chamber cover 22 is opened by the biasing force of the gas spring 12 without being sucked into negative pressure. Also, since the lift-cylinder side port of the three-way valve 49 is connected to the outside air port, outside air is introduced into the upper space 36a of the lift-cylinder 36, and the negative pressure state is released. Therefore, the support shaft 35 is lowered by the biasing force of the spring member 38, the lower block 31 is separated from the upper block 32, and the opening periphery of the packaging bag is released from being clamped by the lower and upper blocks 31, 32. In this way, the packaging bag is sealed in a degassed state (vacuum state), and the packaged item is vacuum-packed.

[0070] The operation of the vacuum packaging machine 10 is based on the assumption that the vacuum pump 40 functions normally and that the chamber 20 is normally negatively pressurized. Therefore, if a malfunction occurs in the vacuum pump 40, the packaged items may not be properly vacuum-packed.

[0071] For example, if the oil temperature To inside the vacuum pump 40 deviates from the appropriate temperature range to the high or low side, the viscosity of the pump oil will be too low or too high, resulting in poor lubrication between the pump's sliding vanes and the stator, which could lead to mechanical damage. Mechanical damage can also occur if rust caused by moisture in the vacuum pump 40 or oil becomes trapped between the sliding vanes and the stator.

[0072] Therefore, in the vacuum packaging machine 10 of this embodiment, as described above, a cooling fan 70 that can be independently driven and controlled is provided near the vacuum pump 40, and the control device 60 is configured to perform drive control based on the oil temperature To in the vacuum pump 40. The oil temperature To in the vacuum pump 40 is detected by the temperature sensor 81 and the temperature information of the pump oil is output to the control device 60.

[0073] For example, the cooling fan control process shown in FIG. 11 is performed during the operation period of the vacuum pump 40. Specifically, for example, during the operation period (S412 to S416) of the vacuum pump 40 by the packaging program, the cooling fan control program is executed by a timer interrupt process by the control device 60 so that the cooling fan control process can be repeated at a predetermined interval (for example, 100 milliseconds). This cooling fan control program is stored in advance in the ROM of the control device 60.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 11, in the cooling fan control process, first, the temperature information of the pump oil of the vacuum pump 40 is acquired in step 501, and further, based on this temperature information, the oil temperature To in the vacuum pump 40 is compared with a predetermined first threshold temperature Ta and a predetermined second threshold temperature Tb. The first threshold temperature Ta is the highest temperature within the allowable range as the oil temperature in the vacuum pump 40, and the second threshold temperature Tb is the lowest temperature within the same range (Tb << Ta). The second threshold temperature Tb is set to a temperature higher than the warm-up completion temperature Tx used in the warm-up necessity determination process described above (Tx < Tb).

[0075] When it is determined that the oil temperature To is lower than the predetermined second threshold temperature Tb (S502; To < Tb), low-speed rotation control is performed in the subsequent step 503. That is, for example, a drive command for rotating the fan blade at a rotation speed (rpm) of 20% to 50% during normal rotation is sent from the control device 60 to the driver circuit of the cooling fan 70, and PWM control according to the command is performed on the fan motor of the cooling fan 70.

[0076] Also, when the oil temperature To is higher than a predetermined first threshold temperature Ta (S502; Ta < To), high-speed rotation control is performed in the subsequent step 505. That is, for example, a drive command for rotating the fan blade at a rotational speed (rpm) of 150% to 300% during normal rotation is sent from the control device 60 to the driver circuit of the cooling fan 70, and PWM control according thereto is performed on the fan motor of the cooling fan 70.

[0077] When it is determined that the oil temperature To is equal to or higher than a predetermined second threshold temperature Tb and equal to or lower than the predetermined first threshold temperature Ta (S502; Tb ≦ To ≦ Ta), normal rotation control is performed in the subsequent step 504. For example, a drive command for rotating the fan blade at 500 revolutions per minute (rpm) is sent from the control device 60 to the driver circuit of the cooling fan 70, and PWM control according thereto is performed on the fan motor of the cooling fan 70.

[0078] Thus, when it is determined that the oil temperature To in the vacuum pump 40 is higher than the predetermined first threshold temperature Ta (S502; Ta < To), the rotational speed of the cooling fan 70 is increased (S505), and the cooling capacity is increased compared to during normal rotation. As a result, it becomes possible to rapidly cool the pump mechanism, pump motor, and pump oil of the vacuum pump 40. Therefore, for example, it becomes possible to manage the oil temperature To in the vacuum pump 40 within an appropriate temperature range. Accordingly, the occurrence of malfunctions in the vacuum pump 40 can be suppressed.

[0079] Also, when it is determined that the oil temperature To in the vacuum pump 40 is lower than the predetermined second threshold temperature Tb (S502; To < Tb), the rotational speed of the cooling fan 70 is decreased (S503), and the cooling capacity is decreased compared to during normal rotation. As a result, it becomes possible to weaken the cooling of the pump oil of the vacuum pump 40. Therefore, for example, it becomes possible to manage the oil temperature To in the vacuum pump 40 within an appropriate temperature range. Also, since it becomes possible to cool the pump oil moderately without being excessive, unnecessary energy consumption such as electric power can be suppressed.

[0080] In this cooling fan control process, the cumulative number of times the low speed control (S503) has been continuously executed is counted. That is, the control device 60 uses a counting process (not shown) to store the number of times the control process using the low speed control (S503) has been continuously executed (the number of consecutive executions) from the time the power is turned on until then in a work area of the RAM of the control device 60. The "number of consecutive executions" refers to the cumulative number of times it is continuously determined that the oil temperature To is lower than the second threshold temperature Tb in the determination process (S502) of the cooling fan control process, which is repeatedly executed at predetermined intervals while the vacuum pump 40 is in operation.

[0081] Furthermore, in the vacuum packaging machine 10 of this embodiment, in addition to the cooling fan control process described above, for example, a contained moisture vaporization process shown in Fig. 12 may be performed during the operation of the vacuum pump 40. Specifically, for example, during the operation of the vacuum pump 40 by the packaging program (S412 to S416), a contained moisture vaporization program is executed by timer interrupt processing by the control device 60 so that the contained moisture vaporization process can be repeatedly performed at predetermined intervals (for example, 1 second). This contained moisture vaporization program is stored in advance in the ROM of the control device 60.

[0082] During the execution of this moisture vaporization program, the interrupt process that starts the cooling fan control program is blocked (interrupt masked). In other words, the cooling fan control process of Fig. 11 and the moisture vaporization process of Fig. 12 are not performed at the same time, and the moisture vaporization process takes priority over the cooling fan control process. This makes it possible to maintain the low rotation speed control (S604) of the cooling fan 70, which will be described later.

[0083] As shown in FIG. 12, in the contained moisture vaporization process, first, in step 601, the number of consecutive executions of the low-speed control (S503) in the cooling fan control process described above is read from the work area of RAM, and it is determined whether this number is equal to or greater than a predetermined number N. This number of consecutive executions is the number of times the low-speed control (S503) in the cooling fan control process described above has been performed consecutively, and represents the period during which the vacuum packaging machine 10 has been operated with the oil temperature To lower than the second threshold temperature Tb. The longer this period is, the higher the probability that the vacuum packaging machine 10 has been continuously used in a low-temperature environment and that moisture has been contained in the pump oil. Therefore, for example, when the cooling fan control process is performed every 100 milliseconds, the predetermined number N is set to, for example, 1,800 to 3,000 times (the number of times the low-speed control has been performed consecutively for 3 to 5 minutes).

[0084] If it is determined in step 601 that the number of consecutive executions of the low speed control is not N or more (S601; NO), the contained moisture vaporization process is terminated this time because there is a low probability that moisture is contained in the pump oil of the vacuum pump 40. On the other hand, if it is determined that the number of consecutive executions of the low speed control is N or more (S601; YES), there is a high probability that moisture is contained in the pump oil, so the process proceeds to the next step 602.

[0085] In step 602, temperature information of the pump oil in the vacuum pump 40 is acquired, and in step 603, the oil temperature To in the vacuum pump 40 is compared with a predetermined water evaporation temperature Tc based on this temperature information. The water evaporation temperature Tc is the temperature at which water contained in the pump oil can evaporate into water vapor and escape from the pump oil. For example, the water evaporation temperature Tc is set to 100°C, which is the boiling point of water (Ta <Tc)。

[0086] When it is determined that the oil temperature To is lower than the predetermined moisture evaporation temperature Tc (S603; To < Tc), low-speed rotation control is performed in the subsequent step 604. For example, a drive command for rotating the fan blade at a rotational speed (rpm) of 20% to 50% during normal rotation is sent from the control device 60 to the driver circuit of the cooling fan 70, and PWM control according thereto is performed on the fan motor of the cooling fan 70. Note that the cooling fan 70 may be stopped.

[0087] Due to the low-speed rotation control in step 604, the cooling capacity of the cooling fan 70 decreases. Therefore, for the vacuum pump 40, the oil temperature To inside the vacuum pump 40 rises due to heat generation from the stator, sliding vane, etc. Therefore, returning to step 602, the acquisition of the temperature information of the pump oil, the determination of the oil temperature To (S603), and the low-speed rotation control (S604) are repeated several times, and eventually the oil temperature To reaches the moisture evaporation temperature Tc. As described above, during the period when the present contained moisture vaporization process is being performed, the cooling fan control process (FIG. 11) is not performed. Therefore, even if the oil temperature To rises, the rotational speed of the cooling fan 70 continues to maintain low-speed rotation by this low-speed rotation control (S604).

[0088] When it is determined by step 603 that the oil temperature To is higher than the predetermined moisture evaporation temperature Tc (S603; NO), after waiting for a further lapse of a predetermined time (for example, 60 to 120 seconds) by step 605, the present contained moisture vaporization process is terminated. As a result, the oil temperature To inside the vacuum pump 40 is maintained at or above the moisture evaporation temperature Tc for at least a predetermined time, so that the evaporation of the moisture contained in the pump oil is promoted and the vaporization of the contained moisture in the pump oil becomes possible. Therefore, it becomes difficult for rust to occur inside the vacuum pump 40 or in the pump oil, and it becomes possible to suppress the occurrence of defects in the vacuum pump 40 caused by such rust.

[0089] In the vacuum packaging machine 10 configured as described above, the control device 60 determines whether or not warm-up of the vacuum pump 40 is necessary based on the pump oil temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 81 (S202). If it determines that warm-up is necessary (S202; YES), it outputs warm-up information to the operation panel 61 to prompt the user to start the warm-up operation (S203). As a result, the necessity of warm-up is determined based on the pump oil temperature information of the vacuum pump 40, so it is possible to output the warm-up information to the operation panel 61 and notify the user that warm-up is necessary without placing excessive load on pump mechanism components such as the rotor, sliding blades, and stator of the vacuum pump 40, as well as pump components such as the motor. Therefore, the pump components that make up the vacuum pump 40 are less likely to be overloaded, thereby reducing the occurrence of malfunctions in the vacuum pump 40.

[0090] Furthermore, in this vacuum packaging machine 10, the control device 60 is configured to terminate the warm-up operation (S404) when it determines, based on the temperature information of the pump oil of the vacuum pump 40, that the oil temperature To has reached a predetermined warm-up completion temperature Tx (S403; YES). As a result, the warm-up operation automatically terminates when the oil temperature To of the vacuum pump 40 reaches the predetermined warm-up completion temperature Tx, so that the user's waiting time for use due to the warm-up operation can be minimized compared to when such an automatic termination function is not provided, and unnecessary energy consumption such as electricity can be suppressed.

[0091] Furthermore, the vacuum packaging machine 10 includes a cooling fan 70 that can cool the vacuum pump 40 and whose operation can be controlled by the control device 60. The control device 60 controls the operation of the cooling fan 70 based on temperature information about the pump oil in the vacuum pump 40. This allows the cooling fan 70 to be controlled based on temperature information about the pump oil in the vacuum pump 40, independently of the operation of the vacuum pump 40, as opposed to the oil-sealed rotary vacuum pump of Patent Document 2 (Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 06-14485) that incorporates an axial fan that rotates in conjunction with the pump shaft that drives the pump mechanism. This allows the cooling fan 70 to be controlled based on temperature information about the pump oil in the vacuum pump 40, thereby enabling the pump oil and pump components in the vacuum pump 40 to be appropriately cooled. For example, the oil temperature To in the vacuum pump 40 can be maintained within an appropriate temperature range, thereby maintaining the viscosity of the pump oil at an appropriate level and achieving good lubrication between the pump's sliding blades and stator. This prevents temperature-related problems in the vacuum pump 40.

[0092] In the above-described vacuum packaging machine 10, if it is determined in the warm-up necessity determination process (FIG. 8) that the oil temperature To is lower than the warm-up completion temperature Tx as a result of the determination process in step 202 (S202; YES), the warm-up operation information is output to the operation panel 61 in the subsequent step 203. However, instead of outputting the warm-up operation necessity information, the process flow may be configured so that, for example, the warm-up process shown in FIG. 9 is subsequently performed instead. In this case, if it is determined in the determination process in step 202 that the oil temperature To is not lower than the warm-up completion temperature Tx (S202; NO), there is no need to perform the warm-up process (FIG. 9), and therefore the warm-up necessity determination process (FIG. 8) is terminated and the process returns to the main control process in FIG. 7.

[0093] As a result, the warm-up process is automatically performed without waiting for a user to manually start the warm-up process (FIG. 9), and it is therefore possible to prevent the warm-up process (FIG. 9) from being skipped (omitted) and, for example, the packaging process (FIG. 10) from being performed. Note that, since the noise caused by the operation of the vacuum pump 40 continues for a predetermined period of time during the warm-up process, there are cases where warm-up operation is undesirable during certain time periods (for example, late at night). For this reason, the warm-up process may be configured to be performed automatically as described above except for time periods preset by the clock function of the control device 60. In this case, the warm-up necessity determination process (FIG. 8) remains during the time periods preset by the clock function.

[0094] 12, the vacuum packaging machine 10 of this embodiment is configured to determine the number of consecutive executions of low rotation control (S601), and if the period during which the machine has been operated with the oil temperature To lower than the second threshold temperature Tb is equal to or longer than a certain period of time (S601; YES), to perform the subsequent steps (S602 to S605), but other conditions may also be used. For example, an algorithm may be configured that uses a clock or timer function of the vacuum packaging machine 10 to perform the respective steps of the contained moisture vaporization process (S602 to S605) when the accumulated operating time of the vacuum pump 40 is short (e.g., 5 minutes or less) even if the period since power-on is long (e.g., 6 hours).

[0095] Furthermore, in the vacuum packaging machine 10 of this embodiment, the case where the contained moisture vaporization process (FIG. 12) is performed on the assumption that the cooling fan control process shown in FIG. 11 has been performed several times has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an algorithm may be configured such that, when temperature information is continuously acquired from the temperature sensor 81 and the oil temperature To in the vacuum pump 40 is below the second threshold temperature Tb for a certain period of time (for example, 3 to 5 minutes), each step of the contained moisture vaporization process (S602 to S605) is performed.

[0096] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the present invention has been described with reference to a vacuum packaging machine 10 as an example of kitchen equipment, but is not limited thereto. For example, the present invention can be applied to a vacuum cooler including a sealed container capable of forming a sealed space, a cooler for cooling the inside of the sealed container, an oil-circulating rotary vacuum pump for degassing the sealed container cooled by the cooler to create a negative pressure, an oil temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of oil circulating in the rotary vacuum pump and outputting oil temperature information, and a control device for acquiring the oil temperature information from the oil temperature sensor. Furthermore, the various technical functions and effects described for the vacuum packaging machine 10 can also be obtained in such a vacuum cooler. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 10...vacuum packaging machine (kitchen equipment), 11...casing, 20...chamber (sealed container), 21...chamber base (sealed container), 22...chamber cover (sealed container), 40...vacuum pump (oil rotary vacuum pump), 60...control device (control device), 61...operation panel (output device), 70...cooling fan, 81...temperature sensor (oil temperature sensor), SP...space, SS...sealed space, Ta...first threshold temperature, Tb...second threshold temperature, Tc...moisture evaporation temperature, Tx...warm-up completion temperature.

Claims

1. a sealed container capable of forming a sealed space; an oil circulation type oil rotary vacuum pump that degasses the inside of the sealed container to create a negative pressure; an oil temperature sensor that detects the temperature of oil circulating in the oil rotary vacuum pump and outputs oil temperature information; a control device that acquires the oil temperature information from the oil temperature sensor, The control device determines whether or not a warm-up operation of the oil rotary vacuum pump is necessary based on the oil temperature information, and if it determines that the warm-up operation is necessary, outputs warm-up operation information to a predetermined output device to prompt a user to start the warm-up operation.

2. The kitchen appliance according to claim 1, The control device is capable of controlling the operation of the oil rotary vacuum pump, and when it determines based on the oil temperature information that the temperature of the oil has reached a predetermined warm-up completion temperature, it terminates the warm-up operation.

3. The kitchen appliance according to claim 1 or 2, A kitchen appliance equipped with a cooling fan capable of cooling the oil rotary vacuum pump and whose drive can be controlled by the control device, The control device controls the operation of the cooling fan based on the oil temperature information.

4. The kitchen appliance according to claim 3, This kitchen appliance is characterized in that the drive control of the cooling fan based on the oil temperature information switches to high-speed drive, which increases cooling capacity, when it is determined that the oil temperature is higher than a predetermined first threshold temperature.

5. The kitchen appliance according to claim 3 or 4, This kitchen appliance is characterized in that the drive control of the cooling fan based on the oil temperature information switches to low-speed drive, which reduces cooling capacity, when it is determined that the oil temperature is lower than a predetermined second threshold temperature.

6. The kitchen appliance according to claim 5, This kitchen appliance is characterized in that the drive control of the cooling fan based on the oil temperature information continues the low-speed drive if it is determined that the oil temperature is lower than a predetermined moisture evaporation temperature after the low-speed drive has started.

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