Heating Regulator

Abstract

To provide a heating cooker capable of selecting a heating pattern of starting temperature increase.SOLUTION: An oven toaster includes: a cooking chamber 7 capable of storing an object to be cooked inside; an upper heater 16 and a lower heater 17 for heating the object to be cooked; a heating cooking control part 24 for controlling the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17; and a starting temperature adjustment knob 13 for selecting a specific heating pattern from a plurality of heating patterns of starting temperature increase of the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17 by the heating cooking control part 24. The heating pattern of the starting temperature increase is the heating pattern for heating the temperature in the cooking chamber 7 to a set temperature set by a temperature adjustment knob 11 by the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooking device for heating and cooking food contained in a cooking chamber. [Background technology]

[0002] There are many heating cookers of this type. For example, in Patent Document 1, the applicant of the present application proposed a cooking appliance in which food to be cooked, such as bread, is placed on a grill supported by shelf supports and placed in a cooking chamber, the food is heated by hot air convection using a hot air unit, and superheated steam is added from a steam generating unit, and heat is supplied to the top and bottom of the food using this superheated steam as a heat medium, and this has already been patented. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-96609 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The cooking device of Patent Document 1 has a fixed heating pattern for initial temperature rise, which is the heating pattern for temperature rise until the set internal temperature is reached. This heating pattern for initial temperature rise is determined by the heat amount of the hot air unit as a heating means and the temperature control method of the hot air unit. Therefore, for example, when cooking before the set internal temperature is reached, the temperature rise curve until the internal temperature is reached may differ from what the user desires. When the heating pattern is not as expected, users may be dissatisfied with the possibility that the texture of the cooked food after heating may differ from their preference. Furthermore, depending on the cooking menu, the heating pattern for initial temperature rise may differ from the optimal heating pattern that brings out the deliciousness.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a cooking device that allows selection of a heating pattern for initial temperature rise. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The cooking device of the present invention includes a cooking chamber capable of accommodating food to be cooked therein, a heating means for heating the food to be cooked, and a control means for controlling the heating means. A setting means for setting a heating time during cooking; a selection means for selecting a specific control pattern from a plurality of control patterns of the heating means by the control means, wherein the control pattern is In one of the heating times set by the setting means, The cooking chamber is characterized by including a heating pattern in which the temperature inside the cooking chamber is heated to a predetermined set temperature by the heating means. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, a desired heating pattern up to a set temperature can be selected according to the user's preference. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a toaster oven according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a front view of the start-up temperature adjustment knob. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the main electrical configuration of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is a graph showing the change over time in the temperature detected by the in-chamber temperature sensor when cooking with each heating pattern. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a front view of a display means of a toaster oven showing a modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a heating chamber of a toaster oven showing a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9]10 is a graph showing the changes in temperature in the upper and lower interior spaces, the output of the upper heater, and the output of the lower heater when cooking with heating pattern A. [Figure 10] 10 is a graph showing the changes in temperature in the upper and lower interior spaces, the output of the upper heater, and the output of the lower heater when cooking with heating pattern B. [Figure 11] 10 is a graph showing the changes in temperature in the upper and lower interior spaces, the output of the upper heater, and the output of the lower heater when cooking with heating pattern C. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a front view of a display means of a toaster oven showing a modified example of the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] 10 is a graph showing the changes in temperature in the upper and lower interior spaces, the output of the upper heater, and the output of the lower heater when cooking with heating pattern D. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a heating chamber of a toaster oven showing a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] This is an explanatory diagram of the inner dimensions of the deep plate. [Figure 16] This is a graph showing the changes in temperature in the upper space inside the oven, the temperature at the bottom of the container, the output of the upper heater, and the output of the lower heater when cooking using the ``cooking rice'' menu. [Figure 17] FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a front view of an operation panel portion of a toaster oven showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] 10 is a table showing the relationship between the set temperature and the minimum set time limit. [Figure 20] This is a graph showing the temperature change at the bottom of the container when cooking using the "low temperature heating" menu. [Figure 21] This is a graph showing the temperature change at the bottom of the container when cooking with the "Stew" menu. [Figure 22]10 is a graph showing the changes in the temperature at the bottom of the container, the output of the upper heater, and the output of the lower heater when cooking with the "curry" menu in an oven toaster showing a modified example of the fourth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the cooking device of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that common parts are designated by common reference numerals throughout the drawings. [Example]

[0010] Figures 1 to 4 show the configuration of a cooking device according to a first embodiment of the present invention applied to a toaster oven. First, referring to Figure 1, the overall configuration of the toaster oven will be described. Reference numeral 1 denotes a roughly rectangular box-shaped main body, which includes a metal cabinet 2 that serves as a covering for the exterior of the oven range that will be the product. The cabinet 2, which forms the left and right sides and top of the main body 1, is arranged to cover a metal heating chamber 6, which defines a cooking chamber 7 that houses food to be cooked. Furthermore, on the front of the main body 1, a freely openable door 3 and an operation panel 5 for display, notification, and operation are arranged side by side. A handle 4 for opening and closing the vertically opening door 3 is provided at the top of the door 3.

[0011] The operation panel unit 5 is provided with a temperature adjustment knob 11 as a temperature setting means for setting the cooking temperature, a timer knob 12 as a cooking start means and cooking end means for setting the cooking time and starting and ending cooking, and a start-up temperature adjustment knob 13, which will be described later. Reference numeral 14 denotes a power cord provided with a power plug that can be inserted into or removed from a household outlet.

[0012] Reference numeral 15 denotes a metal grill on which food to be cooked is placed, and the grill 15 moves back and forth in conjunction with the opening and closing of the door 3, so that when the door 3 is closed, the grill 15 is arranged in a substantially horizontal position between an upper heater 16 and a lower heater 17 (described later) in the cooking chamber 7. The front of the cooking chamber 7 extends to a front panel (not shown) that forms the front of the heating chamber 6, and is open so that the grill 15 on which food to be cooked is placed can move back and forth, and this opening is opened and closed by the door 3.

[0013] FIG. 2 shows a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the heating chamber 6. In the figure, an upper heater 16 is disposed on the ceiling wall 6a of the heating chamber 6, and a lower heater 17 is disposed on the bottom wall 6b of the heating chamber 6. These upper and lower heaters 16 and 17 radiate heat to food placed on the grill 15. An internal temperature sensor 18, such as an NTC (Negative Temperature Coefficient) thermistor, is provided on the upper part of the back wall 6c as a temperature detection means for detecting the internal temperature of the cooking chamber 7. The internal temperature sensor 18 may also be an infrared radiation temperature sensor. A temperature sensor heat shield 19 is formed on the ceiling wall 6a between the upper heater 16 and the internal temperature sensor 18 to prevent radiant heat from the upper heater 16 from being directly radiated to the internal temperature sensor 18.

[0014] FIG. 3 shows a front view of the start-up temperature adjustment knob 13. The start-up temperature adjustment knob 13 is used to select a heating pattern for the start-up temperature rise, which is a control pattern for controlling heating by the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17 from the start of heating to the set temperature. By rotating the dial portion 13A and aligning the arrow portion 13B with one of the scales S1 to S9, the start-up temperature rise heating pattern corresponding to the selected scale S1 to S9 is set. As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, there are nine selectable scales S1 to S9, and therefore there are nine corresponding start-up temperature rise heating patterns. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the shape and configuration of the start-up temperature adjustment knob 13, the number of selectable scales, i.e., the number of start-up temperature rise heating patterns, etc. can be changed as appropriate.

[0015] Figure 4 shows the main electrical configuration of the toaster oven of this embodiment. In the figure, reference numeral 21 denotes control means constituted by a microcomputer, which, as is well known, includes a CPU as a processing means, storage means 22 such as memory, timing means 25 for timing various times such as the time of day and cooking times, and input / output devices.

[0016] The input port of the control means 21 is electrically connected to the temperature adjustment knob 11, the timer knob 12, the start-up temperature adjustment knob 13, and the inside temperature sensor 14. The output port of the control means 21 is electrically connected to the heater driving means 23, such as a relay, which turns on and off the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17 for heating.

[0017] Control means 21 has the function of receiving operation signals from temperature adjustment knob 11, timer knob 12, and start-up temperature adjustment knob 13, and detection signals from internal temperature sensor 14, and outputting a drive control signal to heater drive means 23. These functions are realized by control means 21 reading a program stored in storage means 22, and in this embodiment in particular, the control means 21 is provided with a program that causes it to function as a cooking control unit 24.

[0018] Cooking control unit 24 mainly controls the operation of each unit involved in cooking the food. When it receives an operation signal associated with the operation of temperature adjustment knob 11, timer knob 12, or start-up temperature adjustment knob 13, it sends a control signal to heater driving means 39 at a predetermined timing based on the timing of timing means 25 in response to the operation signal, thereby controlling various cooking operations for the food. Cooking information that can be set using temperature adjustment knob 11 or start-up temperature adjustment knob 13 is stored in memory means 22. When cooking control unit 24 receives an operation signal associated with the operation of temperature adjustment knob 11 or start-up temperature adjustment knob 13, it cooks the food in a predetermined procedure according to the set cooking information, using the temperature and heating pattern selected from the cooking information stored in memory means 22. Specifically, cooking control unit 24 sends a control signal to heater driving means 23 to heat the food using radiant heat, thereby controlling upper heater 16 and lower heater 17 as heating means.

[0019] In this embodiment, before the internal temperature reaches the set temperature, a start-up temperature rise heating pattern is set, which is a control pattern for controlling heating by upper heater 16 and lower heater 17 from the start of heating to the set temperature, so that the internal temperature converges and stabilizes at the set temperature within a predetermined period of time, and is set so that when the set temperature is 230°C, for example, it converges and stabilizes in approximately 14 to 16 minutes. Note that these heating patterns are set so that once the internal temperature converges and stabilizes at the set temperature, heating by upper heater 16 and lower heater 17 is controlled so as to maintain the internal temperature at this set temperature. Here, the storage means 22 stores and retains, as cooking information that can be set with the start-up temperature adjustment knob 13, heating patterns of start-up temperature rise corresponding to scales S1 to S9, such as a heating pattern of "normal start-up" for the conventional start-up temperature corresponding to scale S5, a heating pattern of "quick start-up" for browning the surface of the food to a crisp corresponding to scale S9, and a heating pattern of "slow start-up" for browning so as to maintain the enzyme activity period for a long time corresponding to scale S1, and these can be selected according to the user's preference with the start-up temperature adjustment knob 13. Therefore, the start-up temperature adjustment knob 13 functions as a selection means for selecting a specific heating pattern from a plurality of heating patterns of start-up temperature rise.

[0020] Referring to Figure 5, the figure shows a graph of the change in detected temperature over time when cooking with each heating pattern, with the internal temperature set to 230°C using temperature control knob 11, until the detected temperature of internal temperature sensor 18 converges and stabilizes with the average upper and lower temperature ripple at 230°C ±10%. If scale S5 is selected with start-up temperature control knob 13 to select the "normal start-up" heating pattern, as shown in the graph of detected temperature t1 in Figure 5, cooking control unit 24 controls upper heater 16 and lower heater 17 to heat at maximum output using timing means 25 for a predetermined period of time, for example, 2 to 3 minutes, from the start of heating, or to heat at maximum output based on a detection signal from internal temperature sensor 18, from the start of heating, until detected temperature t1 reaches a predetermined temperature, for example, approximately 150°C, which is the set temperature. Thereafter, when the heating cooking control unit 24 detects by the timing means 25 that 2 to 3 minutes have passed since the start of heating, or when it detects by the detection signal from the internal temperature sensor 18 that the temperature has reached approximately 150°C, it reduces the output and controls the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17 so that the temperature converges and stabilizes at the set temperature of 230°C.

[0021] Furthermore, when scale S9 is selected with start-up temperature adjustment knob 13 to select the "quick start-up" heating pattern, as shown in the graph of detected temperature t2 in Figure 5, cooking control unit 24 controls upper heater 16 and lower heater 17 to heat at maximum output for a predetermined period of time, for example, 5 to 6 minutes, from the start of heating using timing means 25, or to heat at maximum output until a set temperature, for example, 230°C, is reached based on a detection signal from internal temperature sensor 18. Thereafter, when cooking control unit 24 detects using timing means 25 that 5 to 6 minutes have elapsed since the start of heating, or detects based on a detection signal from internal temperature sensor 18 that the temperature has reached 230°C, it controls upper heater 16 and lower heater 17 to converge and stabilize at 230°C. Note that the change in the temperature detected by the internal temperature sensor 18 usually lags behind the change in the actual internal temperature of the cooking chamber 7, so that the internal temperature of the cooking chamber 7 overshoots to approximately 280°C as shown in the graph of detected temperature t2 in Figure 5. However, since the internal temperature of the cooking chamber 7 can be quickly raised, the "quick start-up" heating pattern is suitable, for example, for baking pizza without preheating.

[0022] When scale S1 is selected with start-up temperature adjustment knob 13 to select the "slow start-up" heating pattern, cooking control unit 24 controls upper heater 16 and lower heater 17 to heat at maximum output until the temperature reaches a temperature close to a second temperature, for example, approximately 50°C, which is lower than the 230°C temperature set with temperature adjustment knob 11, based on a detection signal from internal temperature sensor 18, as shown in the graph of detected temperature t3 in Figure 5. When the detection signal from internal temperature sensor 18 detects that the temperature has reached 50°C, cooking control unit 24 reduces the output and controls upper heater 16 and lower heater 17 to converge and stabilize at a second temperature below 100°C, for example, approximately 75°C. Thereafter, when a detection signal from internal temperature sensor 18 detects that the temperature has converged and stabilized to the second temperature of approximately 75°C, cooking control unit 24 starts timing with timer 25 to count the enzyme activity period, which is a period during which the second temperature of less than 100°C is maintained to activate the enzymes in the food, and controls upper heater 16 and lower heater 17 to maintain the second temperature of approximately 75°C until the enzyme activity period, for example, approximately 5 minutes, has elapsed from the time that convergence and stability is detected. Thereafter, when timer 25 detects that 5 minutes have elapsed since the start of heating, cooking control unit 24 increases the output and controls upper heater 16 and lower heater 17 to converge and stabilize to the set temperature of 230°C. In this way, the "slow start-up" heating pattern activates the enzymes contained in the ingredients of the food being cooked by maintaining the enzyme activity temperature range, which is the second temperature below 100°C, for a long period of time.This allows, for example, the sweetness of "baked sweet potatoes" and "baked onions" to be brought out, and "roast chicken" can be softened and the protein solidified by low-temperature heating at a temperature below 100°C inside the cooking chamber 7 for a specified time, and then the temperature inside the cooking chamber 7 can be raised to the set temperature to bake the surface.In the case of "mochi", it can be pre-baked at a low temperature below 100°C to prevent the air bubbles inside the mochi from expanding and bursting.

[0023] In this embodiment, there are heating patterns other than the heating pattern of "quick start-up" corresponding to the scale S9, the "normal start-up" corresponding to the scale S5, and the "slow start-up" corresponding to the scale S1. For example, in the heating patterns corresponding to the scales S6 to S8 set between "quick start-up" and "normal start-up", the predetermined temperature at which the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17 heat with maximum output is 150°C, which is the predetermined temperature for "normal start-up", and 150°C, which is the predetermined temperature for "quick start-up". The predetermined period may be set so that it is between the set temperature set by the knob, or the predetermined period during which the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17 heat at maximum output is between the predetermined period of 2 to 3 minutes for "normal start-up" and the predetermined period of 5 to 6 minutes for "quick start-up." When a graph of the change over time in the temperature detected by the inside temperature sensor 18 for the heating patterns corresponding to scales S6 to S8 is displayed, it may be configured so that it is between the graph of detected temperature t1 and the graph of detected temperature t2 in Figure 5. Also, for example, the set temperature may be low and the predetermined period short at scale S5 corresponding to the "normal start-up" heating pattern, and the set temperature may be high and the predetermined period long as it approaches scales S6, S7, S8 and scale S9 corresponding to the "quick start-up" heating pattern.

[0024] Furthermore, for example, in the heating pattern corresponding to scales S2 to S4, which is set between "normal start-up" and "slow start-up," the enzyme activity period during which the second temperature is maintained may be set to be between 0 seconds, which is the enzyme activity period for "normal start-up," and, for example, 5 minutes, which is the enzyme activity period for "slow start-up." When a graph of the change over time in the temperature detected by the internal temperature sensor 18 for the heating pattern corresponding to scales S6 to S8 is displayed, the enzyme activity period may be configured to be between the graph of detected temperature t1 and the graph of detected temperature t3 in Figure 5. Furthermore, for example, the enzyme activity period may be configured to be short at scale S5, which corresponds to the "normal start-up" heating pattern, and to become longer as the scales S4, S3, S2, and scale S1, which corresponds to the "slow start-up" heating pattern, are approached. Alternatively, at scale S1 corresponding to the "slow start-up" heating pattern, the enzyme activity temperature range, which is a second temperature below 100°C, may be set to approximately 75°C, and the second temperature may be configured to increase, for example, to 80°C, 85°C, and 90°C as it approaches scales S2, S3, S4, and scale S5 corresponding to the "normal start-up" heating pattern.

[0025] As described above, this embodiment provides multiple heating patterns for the initial temperature rise, which are control patterns for heating the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17 so that the internal temperature of the cooking chamber 7 converges and stabilizes to the set temperature set by the temperature control knob 11 and maintains that set temperature. This allows users to select the texture they prefer, particularly when toasting bread, from "quick rise" to "slow rise," addressing user complaints that the heating pattern is not what they expected. Furthermore, the ability to select a desired heating pattern significantly expands the range of options for toasting food, particularly toast. Therefore, this embodiment allows users to select the desired heating pattern, reducing the risk of the temperature rise curve reaching the internal temperature differing from what they desire. By selecting this toaster oven based on cooking performance, users do not need to worry about product selection. In addition to being able to set the temperature inside the cooking chamber 7 using the temperature control knob 11, the heating pattern can be selected using the start-up temperature control knob 13, so the temperature inside the chamber can be raised using the desired heating pattern, and a heating pattern that brings out the flavor of the food being cooked can be selected depending on the type of food being cooked.

[0026] As described above, the toaster oven as a cooking appliance of this embodiment comprises a cooking chamber 7 capable of accommodating food to be cooked therein, upper heater 16 and lower heater 17 as heating means for heating the food to be cooked, a cooking control unit 24 as control means for controlling the upper heater 16 and lower heater 17, and a start-up temperature adjustment knob 13 as selection means for selecting a specific heating pattern from start-up temperature rise heating patterns which are multiple control patterns for the upper heater 16 and lower heater 17 by the cooking control unit 24, and the start-up temperature rise heating patterns include a heating pattern in which the temperature inside the cooking chamber 7 is heated by the upper heater 16 and lower heater 17 to a predetermined set temperature set by the temperature adjustment knob 11.

[0027] This configuration allows users to select the texture of the food after heating from multiple heating patterns for the initial temperature rise, ranging from "quick rise" to "slow rise," according to their preferences. This allows them to select the desired heating pattern up to the set temperature, addressing user complaints that the heating pattern is not what they expected. Furthermore, the ability to select the desired heating pattern significantly expands the range of cooking methods for the food being cooked. Furthermore, since the temperature inside the cooking chamber 7 can be set using the temperature control knob 11 and the heating pattern can be selected using the initial temperature control knob 13, a heating pattern that brings out the flavor of the food being cooked can be selected depending on the type of food being cooked.

[0028] In addition, the toaster oven of this embodiment has one heating pattern for starting up the temperature rise, which is to heat the food to a second temperature, for example, approximately 75°C, which is a specific temperature lower than the set temperature set by the temperature control knob 11, and then maintain the temperature for a predetermined enzyme activation period, for example, 5 minutes, before heating it to the set temperature.By maintaining the enzyme activation temperature range of less than 100°C for a predetermined period of time, the enzymes contained in the ingredients of the food being cooked can be activated.

[0029] In addition, one of the heating patterns for the start-up temperature rise of the toaster oven of this embodiment is to drive the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17 at maximum output to heat up to the set temperature set by the temperature control knob 11, which quickly raises the temperature inside the cooking chamber 7 and allows the surface of the food to be crispy.

[0030] 6 shows a modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. In this modification, the heating pattern for the start-up temperature increase is selected by touching the button display section of the start-up temperature setting screen G1 displayed on the display means 26 with the touch sensor 28, instead of using the start-up temperature adjustment knob 13.

[0031] 6, assuming that the upper side of the drawing is "top," the lower side is "bottom," the left side is "left," the right side is "right," the front side is "front," and the back side is "rear," reference numeral 26 denotes display means that is configured by an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), TFT (Thin-Film-Transistor) liquid crystal, organic EL (Electro Luminescence), or the like, and displays various information related to cooking on display elements 27. This display means 26 is electrically connected to an output port of control means 21, and is controlled by control means 21 so as to display a start-up temperature setting screen G1, which is a screen for setting the heating pattern for the start-up temperature.

[0032] Regarding the display elements 27 arranged on the start-up temperature setting screen G1 of the display means 26 of this modified example, a heating pattern selection display area A1 is formed on the left side, displaying five button display areas B1 to B5 arranged vertically. The button display area for the currently selected heating pattern, for example, button display area B5 in FIG. 5, displays a mark, such as a black mark. Here, button display areas B1 to B5 each include display elements 27-6 to 27-10 displayed as open squares. When one of button display areas B1 to B5 is selected, the display element of the selected button display area changes from open to black. Regarding the button display areas, a display element 27-1 for "quick start-up" is arranged to the right of button display area B1, a display element 27-2 for "normal" is arranged to the right of button display area B3, and a display element 27-3 for "slow start-up" is arranged to the right of button display area B5. At the top of the display means 26, a display element 27-4 that reads "bake to a crispy surface" is placed, and at the bottom of the display means 26, a display element 27-5 that reads "bake to bring out sweetness by activating enzymes" is placed, reminding the user that, as you go higher on the five button display sections B1 to B5, you can bake the surface of the food to a crisp, and as you go lower, you can activate the enzymes in the food to bring out its sweetness by baking it.

[0033] A touch sensor 28 serving as an operating means for selecting button display sections B1 to B5 arranged on the startup temperature setting screen G1 is disposed on the surface of the display means 26. The touch sensor 28 is configured such that a plurality of components, each of which is formed by connecting a transparent electrode section made of a conductive polymer and a contact section connected to a control PC board (not shown) by pattern wiring, are disposed as touch keys, and by performing a touch operation with a fingertip on one of a plurality of display elements 27 displayed on the display means 26 behind the touch sensor 28, in the case of FIG. 6, button display sections B1 to B5, the touch key disposed in front of that display element 27 and corresponding to that display element 27 is touched and that display element 27 is selected.

[0034] To explain the operation of the toaster oven configured as described above, when the user touches any of button display sections B1 to B5, for example button display section B5, control means 21 receives an operation signal from touch sensor 28 disposed on the corresponding button display section B1 to B5, and control means 21 controls display means 26 to change the display element of the selected button display section, for example, display element 27-10 when button display section B5 is selected, to a blacked-out display. Therefore, button display sections B1 to B5 and touch sensor 28 function as selection means for selecting a specific control pattern from the heating patterns for start-up temperature rise.

[0035] Thereafter, when cooking is started by operating the timer knob 12, the cooking control unit 24 controls the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17 to heat using the heating pattern corresponding to the button display units B1 to B5 displayed in black by the control means 21. In this way, even in this modified example, the user can select the texture after heating from multiple heating patterns for the start-up temperature rise, from "quick start-up" to "slow start-up," according to their preference, and can select the desired heating pattern up to the set temperature, addressing user dissatisfaction that the heating pattern is not as expected. [Example]

[0036] 7 to 11 show a configuration in which a cooking device according to a second embodiment of the present invention is applied to a toaster oven. The degree of browning of the top and bottom surfaces of food to be cooked depends on the degree of contamination inside the heating chamber 6, which affects the food heating efficiency of the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17. This is due to a decrease in infrared reflection efficiency caused by contamination or discoloration on the inner surface of the heating chamber 6. Furthermore, the heating amounts of the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17 each have a tolerance of about ±10%. For example, if the output wattage of the upper heater 16 is 650 W and the output wattage of the lower heater 17 is 550 W, the output wattages of the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17 may both be the same, at 600 W. Alternatively, the output wattage of the upper heater 16 may be 700 W and the output wattage of the lower heater 17 may be 500 W, resulting in the upper heater 16 being too strong. This can lead to individual differences in the heating balance between the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17. Therefore, due to a decrease in infrared reflection efficiency caused by dirt or discoloration on the interior surface of heating chamber 6 and variations in the amount of heat generated by the upper and lower heaters, the heating balance between the upper and lower interior spaces 7A and 7B of cooking chamber 7 changes, changing the degree of doneness of the ingredients. On the other hand, if the heating balance changes, it may be difficult to restore it to its initial state even if the interior of heating chamber 6 is cleaned, and the degree of doneness of the ingredients remains unchanged.

[0037] Furthermore, the degree of toasting on the top and bottom of food is affected by the thickness or height of the food, its horizontal size, and its shape, which alters the optimal heating balance between the top and bottom of the oven. For example, in the case of commercially available sliced ​​bread, the thickness of each slice is typically approximately 30 mm for 4-slice bread, approximately 20 mm for 6-slice bread, approximately 15 mm for 8-slice bread, and 10 mm for 12-slice bread. However, when considering the thickness of the food, there is a difference of as much as 20 mm between 30 mm and 10 mm. Therefore, the spatial distance between the top of the bread and the upper heater differs depending on whether the slice is thick or thin, and when toasting a thick slice of bread, the top of the bread is heated more strongly than a thin slice.

[0038] Furthermore, the degree of doneness of the top and bottom of food varies from person to person, depending on the user's preference, and also varies depending on the cooking menu of the food being cooked. For example, when baking pizza toast, since the toppings are placed on top of the bread, some users request that the top of the food be heated more strongly. Therefore, in this embodiment, the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17 can be controlled separately, so that the top and bottom of the food can be heated at different temperatures.

[0039] FIG. 7 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the heating chamber 6 of this embodiment. In this figure, a lower temperature sensor 31, such as an NTC thermistor or an infrared radiation temperature sensor, is also provided at the bottom of the rear wall 6c to detect the temperature of the lower interior space 7B of the cooking chamber 7. A temperature sensor heat shield 32 is formed on the bottom wall 6b between the lower temperature sensor 31 and the lower heater 17 to prevent radiant heat from the lower heater 17 from directly radiating to the lower temperature sensor 31. This is different from the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2. Therefore, the interior temperature sensor 18 functions as an upper-space temperature detector that detects the temperature of the upper interior space 7A of the cooking chamber 7, which is the space above the grill 15, which serves as a food placement member for placing food to be cooked. The lower temperature sensor 31 functions as a lower-space temperature detector that detects the temperature of the lower interior space 7B of the cooking chamber 7, which is the space below the grill 15.

[0040] The internal temperature sensor 18 and the lower temperature sensor 31 may be the same type of temperature sensor, or different types (for example, one may be an NTC thermistor and the other an infrared radiation temperature sensor). In this embodiment, the heater driving means 39 is configured to control the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17 separately based on control signals from the cooking control unit 24. In this embodiment, the upper heater 16 has an output wattage of 650 W and the lower heater 17 has an output wattage of 550 W. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17 may have the same output wattage, or the lower heater 17 may have a higher output wattage. The operation panel 5 may also be provided with an output setting means for setting or selecting the output wattage of the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17, allowing the user to set the output wattage of the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17.

[0041] In this embodiment, instead of temperature adjustment knob 11 of the first embodiment, the temperatures of the upper and lower spaces inside cooking chamber 7 are set by touching, with touch sensor 28', button displays on an interior temperature setting screen G2 displayed on display means 26' for setting the interior temperature of cooking chamber 7. Referring to Figure 8, the display elements 27 arranged on the interior temperature setting screen G2 displayed on display means 26' of this embodiment will be described. On the left side of the screen, an upper space set temperature display area A2 that displays the set temperature of the upper space inside cooking chamber 7 and a lower space set temperature display area A3 that displays the set temperature of the lower space inside the oven are arranged vertically. In addition, on the right side of the upper space setting temperature display area A2, a button display section B13 including a display element 27-13 designated "▲" and a button display section B14 including a display element 27-14 designated "▼" are arranged side by side, and on the right side of the lower space setting temperature display area A3, a button display section B15 including a display element 27-15 designated "▲" and a button display section B16 including a display element 27-16 designated "▼" are arranged side by side.

[0042] In the upper space set temperature display area A2, a display element 27-16 for "internal temperature" and a display element 27-17 for the upper space set temperature, which displays the current upper space set temperature, are arranged one above the other, and in Fig. 8, the upper space set temperature display element 27-17 displays "230°C." By touching the "▲" button display B13 or the "▼" button display B14 to change the display of the upper space set temperature display element 27-17, cooking will be performed at the set temperature of the upper space inside the cooking chamber 7, which is the value displayed in the upper space set temperature display element 27-17.

[0043] In this embodiment, the upper space set temperature display element 27-17 can be set within a range of 120°C to 300°C, and each time the "▲" button display section B13 / "▼" button display section B14 is touched once, the value of the upper space set temperature display element 27-17 increases / decreases by 10°C. For example, when the "▲" button display section B13 is touched once in the state of FIG. 7, the control means 21 receives an operation signal from the touch sensor 28' disposed above the "▲" button display section B13, and the control means 21 controls the display means 26' so that the value "230°C" of the upper space set temperature display element 27-17 displayed in the upper space set temperature display area A2 is increased by 10°C, and the value of the upper space set temperature display element 27-17 is displayed as "240°C." By setting the upper space temperature display element 27-17 in this way, it is possible to set the temperature of the upper space, i.e., the temperature of the top surface of the food to be cooked placed on the grill 15. Note that the above-mentioned values ​​are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these.

[0044] In the lower space set temperature display area A3, a display element 27-21 labeled "underside of food" and a lower space set temperature display element 27-22 displaying the current lower space set temperature are arranged one above the other, and in Fig. 8, "-70°C" is displayed in the lower space set temperature display element 27-22. By touching the "▲" button display B15 or the "▼" button display B16 to change the display of the lower space set temperature display element 27-22, cooking will be performed at the set temperature of the lower space inside the cooking chamber 7, using the value displayed in the lower space set temperature display element 27-22.

[0045] In this embodiment, the lower space set temperature display element 27-22 is set as a temperature relative to the set temperature displayed in the upper space set temperature display element 27-17, and can be set within a range of, for example, +70°C (the numerical value has been changed to match the setting of heating pattern C) to -100°C. Also, as in the upper space set temperature display area A2, each time the "▲" button display section B15 / "▼" button display section B16 is touched once, the numerical value of the upper space set temperature display element 27-17 increases / decreases by 10°C. For example, when the "▲" button display B15 is touched once in the state shown in Figure 8, the control means 21 receives an operation signal from the touch sensor 28' disposed above the "▲" button display B15, and the control means 21 controls the display means 26' so that the value "-70°C" of the lower space set temperature display element 27-22 displayed in the lower space set temperature display area A3 increases by 10°C, thereby displaying "-60°C" for the lower space set temperature display element 27-22. By setting the lower space set temperature display element 27-22 in this manner, the temperature of the lower space, i.e., the temperature of the underside of the food placed on the grill 15, can be set. Note that the above-mentioned values ​​are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0046] Next, the operation of the toaster oven configured as described above will be described with reference to Figures 9 to 11. Figures 9 to 11 show the temperature t of upper internal space 7A when cooking with a heating pattern set with timer knob 12 set to "3 minutes," start-up temperature adjustment knob 13 set to "quick start-up" at scale S9, and the internal temperatures of upper internal space 7A and lower internal space 7B set on internal temperature setting screen G2. a and the temperature t of the lower space 7B b 10 is a graph showing the transition of the temperature t a 9 to 11, the temperature inside the oven was measured without any load and without any food being placed in the cooking chamber 7. The temperature of the air approximately 10 mm above the grill 15 was measured and used as the temperature equivalent to the rise in the surface temperature of the top side of the food placed on the grill 15 due to heating mainly by the upper heater 16. Similarly, the temperature t b This assumes the temperature of the underside of the food when it is placed on a grill or plate. In this case, the temperature of the air near the bottom of the grill 15 is measured and is considered to be equivalent to the rise in the surface temperature of the underside of the food placed on the grill 15 due to heating mainly by the lower heater 17.

[0047] Figure 9 shows a graph when cooking using heating pattern A, which is a heating pattern in which the internal temperature setting of the upper internal space 7A is higher than the internal temperature setting of the lower internal space 7B, specifically when the upper space set temperature display element 27-17 in the upper space set temperature display area A2, which is the internal temperature setting of the upper internal space 7A, is set to "230°C" and the lower space set temperature display element 27-22 in the lower space set temperature display area A3, which is the internal temperature setting of the lower internal space 7B, is set to "+50°C".

[0048] First, insert the power plug of power cord 14 into an outlet to energize main body 1, then open door 3 while holding handle 4, and place the food to be cooked on grill 15. Then, while holding handle 4, close door 3, and make the settings described above using internal temperature setting screen G2, touch sensor 28', and startup temperature adjustment knob 13. After that, make the settings described above using timer knob 12, which starts operation of timer knob 12. When cooking control unit 24 receives an operation signal from timer knob 12, cooking control unit 24 sends a control signal generated in accordance with the set heating pattern to heater drive means 39 at a predetermined timing, which controls upper heater 16 and lower heater 17 to cook the food.

[0049] When cooking is performed using heating pattern A in Fig. 9, when cooking begins, cooking control unit 24 controls upper heater 16 and lower heater 17 to turn on. As shown in Fig. 7, in this embodiment, lower interior space 7B is narrower than upper interior space 7A, so that temperature t b The temperature t of the upper space 7A inside the chamber is a The temperature rises faster than the temperature t b When the detection signal from the lower temperature sensor 31 detects that the temperature has reached 160°C, which is the set temperature of "230°C" or "-70°C", the cooking control unit 24 controls the lower heater 17 to be turned off. Here, the temperature detected by the lower temperature sensor 31 is the actual temperature t b 9, the temperature t b When the temperature of the lower space 7B is 225°C, the lower heater 17 is turned off. b When the detection signal from the lower temperature sensor 31 detects that the temperature has dropped to the set temperature of 160°C, the cooking control unit 24 controls the lower heater 17 to turn on again. For the same reasons as above, in the graph of FIG. 8, the temperature t b When the temperature of the lower space 7B is 150°C, the lower heater 17 is turned on. bWhen the lower temperature sensor 31 detects that the temperature has reached 160°C again, the cooking control unit 24 controls the lower heater 17 to turn OFF again. Thereafter, the cooking control unit 24 repeats the same control until the heating time set by the timer knob 12 is over, and the temperature t b The lower heater 17 is controlled so that the temperature converges and stabilizes around the set temperature of 160°C.

[0050] When the temperature of the upper interior space 7A reaches the set temperature of 230°C, as detected by the detection signal from the interior temperature sensor 18, the cooking control unit 24 controls the upper heater 16 to be turned off. a When the temperature of the upper space 7A in the chamber reaches 260°C, the upper heater 16 is turned off. a When the detection signal from the internal temperature sensor 18 detects that the temperature has dropped to the set temperature of 230°C, the cooking control unit 24 controls the upper heater 16 to turn ON again. a When the temperature of the upper space 7A in the chamber reaches 200°C, the upper heater 16 is turned on. a When the detection signal from the internal temperature sensor 18 detects that the temperature has again reached 230°C, the cooking control unit 24 controls the upper heater 16 to turn OFF again. Thereafter, the cooking control unit 24 repeats the same control until the heating time set by the timer knob 12 has ended, controlling the upper heater 16 so that the temperature in the upper internal space 7A converges and stabilizes around the set temperature of 230°C.

[0051] When the heating time set by the timer knob 12 ends and the cooking control unit 24 receives an operation signal from the timer knob 12, the cooking control unit 24 controls the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17 to turn OFF again, thereby completing cooking.

[0052] 10 shows a graph of the heating pattern B in which the internal temperatures of the upper and lower compartments 7A and 7B are set to the same value, specifically, when the upper compartment temperature display element 27-17 is set to "230°C" and the lower compartment temperature display element 27-22 is set to "0°C." As shown in the graph of FIG. 10, the cooking control unit 24 controls the temperature t a and the temperature t of the lower space 7B b However, the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17 are controlled so that the temperature converges and stabilizes around the set temperature of 230°C.

[0053] 11 shows a graph of the heating pattern C in which the temperature setting of the upper interior space 7A is lower than the temperature setting of the lower interior space 7B, specifically when the upper space temperature display element 27-17 is set to "160°C" and the lower space temperature display element 27-22 is set to "+70°C." As shown in the graph of FIG. 11, the cooking control unit 24 controls the temperature t a The upper heater 16 is controlled so that the temperature t b However, the lower heater 17 is controlled so that the temperature converges and stabilizes around 230°C, which is the set temperature of "160°C" and "+70°C".

[0054] In this embodiment, cooking control unit 24 can separately control upper heater 16 and lower heater 17, allowing the top and bottom of the food to be heated at different temperatures, and the heating temperature or amount of heat applied to the bottom of the food to be cooked can be adjusted for optimization. Even if there is variation in the heating amounts applied to upper heater 16 and lower heater 17 or if the infrared reflection efficiency of heating chamber 6 is reduced due to dirt or discoloration on the interior surface, the internal temperature of lower internal space 7B, which is the heating temperature for the bottom of the food, can be adjusted by setting lower space set temperature display element 27-22 in lower space set temperature display area A3, thereby optimizing the heating balance between the top and bottom of upper internal space 7A and lower internal space 7B of cooking chamber 7. The heating balance between the upper and lower interior spaces 7A and 7B of the cooking chamber 7 can be adjusted depending on the thickness or height of the ingredients, the size of the ingredients in the plane direction, and the shape of the ingredients. For example, when baking a thick slice of bread, the temperature inside the lower interior space 7B, which is the heating temperature of the underside of the food, can be adjusted to adjust the heating balance so that the heating temperature of the underside is lower. Furthermore, when baking pizza toast, for example, the toppings are placed on top of the bread, so if you prefer the underside of the ingredients to be lightly toasted, you can adjust to heating pattern A, which heats the top surface more highly and the bottom surface more gently. If you want the bottom surface of the ingredients to be heated more strongly, you can adjust to heating pattern C, which heats the bottom surface more highly. And if you want to heat both the top and bottom of the ingredients evenly, you can adjust to heating pattern B, which heats the top and bottom surfaces of the ingredients at the same temperature.

[0055] As described above, the toaster oven as a cooking appliance of this embodiment comprises a cooking chamber 7 capable of accommodating food to be cooked therein, a grill 15 as a food placement member on which the food to be cooked is placed, an upper heater 16 as an upper space heating means for heating the upper interior space 7A, which is the space above the grill 15, when the grill 15 is arranged in the cooking chamber 7, a lower heater 17 as a lower space heating means for heating the lower interior space 7B, which is the space below the grill 15, and a cooking control unit 24 as a control means for controlling the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17, and the cooking control unit 24 is configured to be able to control the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17 separately.

[0056] This configuration allows the top and bottom of the food to be heated at different temperatures, allowing for optimization by adjusting the heating temperature or amount of heat applied to the bottom of the food. Even when variations in the heating amounts of upper heater 16 and lower heater 17 are a factor, or when the infrared reflection efficiency of heating chamber 6 is reduced due to dirt or discoloration on the interior surface, the heating balance between the top and bottom of upper and lower interior spaces 7A and 7B of cooking chamber 7 can be optimized. The heating balance between the top and bottom of upper and lower interior spaces 7A and 7B of cooking chamber 7 can be adjusted depending on the thickness or height of the food, its size in the planar direction, and its shape.

[0057] 12 and 13 show a modification of the second embodiment of the present invention. In this modification, cooking control unit 24 controls lower heater 17, which heats the underside of the food to be cooked, by varying the energization rate of lower heater 17 during the on / off cycle, rather than by controlling the temperature to converge stably to a set temperature from the temperature detected by lower temperature sensor 31 as described above.

[0058] 12, the display elements 27 arranged on the refrigerator temperature setting screen G2' displayed on the display means 26' of this embodiment will be explained. The difference from the configuration of the second embodiment is that a lower space ON / OFF cycle setting display area A4 is arranged below the upper space set temperature display area A2 instead of the lower space set temperature display area A3. The other points are the same as those of the second embodiment.

[0059] In the lower space power cycle setting display area A4, a display element 27-24 for "ingredients underside" is arranged at its upper side, and below the "ingredients underside" display element 27-24, a button display B25 including a display element 27-25 for "high heat" in outline characters, a button display B26 including a display element 27-26 displayed as an outline square, a button display B27 including a display element 27-27 for "normal" in outline characters, a button display B28 including a display element 27-28 displayed as an outline square, and a button display B29 including a display element 27-29 for "low heat" in outline characters are arranged side by side. When any of the button displays B25 to B29 is selected, the display element of the selected button display is changed from outline to solid black, and in the case of the lower space power cycle setting display area A4 shown in FIG. 11, button display B28 is selected.

[0060] 12, the operation of the toaster oven having the above configuration will be described. Each time the user touches the "▲" button display section B15 or the "▼" button display section B16, control means 21 receives an operation signal from touch sensor 28' disposed above the respective button display section B15 or B16, and control means 21 controls display means 26' to move the blackened display elements of each of button display sections B25 to B29 to the left or right one by one. Furthermore, when the user touches any of button display sections B25 to B29, for example, button display section B28, control means 21 receives an operation signal from touch sensor 28' disposed above each of button display sections B25 to B29, and control means 21 controls display means 26' to change the display elements of the selected button display section, for example, open square display elements 27-28 when button display section B28 is selected, to blackened display elements.

[0061] Thereafter, when cooking is started by operating the timer knob 12, the heating cooking control unit 24 controls the upper heater in the same manner as in the second embodiment until the heating time set by the timer knob 12 ends, and controls the upper heater 16 so that the temperature of the upper interior space 7A converges and stabilizes at the set temperature, which in the case of the graph in Figure 13 is around 220°C.

[0062] On the other hand, the temperature t bWhen a detection signal from the lower temperature sensor 31 detects that the lower heater 17 has reached a predetermined temperature, e.g., 180°C, the cooking control unit 24 controls the lower heater 17 to heat on / off in a predetermined on / off cycle selected on the oven temperature setting screen G2'. For example, in this embodiment, when the "high heat" button display B25 is selected, the lower heater 17 is continuously heated at 100% power; when the open square button display B26 is selected, the lower heater 17 is heated at 90% power; and similarly, when the "normal" button display B27 is selected, the lower heater 17 is heated at 80% power; when the open square button display B28 is selected, the lower heater 17 is heated at 70% power; and when the "low heat" button display B29 is selected, the lower heater 17 is heated at 90% power. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the values ​​are merely examples. The predetermined temperature may be changed according to the button displays B25 to B29, and may be set so that, for example, the predetermined temperature increases as the power supply rate increases. Furthermore, when it is detected that the preset internal temperature has been reached while controlling lower heater 17 to perform ON / OFF heating in a predetermined power-on / off cycle, cooking control unit 24 may be configured to change the control of lower heater 17 from a control that varies the power supply rate in the power-on / off cycle to a temperature control that stabilizes the temperature detected by lower temperature sensor 31 at the preset temperature.

[0063] In this way, even in this modified example, the heating cooking control unit 24 can control the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17 separately, and by performing different controls on the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17, such as temperature control control and control that varies the power conduction rate of the power on / off cycle, the top and bottom of the food to be cooked can be heated at different temperatures, and the heating temperature or amount of heat on the bottom surface of the food to be cooked can be adjusted to achieve optimization. [Example]

[0064] 14 to 17 show a configuration in which a cooking device according to a third embodiment of the present invention is applied to a toaster oven. In this embodiment, a container 35 for boiling water is placed on the grill 15, so that various types of boiling water-related cooking can be performed in the toaster oven.

[0065] FIG. 14 shows a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the heating chamber 6 of this embodiment. Referring to this figure, reference numeral 35 denotes a container for boiling water to hold food to be cooked. The container 35 is composed of a cylindrical deep dish 35a with a bottom as the container body and a lid 35b that removably covers the top opening of the deep dish 35a. When the container 35 is placed in the cooking chamber 7 of the toaster oven body 1, the deep dish 35a is placed on the grill 15. The bottom 35c of the deep dish 35a is formed substantially flat and has four downward leg projections 35d that serve as legs when the deep dish 35a is placed on a flat surface such as a table. These four downward leg projections 35d are arranged on the front, back, left, and right sides of the bottom 35c, respectively, and are formed so that when the deep dish 35a is placed on a flat surface, the bottom 35c is level with the flat surface.

[0066] The lid 35b has an upper surface 35e and a peripheral edge 35f that rises downward from the edge of the upper surface 35b. The upper surface 35b is generally flat, and a handle 35g is provided in the center of the upper surface 35b to serve as a handle for attaching and detaching the lid 35b. As shown in FIG. 14, the center of the upper surface 35b where the handle 35g is provided is located away from the upper heater 16 of the lid 35b when the container 35 is placed on the grill 15. The peripheral edge 35f also has a steam vent 35h, which is provided at the rear of the peripheral edge 35f so as to be near the internal temperature sensor 18 provided above the rear wall 6c. When steam from the food being cooked in the container 35 is released outside the container 35 via the steam vent 35h, the internal temperature sensor 18 can detect the steam.

[0067] The grill 15 is provided with positioning portions 15a corresponding to the positions of the downward leg protrusions 35d, into which the downward leg protrusions 35d fit when the deep dish 35a is placed. Here, as shown in FIG. 13, the positioning portions 15a may be holes formed approximately flush with the outer periphery of the downward leg protrusions 35d, or may be recesses formed approximately flush with the outer shape of the downward leg protrusions 35d. When the deep dish 35a is placed, the downward leg protrusions 35d fit into the positioning portions 15a, thereby fixing the deep dish 35a to the grill 15, positioning the deep dish 35a relative to the grill 15, and restricting the deep dish 35a from moving forward, backward, left, or right on the grill 15. Therefore, the positioning portions 15a also function as a restricting means for restricting the horizontal movement of the deep dish 35a.

[0068] A temperature sensor heat shield 32' is provided near the center of the bottom wall 6b of the heating chamber 6, between the lower heaters 17, and protrudes inward to the vicinity of the grill 15. The temperature sensor heat shield 32' is positioned so that radiant heat emitted from the lower heaters 17 toward the temperature sensor heat shield 32' is reflected toward the container 35 placed on the grill 15. Therefore, the temperature sensor heat shield 32' is made of a material that has high heat reflection efficiency and is resistant to discoloration even at high temperatures, such as aluminum plate, aluminum plate scientifically polished to a mirror finish, or aluminum-plated steel plate. A lower temperature sensor 31' is provided inside the temperature sensor heat shield 32' and protrudes inward from the upper part of the temperature sensor heat shield 32'. An elastic member 36 is provided at the bottom of the lower temperature sensor 31' to bias the lower temperature sensor 31' upward. Therefore, when container 35 is placed in cooking chamber 7 of toaster oven body 1, the tip of lower temperature sensor 31' elastically contacts bottom 35c of deep dish 35a, allowing lower temperature sensor 31' to directly detect the temperature of bottom 35c of container 35. Therefore, lower temperature sensor 31' also functions as a temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of bottom 35c, which is the outer bottom surface of deep dish 35a. Temperature sensor insulator 38 is provided to cover lower temperature sensor 31' and elastic member 36.

[0069] In addition, a hole for the lower temperature sensor 31' to pass through may be provided near the center of the grill 15 at a location corresponding to the position of the lower temperature sensor 31', and the size of the holes in the mesh of the grill 15 may be large enough for the lower temperature sensor 31' to pass through, and the grill 15 may be positioned so that these holes in the mesh of the grill 15 are positioned so that the lower temperature sensor 31' can pass through.

[0070] A handle heat shield wall 39 is formed near the center of the ceiling wall 6a of the heating chamber 6 and between the upper heaters 16. As shown in FIG. 13 , this handle heat shield wall 39 is formed to approximately the same height as the temperature sensor heat shield wall 19 and is configured to be located above the handle portion 35g of the lid body 35b when a container 35 is placed in the cooking chamber 7 of the toaster oven body 1. The handle heat shield wall 39 is arranged so that radiant heat radiated from the upper heater 16 in the direction of the handle heat shield wall 39 is reflected toward the container 35 placed on the grill 15. For this reason, the temperature sensor heat shield wall 32′ is made of a material that has high heat reflection efficiency and is resistant to discoloration even at high temperatures, such as an aluminum plate, a material obtained by chemically polishing an aluminum plate to a mirror finish, or an aluminum-plated steel plate, and is configured so that radiant heat from the upper heater 16 and radiant heat reflected by the ceiling wall 6a and the handle heat shield wall 39 are not radiated directly toward the handle portion 35g of the container 35.

[0071] The base material of the deep dish 35a is made of, for example, aluminum, which is formed by melt forging or die casting, and then coated with a heat-resistant paint on the inner and outer surfaces. Alternatively, the base material of the deep dish 35a is made of, for example, enamel steel plate, which is press-formed and then coated with enamel on the inner and outer surfaces. The base material of the lid 35b may be the same as or different from the base material of the deep dish 35a.

[0072] The internal dimensions of deep tray 35a will be described with reference to Figure 15. The vertical internal dimension of deep tray 35a is preferably 150 to 200 mm, taking into account that the vertical dimension of a loaf of bread is 110 to 130 mm. The horizontal internal dimension is preferably 260 to 300 mm, taking into account that the horizontal dimension of a loaf of bread is 110 to 120 mm and that two slices of this bread will be accommodated. The height, or depth, of deep tray 35a is preferably 50 to 70 mm, taking into account that the estimated thickness of a loaf of bread when cut into quarters is approximately 30 mm. Furthermore, the internal volume of deep tray 35a is preferably 1950 to 4200 mL, combining the above internal dimensions, taking into account that the volume required to cook two cups of rice is 1600 mL. By forming deep tray 35a in this way, this toaster oven can be used to both bake two slices of thickly cut bread (about 30mm thick) side by side and cook two cups of rice.For example, two slices of bread can be used to bake French toast by placing them side by side on deep tray 35a, or a desired amount of rice (less than two cups) can be cooked.Therefore, the shape of deep tray 35a makes it possible to both bake food and boil it.

[0073] In this embodiment, cooking information for all menus that can be cooked in the toaster oven is stored in memory means 22, and when an operation to start cooking is performed using timer knob 12 for one menu selected from the menus stored in memory means 22, cooking control unit 24 heats and cooks the food to be cooked in a predetermined procedure that follows the cooking information for the selected menu.

[0074] For example, when a rice cooking menu is selected and an instruction to start cooking is given using the timer knob 12, the cooking control unit 24 sequentially executes the following processes to cook the food inside the container 35: a soaking process to promote the absorption of water by the rice contained in the container 35; a boiling heating process to raise the temperature of the food to a boil in a short period of time; a boiling continuation process to keep the food boiling; and a high temperature maintenance process to maintain the temperature at a high level that will not burn the rice.

[0075] Next, the operation of the toaster oven configured as described above in this embodiment will be described in detail. First, rice and water are placed in the deep tray 35a as the food to be cooked, and the lid 35b is closed. Around the same time, the power cord 14 is plugged into an outlet to energize the main body 1. Then, while gripping the handle 4, the door 3 is opened and the container 35 is placed on the grill 15. The downward protrusions 35d of the legs engage with the positioning portions 15a, securing the deep tray 35a to the grill 15. Then, while gripping the handle 4, the door 3 is closed. A menu is selected, and a cooking start command is given using the timer knob 12. Control signals corresponding to the selected menu are output from the output port of the control means 21 at the specified timing in accordance with the control program stored in the storage means 22 of the control means 21, and the food to be cooked is heated and cooked.

[0076] For example, when an automatic rice cooking menu is selected and input to start cooking rice, the operation signal is received by control means 31, and cooking control section 24 of control means 21 receives detection signals from internal temperature sensor 18 and lower temperature sensor 31, and sends a control signal to heater driving means 23 so that the food to be cooked is heated to the set temperature in accordance with the heating pattern of the automatic rice cooking menu. As a result, radiant heat is radiated from upper heater 16 and lower heater 17, and the food to be heated stored in container 35 is radiantly heated.

[0077] To explain this in more detail with reference to FIG. 16, when rice cooking begins, the cooking control unit 24 of the control means 21 sends a control signal to the heater driving means 23 to perform radiant heating using the upper heater 16 and lower heater 17, and raises the water temperature in the container 35 to a predetermined temperature, for example, 50-60°C, for a predetermined period, for example, 15-40 minutes, to promote water absorption by the rice, thereby performing a soaking cooking process in which the rice absorbs water. Specifically, when the soaking cooking process begins, the cooking control unit 24 controls the upper heater 16 and lower heater 17 to turn on. Here, during the soaking cooking process, the cooking control unit 24 mainly controls the lower heater 17 to maintain the temperature of the bottom 35c of the container 35 at 50°C, and also controls the upper heater 16 to maintain the temperature of the upper interior space 7A at 60°C. The temperature t of the bottom 35c of the container 35 b The temperature t of the upper space 7A in the refrigerator is detected by a detection signal from the lower temperature sensor 31'. a When the temperature t' of the bottom 35c reaches the predetermined temperature of 60°C, the cooking control unit 24 controls the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17 to be turned off. b The temperature t ′ of the upper space 7A in the refrigerator is detected by a detection signal from the lower temperature sensor 31′. a When a detection signal from the internal temperature sensor 18 detects that the temperature t' has dropped below 60°C, the cooking control unit 24 controls the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17 to turn ON. By controlling the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17 in this way, the temperature rise in the internal upper space 7A, which is the space above the container 35, is suppressed during the soaking cooking process, and the temperature of the rice and water to be cooked in the container 35 is prevented from exceeding the gelatinization temperature of 60 to 70°C due to heating at the temperature of the internal upper space 7A. In this embodiment, the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17 are controlled ON / OFF, but the temperature t' in the internal upper space 7A can be controlled by increasing or decreasing the output of the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17. a ' and the temperature t of the bottom 35c b ' may be configured to adjust the temperature to a predetermined temperature.

[0078] After that, when the pre-set time for the soaking process is completed and the process moves to the next boiling process, cooking control unit 51 controls lower heater 17 to remain ON until boiling of the food is detected, thereby heating the food in container 35 by radiant heating more strongly than in the soaking process, and raising the food to a boiling temperature of, for example, 100°C in a short time, for example, about 5 to 8 minutes. Here, in the boiling process, cooking control unit 51 controls upper heater 16 to remain OFF, and radiant heating of the food in container 35 is performed only by lower heater 17.

[0079] When the water temperature of the food reaches around 70°C, steam begins to be generated from the food. When this steam is released to the outside of container 35 via steam hole 35h, internal temperature sensor 18 detects the temperature of the steam. When cooking control unit 24 subsequently detects, via a detection signal from internal temperature sensor 18, that the temperature of the steam from the food via steam hole 35h has reached, for example, 90°C or higher, it stores the boiling temperature and the time at which boiling was detected in memory means 32 and proceeds to the next boiling continuation step. Alternatively, internal temperature sensor 18 may be configured to begin boiling detection when it detects, via a detection signal from internal temperature sensor 18, that the temperature of the steam from the food via steam hole 35h has reached 85°C, and thereafter determine that boiling has been detected when the time it takes for the temperature to rise by 1°C stabilizes for 30 seconds or more.

[0080] Because the specific heat of water decreases in the continuing boiling step, cooking control unit 24 controls the output of lower heater 17 to be less than that in the boiling heating step, and controls lower heater 17 to perform radiant heating so that the food continues to boil, thereby continuing the boiling of the food inside container 35 and promoting gelatinization of the rice. Here, in the continuing boiling step, as in the boiling heating step, cooking control unit 51 controls upper heater 16 to continue to be turned off, and radiant heating of the food inside container 35 is performed using only lower heater 17.

[0081] During the boiling continuation process, the heating cooking control unit 21 detects that the water inside the container 35 has run out and that the temperature detection signal from the lower temperature sensor 31' at the bottom 35c of the container 35 has reached a predetermined dry-up temperature of, for example, 120°C, and based on the temperature detected by the lower temperature sensor 31', determines that the food has run out of water and is cooked to completion, and controls the lower heater 17 to turn off.

[0082] After the lower heater 17 is turned off and radiant heating is stopped, the boiling continuation step ends and the process moves to the next high-temperature maintenance step. During the high-temperature maintenance step, the cooking control unit 51 controls the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17 to maintain a predetermined temperature above the boiling temperature, for example, 110°C, for a predetermined period, for example, 20 to 30 minutes, from the boiling detection time stored in the memory means 32 at the end of the boiling heating step. Here, during the high-temperature maintenance step, the cooking control unit 24 mainly controls the upper heater 16 to maintain the temperature of the upper interior space 7A at the aforementioned predetermined temperature or above, for example, 110°C. Therefore, during the rice soaking step in the high-temperature maintenance step, the temperature of the lid 35b of the container 35 is kept high, preventing condensation on the inner surface of the lid 35b and preventing dew formed on the inner surface of the lid 35b from flowing down from the inner surface of the lid 35b onto the rice in the container 35. Furthermore, the cooking control unit 24 mainly uses the lower heater 17 to adjust the temperature of the bottom 35c of the container 35 so that it is maintained at the aforementioned predetermined temperature or higher, for example, 110°C, to properly gelatinize and gelatinize the rice to become cooked rice. When a predetermined period of time has passed since boiling was detected, the high temperature maintenance process ends, and cooking for the automatic rice cooking menu is completed.

[0083] In this embodiment, food items with a high moisture content, such as rice and water, can be heated without leaking moisture. By radiating heat from the bottom 35c of the deep dish 35a using the lower heater 17, the bottom surface of the food item is heated by heat conduction from the bottom 35c. By radiating heat from the deep dish 35a and the lid 35b using the upper heater 16, the food item is heated by heat conduction from the deep dish 35a and the lid 35b. At the same time, the temperature t of the bottom 35c of the deep dish 35a is maintained. bSince the temperature of the food to be cooked is directly detected by the lower temperature sensor 31', the temperature of the food to be cooked can be controlled and these menus can be cooked automatically.

[0084] In the automatic rice cooking menu, the specified periods for the soaking and cooking process and the high-temperature maintenance process may be changed depending on the water absorption and gelatinization characteristics of rice, such as white rice, brown rice, and mixed grain rice. For example, the specified period for the soaking and cooking process may be adjusted to 15 minutes for white rice and 40 minutes for brown rice, and the specified period for the high-temperature maintenance process may be adjusted to 20 minutes for white rice and 30 minutes for brown rice. In addition to the automatic rice cooking menu, menus for cooking rice with ingredients such as paella, risotto, and seasoned rice may be added. In addition to rice cooking, cooking information for various boiled water cooking menus may be stored and held in storage means 22, such as a menu for automatically cooking yakisoba or yakisoba noodles by placing noodles, ingredients, and seasoning in container 35, a menu for automatically cooking spaghetti napolitan by placing dried noodles, water, tomato ketchup, ingredients, and seasoning in container 35, a menu for automatically cooking braised pork by placing diced pork, ingredients, and seasoning in container 35, a menu for automatically cooking stewed offal, oden, etc., and a menu for automatically cooking beef bowl ingredients by placing thinly sliced ​​beef, ingredients, and seasoning. These various boiled water cooking menus can be automatically cooked by controlling the temperature and time, known as TT management.

[0085] FIG. 17 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the heating chamber 6 when French toast is being cooked. Referring to this figure, when French toast is selected, cooking is performed without using the lid 35b of the container 35. For example, two eggs, 160 mL of milk, two tablespoons of sugar, and an appropriate amount of vanilla extract are mixed together to prepare a seasoning mixture, which is then placed in the deep dish 35a of the container 35. Two thick slices of bread are then placed in the deep dish 35a and immersed in the seasoning mixture until the bread is completely saturated with the seasoning mixture. The deep dish 35a is then secured to the grill 15 of the main body 1 and placed in the cooking chamber 7. The French toast is then cooked for 10 to 15 minutes, until the bread is browned and the egg mixture is set.

[0086] This French toast menu is just one example, and other dishes that use ingredients with a lot of moisture, such as seasoning liquid, such as roast chicken, roast pork, or teriyaki yellowtail, can be cooked without leaking the liquid. In this case, the bottom surface of the food to be cooked is heated by heat conduction from the bottom 35c by radiant heating of the bottom 35c of the deep plate 35a by the lower heater 17, and the top surface of the food to be cooked is heated by radiant heat from the upper heater 16 because the lid 35b is not used. b Since the temperature of the food to be cooked is directly detected by the lower temperature sensor 31', the temperature of the food to be cooked can be controlled and these menus can be cooked automatically.

[0087] As described above, the toaster oven as a cooking appliance in this embodiment comprises a deep tray 35a having a depth of 30 mm or more, a positioning portion 15a as a regulating means for regulating horizontal movement of the deep tray 35a when the deep tray 35a is placed on the grill 15, and a lower temperature sensor 31' as a temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the bottom 35c as the outer bottom surface of the deep tray 35a, and is configured so that the cooking control unit 24 controls the lower heater 17 as a heating means based on the temperature detected by the lower temperature sensor 31'.

[0088] With this configuration, the bottom 35c of the deep dish 35a is radiatedly heated by the lower heater 17, and the bottom surface of the food to be cooked is heated by heat conduction from the bottom 35c. b Since the temperature ' is directly detected by the lower temperature sensor 31', the temperature of the food to be cooked can be controlled and the food can be cooked automatically. [Example]

[0089] 18 to 21 show a configuration in which a cooking device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention is applied to a toaster oven. In this embodiment, the toaster oven can perform low-temperature cooking, stewing, and rice cooking in addition to oven cooking and toast cooking.

[0090] FIG. 18 shows a front view of the operation panel unit 5 of the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, instead of the temperature adjustment knob 11, the timer knob 12, the rising temperature adjustment knob 13, etc., the display operation unit 41 is configured to perform the setting of the cooking, the start and stop of the cooking.

[0091] Referring to FIG. 18, the display operation unit 41 includes a display means 26” for displaying various information related to cooking, and a touch sensor 28” as an operation means for touching the button display part displayed on the display means 26” to touch the touch key disposed in front of the button display part corresponding to the button display part, so that the button display part is selected.

[0092] Regarding the description of the display element 27 arranged on the setting screen G3 which is the screen displayed on the display means 26”, on the upper part thereof, a process display area A5 is formed in which a display element 27-31 of “Cooking” and a display element 27-32 of “Warming” are arranged side by side left and right. Below this process display area A5, a menu display area A6 is formed in which button display parts B33 to B38 are arranged side by side up and down and left and right, and the currently selected button display part, for example, in the case of FIG. 18(A), the button display part B31 of “Low-temperature heating” is in a lit state with black-filled white characters displayed. Here, the button display part B33 of “Oven” includes a text display body 27-33 of “Oven”. Also, the button display part B34 of “Toast” includes a text display body 27-34 of “Toast”. And the button display part B35 of “Rice cooking” includes a text display body 27-35 of “Rice cooking”. Also, the button display part B36 of “Boiling water cooking” includes a text display body 27-36 of “Boiling water cooking”. And the button display part B37 of “Low-temperature heating” includes a text display body 27-37 of “Low-temperature heating”. Also, the button display part B38 of “Stewing” includes a text display body D38 of “Stewing”.

[0093] Below the menu display area A6, on the right side, there is a heating amount display area A7, in which button displays 39-41 are displayed vertically. On the left side, there are a temperature setting display element 27-45, which displays the current temperature setting for the container 35; button displays 46 and 47, which change the value of the temperature setting display element 27-45; a time setting display element 27-48, which displays the current cooking time setting; and button displays 49 and 50, which change the value of the time setting display element 27-48. For example, in FIG. 18(A), the temperature setting display element 27-45 displays "70°C" and the time setting display element 27-48 displays "6 minutes." Here, the "high" button display element B39 includes a text display element 27-33 that reads "high." The "medium" button display element B40 includes a text display element 27-40 that reads "medium." The "low" button display element B41 includes a text display element 27-41 that reads "low."

[0094] At the bottom of the setting screen G3, a button display section B52 including a display element 27-52 for "Start Cooking" and a button display section B52 including a display element 27-52 for "Off" are displayed side by side.

[0095] The process display area A5 displays the process currently being performed by the toaster oven main body 1, and the control means 21 controls the display means 26'' so that the "cooking" display element 27-31 lights up when cooking with heat, and the "keeping warm" display element 27-32 lights up when keeping warm.

[0096] The button display sections B33 to B38 in the menu display area A6 are operated to select a heating menu, and when one of the button display sections B33 to B38, for example the "low temperature heating" button display section B37, is touched, the control means 21 receives an operation signal from the touch sensor 28" arranged in front of each of the button display sections B33 to B38, for example the "low temperature heating" button display section B37, and as shown in Figure 18(A), the control means 21 controls the display means 26" to change the touched button display section, for example the "low temperature heating" button display section B37, to a lit state.

[0097] The "Start cooking" button display section B52 is operated when cooking begins. When the "Start cooking" button display section B52 is touched, the control means 21 receives an operation signal from the touch sensor 28" disposed above the "Start cooking" button display section B52, and the control means 21 sets the menu, set temperature, set time and heat amount currently selected and set on the setting screen G3 as the settings for this heating and cooking operation, and the heating and cooking control section 24 controls the start of heating and cooking of the food placed in the cooking chamber 7 using the settings for this heating and cooking operation.

[0098] The "OFF" button display B53 is operated to stop cooking or keeping warm. When the "OFF" button display B53 is touched, the control means 21 receives an operation signal from the touch sensor 28" disposed in front of the "OFF" button display B53, and the cooking control unit 24 stops cooking or keeping warm the food contained in the cooking chamber 7 and switches the cooking to the OFF state.

[0099] The button display sections B39 to B41 in the heat amount display area A7 are operated to select the heat amount for continuing boiling the food after it has boiled when the "stewing" button display section B38 is selected. When any of the button display sections 39 to B41 is touched, the control means 21 receives an operation signal from the touch sensor 28" disposed in front of the corresponding button display section 39 to B41, and the control means 21 controls the display means 26" to change the touched button display section to a lit state. When cooking begins, the cooking control section 24 detects the temperature t of the bottom 35c of the container 35. b ' is detected by a detection signal from the lower temperature sensor 31', and the temperature t bThe temperature is controlled mainly by the lower heater 17 so that the temperature of the lower heater 17 reaches the set temperature. In this embodiment, until the cooking control unit 24 detects boiling, the output wattage of the lower heater 17 is set to, for example, 550 W to maximize the output of the lower heater 17 and heat the container 35. After boiling is detected, the lower heater 17 is controlled according to the button display selected in the heat amount display area A7. When the "High" button display B39 is selected, the output wattage of the lower heater 17 is set to, for example, 400 W. When the "Medium" button display B40 is selected, the output wattage of the lower heater 17 is set to, for example, 300 W. When the "Low" button display B41 is selected, the output wattage of the lower heater 17 is set to, for example, 200 W, thereby continuing to boil the food. This configuration allows the food to continue boiling at the optimum output of the lower heater 17 according to the cooking menu, allowing the food to be stewed.

[0100] The present invention is not limited to this, and these numerical values ​​are merely examples. Alternatively, instead of increasing or decreasing the output wattage of the lower heater 17, the power supply rate of the lower heater 17 may be increased or decreased. Similarly to the modified example of the second embodiment, the upper heater 16 may be controlled so that the temperature in the upper interior space 7A converges and stabilizes around the set temperature set by the set temperature display element 27-45, and the power supply rate of the on / off cycle of the lower heater 17 may be controlled to vary by setting the button display sections B39 to B41 in the heating amount display area A7.

[0101] In this embodiment, as in the third embodiment, cooking information for all menus that can be cooked in the toaster oven is stored in storage means 22, and when an instruction to start cooking is given from timer knob 12 for one menu selected from the menus stored in storage means 22, cooking control unit 24 cooks the food in a predetermined procedure in accordance with the cooking information for the selected menu. This embodiment also includes a buzzer (not shown) as notification means, which is electrically connected to the output port of control means 21. The buzzer is activated, for example, when cooking is completed, to notify the user by sound.

[0102] The operation of the toaster oven with the above configuration will be explained with reference to Figures 19 to 21. Food poisoning bacteria are believed to be most active in the temperature range of approximately 35 to 45°C, depending on water activity and pH. Therefore, in low-temperature cooking, heating food to 55°C or higher will heat it above the temperature at which food poisoning bacteria can survive. However, considering the "Q&A on Meat Heating Conditions" section on the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's website and the statement in the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's "Food Hygiene Management Guide Incorporating the Concept of HACCP (HACCP: Food Hygiene Management Method Mandatory in June 2020)" that "the danger temperature range is 10 to 60°C," it is preferable to cook food at temperatures above 60°C, such as 63°C or higher for 30 minutes. Therefore, in this embodiment, in other menus, the display element 27-48 for the set time, which sets the time from when the internal temperature sensor 18 detects that the set temperature has been reached to when the heating cooking is completed, can be used to arbitrarily set the desired cooking time from a predetermined heating cooking time range, for example, between 1 minute and 120 minutes. However, in the case of the "low temperature heating" menu, the minimum cooking time is limited according to the temperature setting in order to suppress the growth of putrefactive bacteria and bacteria that cause food poisoning.

[0103] FIG. 19 is a table showing the relationship between the set temperature displayed in the set temperature display element 27-45 and the minimum set time limit displayed in the set time display element 27-48 when the menu is "low temperature heating." As shown in this table, when the set temperature is set to any of 70 to 74°C in the set temperature display element 27-45, for example, 70°C as shown in FIG. 18(A), the control means 21 controls the display means 26" so that the display of the set time display element 27-48 does not become less than "6 minutes." In FIG. 18(A), even if the button display section B50 that changes the value of the set time display element 27-48 to a value that decreases the value is controlled by touching the button display section B50. In addition, the control means 21 controls the display means 26" so that the set time display element 27-48 does not change from "6 minutes." When the set temperature is set to any of 95 to 98°C at -45, for example, 98°C as shown in Figure 18(B), the control means 21 controls the display means 26" so that the display of the set time display element 27-48 does not become less than "1 minute." The minimum time limit in the table shown in Figure 19 is set based on the time required to heat the food to the center at 70°C for 3 minutes or more, or 75°C for 1 minute or more, with the thickness of the meat or fish to be cooked limited to, for example, 30 mm or less, and the minimum time limit value may be changed depending on the type, shape, and thickness of the food to be cooked.

[0104] Here, when the value of the display element 27-45 for the set temperature is changed and the value of the display element 27-48 for the set time is less than the shortest time limit, the control means 21 may control the display means 26" to change the display of the display element 27-48 for the set time to the value of the shortest time limit. For example, in the case of Figure 18(B), when the button display section B47, which changes the value of the display element 27-45 for the set temperature to a smaller value, is touched to change the value of the display element 27-45 for the set temperature to "70°C", as shown in Figure 18(A), the control means 21 may control the display means 26" to change the display of the display element 27-48 for the set time to "6 minutes", which is the value of the shortest time limit.

[0105] FIG. 20 shows the temperature t of the bottom 35c of the container 35 when the button display section B37 for "low temperature heating" is selected from the menu, the value of the display element 27-48 for the set time is set to "22 minutes," the value of the display element 27-45 for the set temperature is set to "80°C," and the button display section B52 for "start cooking" is touched. b When cooking begins, the control means 21 controls the display means 26" to light up the display element 27-31 for "cooking" in the process display area A5, and the cooking control section 24 controls mainly the lower heater 17 to be turned on. After that, the temperature t b ' rises to the set temperature of 80°C, and the temperature t b When the detection signal from the lower temperature sensor 31' detects that the temperature rise rate of ' has fallen below a predetermined value, the cooking control unit 24 determines that the temperature has converged and stabilized around the set temperature of 80°C, starts timing with the timing means 25, and counts the set time.From the time of this detection, the cooking control unit 24 controls mainly the lower heater 17 to perform radiant heating so that the food to be cooked is cooked at the set temperature of 80°C until the set time displayed on the set time display element 27-48 has elapsed.

[0106] Thereafter, when the cooking control unit 24 detects using the timing means 25 that the set time has elapsed, the cooking process ends and the control means 21 controls the buzzer to alert that cooking is complete, turns off the "Cooking" display element 27-31 in the process display area A5, and controls the display means 26" to turn on the "Keeping warm" display element 27-32, thereby completing the cooking process and moving on to the next keeping warm process. In this embodiment, from the perspective of suppressing the growth of food poisoning bacteria and putrefactive bacteria, the system is configured to automatically move on to the keeping warm process after the specified cooking is complete, but if the user wants to eat the food immediately after the cooking process is complete, for example, by touching the "Off" button display unit B53, the control means 21 will receive an operation signal from the touch sensor 28" arranged in front of the "Off" button display unit B53 and the cooking control unit 24 will control the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17 to turn OFF, thereby canceling the keeping warm process and switching it off.

[0107] While cooking the food at the set temperature of 80 ° C, the temperature of the bottom 35 c t b When the detection signal from the lower temperature sensor 31' detects that the temperature of the food being cooked has exceeded a predetermined value, the cooking control unit 24 determines that it has detected drying-up, in which the moisture in the food being cooked in the container 35 is lost and the temperature of the food being cooked rises, and ends the cooking process, transitions to the next keeping-warm process, or otherwise suppresses heating by the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17, thereby preventing abnormal heating such as burning.

[0108] It is generally believed that food poisoning bacteria are most active at 35 to 45°C, but for example, when it comes to rice spoilage, there is a risk of early spoilage at 42 to 55°C, and it is said that there are putrefactive bacteria that can grow even at 65°C. On the other hand, if the temperature exceeds 80°C, the reaction between sugar and amino acids (Maillard reaction) will proceed excessively, causing a loss of flavor and an unpleasant odor. Therefore, when the food is transferred to the keeping-warm process, the cooking control unit 24 controls the temperature t of the bottom 35c. b The lower heater 17 is mainly controlled so that the temperature t of the bottom 35c converges and stabilizes at 70 to 76°C. b The temperature indicated by "'" is an example, and the present invention is not limited to this. The temperature may be between 65 and 80°C, and preferably between 67 and 78°C.

[0109] In this way, even when cooking using the automatic "low temperature cooking" menu, safety can be ensured even if the user eats the food immediately after cooking by heating it at a temperature that takes into consideration the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's guidelines for preventing the growth of food poisoning bacteria.Furthermore, by automatically transitioning to a warming process at a temperature that prevents the growth of food poisoning and putrefactive bacteria after cooking is complete, safety can be ensured even if the food is not eaten immediately after cooking or is refrigerated, even if the food does not reach the "danger temperature range of 10°C to 60°C" where food poisoning bacteria grow during the temperature drop period.

[0110] While there are water bath-type appliances for low-temperature cooking at home, these appliances have limited applicability for other purposes and can be difficult to store when not in use. In contrast, this embodiment allows low-temperature cooking in a toaster oven, eliminating this inconvenience. Furthermore, unlike the water bath-type appliance, there is no need to use a bag or evacuate the bag and vacuum pack it, making it easy to perform low-temperature cooking while preventing the growth of putrefactive bacteria and bacteria that cause food poisoning.

[0111] FIG. 21 shows the temperature t of the upper chamber 7A when the button display B38 for "stewing" is selected from the menu, the value of the display element 27-48 for the set time is set to "22 minutes," the value of the display element 27-45 for the set temperature is set to "100°C," and the button display B52 for "start cooking" is touched. a ' and the temperature t of the bottom 35c of the container 35 b This is a graph showing the trend of '.

[0112] When cooking begins, the control means 21 controls the display means 26" to light up the "cooking" display element 27-31 in the process display area A5, and the cooking control unit 24 controls the lower heater 17 to heat mainly using the lower heater 17 and to maximize the output of the lower heater 17. Steam then begins to be generated from the food to be cooked in the container 35, and when this steam is released to the outside of the container 35 via the steam hole 35h, the internal temperature sensor 18 detects the temperature of the steam. The cooking control unit 24 then calculates the temperature t a ' rises to the set temperature of 100°C, and the temperature t a When the detection signal from the inside temperature sensor 18 detects that the temperature rise rate of ' has fallen below a predetermined value, the cooking control unit 24 detects boiling, determines that the temperature has converged and stabilized around the set temperature of 100°C, starts timing with the timer means, and counts the set time. Starting from this detection point, the lower heater 17 is mainly controlled to perform radiant heating so that the food to be cooked is cooked at the set temperature of 100°C until the set time displayed on the set time display elements 27-48 has elapsed, and the temperature t of the bottom 35c of the container 35 is detected by the detection signal from the lower temperature sensor 31'.b Here, the cooking control unit 24 changes the output wattage of the lower heater 17 according to the button display unit selected in the heat amount display area A7, and mainly controls the lower heater 17 to perform radiant heating so that the food to be cooked continues to boil.

[0113] Thereafter, when the cooking control unit 24 detects by the timing means 25 that the set time has elapsed, the cooking control unit 24 controls the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17 to be turned off and issues a buzzer alert. The control means 21 also controls the buzzer to alert that cooking has finished, turns off the display element 27-31 for "cooking" in the process display area A5, and controls the display means 26" to turn on the display element 27-32 for "keeping warm", thereby completing the cooking process and moving on to the next keeping warm process. As in the case described above with the "low temperature heating" menu, the temperature t b When the detection signal from the lower temperature sensor 31' detects that the temperature t' of the bottom 35c has reached a predetermined value or more, the cooking control unit 24 also ends the cooking process and proceeds to the next warming process. b The lower heater 17 is mainly controlled so that the temperature ' converges and stabilizes at 70 to 76°C.

[0114] The toaster oven of this embodiment can automatically cook the "low temperature heating" menu, which is low-temperature cooking with a set temperature of 65°C or higher but lower than the boiling temperature, and the "stewing" menu, which is medium-temperature cooking with a set temperature of 100°C or near 100°C, as described above. In addition, it can also automatically cook the "oven" menu, which is high-temperature cooking with a set temperature higher than the boiling temperature, for example, as described in the first and second embodiments, and can also perform a boiling heating process and a boiling continuation process, which are medium-temperature cooking processes with a set temperature of 100°C or near 100°C, and a boiling process, which is a process for cooking when the set temperature is higher than the boiling temperature. It is possible to perform automatic cooking of the "rice cooking" menu described in the third embodiment as a combined cooking method that combines the boiling continuation process and the high temperature maintenance process, which are high temperature cooking processes that are higher than the rising temperature, and automatic cooking of the "toast" menu described in the first and second embodiments as a toast cooking method that controls the heating means to perform toast cooking, and therefore the heating cooking control unit 24 is configured to control the heating cooking of the "low temperature heating" menu, "stewing" menu, "oven" menu, "rice cooking" menu, and "toast" menu.

[0115] As described above, the toaster oven as a cooking appliance of this embodiment is configured such that the cooking control unit 24 as a control means can control cooking for the "low temperature cooking" menu as low temperature cooking control where the set temperature is between 65°C and boiling temperature, cooking for the "stewing" menu as medium temperature cooking control where the set temperature is at or near boiling temperature, cooking for the "oven" menu as high temperature cooking control where the set temperature is above boiling temperature, cooking for the "rice cooking" menu as combined cooking control that combines medium temperature cooking control and high temperature cooking control, and cooking for the "toast" menu as toast cooking control that controls the upper heater 16 and lower heater 17 as heating means to cook toast. Therefore, in addition to conventional oven cooking and toast cooking, low temperature cooking, stewing, and rice cooking are selectively possible, greatly expanding the menu of toaster ovens.

[0116] 22 shows a modified example of the fourth embodiment of the present invention, which is designed to allow curry to be cooked in a toaster oven.

[0117] While there are dedicated curry cookers for cooking curry at home, most people rarely eat curry every day, and these cookers have limited scope for other uses, making storage space difficult when not in use. Cooking curry in a pot requires heating the pot on a gas stove or induction heater to bring the food to a boil and simmer the ingredients, but this can be time-consuming, requiring constant monitoring of the heat to prevent the food from boiling over and the cooking progress of the ingredients. Furthermore, when it comes to timing the addition of commercially available solid curry roux after the ingredients in the pot have boiled, the starch in the roux makes it difficult to dissolve and prone to clumping when the food is boiling. Therefore, it is best to turn off the heat on the gas stove or induction heater and wait until the food has stopped boiling before adding the roux. On the other hand, this method is time-consuming and troublesome, so there is a risk that users will add the roux without turning off the heat of the gas stove or induction heater.

[0118] Furthermore, because curry tastes better when aged until the next day, or because there is leftover curry, storing it at room temperature or in the refrigerator can lead to the proliferation of various food poisoning and putrefactive bacteria, such as Clostridium perfringens. Furthermore, if curry is stored in a pot at room temperature or in a dedicated container and refrigerated, a large amount of water condenses on the lid of the pot or the lid of the dedicated container as the curry cools. This condensed water can then flow into the curry, potentially ruining its flavor. Furthermore, the water condensed on the lid or the inside surface of the container cools faster than curry stored in a pot or container, resulting in a large amount of condensation. Since this condensed water is a breeding ground for food poisoning and putrefactive bacteria, its flow into the curry can accelerate the proliferation of food poisoning and putrefactive bacteria. Therefore, this modified version is designed to allow curry to be cooked in a toaster oven.

[0119] To explain the operation of this modified toaster oven in detail, first, a predetermined amount of water and ingredients are placed in deep tray 35a as the food to be cooked, and then lid 35b is closed. The ingredients to be added are preferably fried in a frying pan or similar for a predetermined time. Then, as in the third embodiment, container 35 is placed on grill 15, the "curry" menu is selected, and the "Start Cooking" button display B52 is touched to start cooking. In accordance with the control program stored in storage means 22 of control means 21, a control signal generated in accordance with the selected "curry" menu is output from the output port of control means 21 at a predetermined timing, and the food to be cooked is heated and cooked.

[0120] FIG. 22 shows the temperature t of the bottom 35c of the container 35 when curry is automatically made using a commercially available roux. b 1 is a graph showing the transition of output voltage W′ of upper heater 16 and lower heater 17. Specific explanation will be given with reference to the figure. When rice cooking is started, cooking control section 24 of control means 21 sends a control signal to heater driving means 23 to perform radiant heating by upper heater 16 and lower heater 17, and boils the food in container 35. Thereafter, as in the fourth embodiment, steam begins to be generated from the food in container 35, and internal temperature sensor 18 detects the temperature of the steam, and the temperature t of upper internal space 7A, which is the temperature of this steam, is calculated. a ' rises to around 100°C, and the temperature t a When the detection signal from the internal temperature sensor 18 detects that the rate of temperature rise of ' has fallen below a predetermined value, the cooking control unit 24 detects boiling, determines that the temperature has converged and stabilized at around 100°C, starts timing with the timer means, and counts the set time. Starting from the time of this detection, the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17 are controlled to perform radiant heating so that the food is cooked at 100°C for 15 to 20 minutes. The amount of heat from the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17 is reduced, and the temperature t aThe temperature of the container 35 is controlled to maintain boiling while preventing the food from boiling over from the container 35. Therefore, the inside temperature sensor 18 also functions as a boiling detection means for detecting the boiling of the food. As in the fourth embodiment, the temperature t b The temperature of the container 35 may be controlled to maintain boiling while preventing the food from boiling over.

[0121] In addition, when the water in the container 35 is depleted, such as when there is little water to be cooked from the beginning or when the water is excessively reduced during the boiling period, as described above, the temperature of the food to be cooked will rise while boiling is maintained, causing a dry-up. a When the detection signal from the in-cabinet temperature sensor 18 detects that ' has reached a predetermined value or higher, the cooking control unit 24 determines that drying-up has been detected and controls the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17 to turn off, stopping heating and preventing the pot from boiling empty.

[0122] When the cooking control unit 24 detects using the timing means that 15 to 20 minutes have passed since boiling was detected, the cooking control unit 24 controls the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17 to turn off, and also starts timing the timing means 25 to count for approximately one minute. When the cooking control unit 24 detects using the timing means 25 that this one minute has elapsed, as shown in (2) Adding roux in Figure 22, the cooking control unit 24 determines that the boiling of the food to be cooked in the container 35 has subsided, and controls the buzzer to sound an alarm, and also controls the display means 26" to flash, for example, the display element 27-31 "Cooking in progress" displayed on the display means 26", to notify the user that it is time to add the roux. When the food to be cooked is boiling, the starch contained in the roux makes it difficult for the roux to dissolve in the food, and it tends to form lumps; however, by automatically showing the roux addition temperature sign through the buzzer alarm and the flashing display of the "Cooking in progress" display element 27-31, such mistakes can be prevented.

[0123] After the buzzer sounds and the "cooking" display elements 27-31 flash, the user opens door 3 while gripping handle 4, opens lid 35b of container 35, and pours in the roux. When the user then closes lid 35b, and closes door 3 while gripping handle 4, and again touches button display B52 for "start cooking," for example, cooking control unit 24 determines that the roux has been poured into container 35, starts timing with timer 25, and counts the set time. Starting from the time of this detection, lower heater 17 is mainly controlled to perform radiant heating over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, so that the food is cooked and simmered over low heat without burning, and, as in the fourth embodiment, the temperature t of bottom 35c of container 35 is detected by a detection signal from lower temperature sensor 31'. b When the moisture content of the food decreases and the food becomes prone to burning, the temperature of the food rises and the temperature t b Since the temperature of the food to be cooked also rises, the cooking control unit 24 can quickly detect that the temperature of the food has risen, and mainly controls the lower heater 17 to stop heating or reduce the amount of heat, thereby preventing the food from burning. In this modified example, cooking of the "curry" menu is resumed by touching the "start cooking" button display unit B52, but it is also possible to provide a door opening / closing detection means for detecting whether the door 3 is open or closed, and to resume cooking of the "curry" menu when opening or closing of the door 3 is detected.

[0124] When the cooking control unit 24 detects by the timing means that 15 to 20 minutes have passed since the "Start cooking" button display unit B52 was touched again, cooking is completed as shown in (3) Finished in Figure 22, and the cooking control unit 24 controls the buzzer to sound an alert, and also controls the display means 26" to flash the display element 27-32, for example, "Keeping warm", displayed on the display means 26'', to notify the user that cooking is completed. Furthermore, once cooking is completed, the process automatically transitions to the keep-warm process.

[0125] When the process shifts to the warming step, assuming that the food is not eaten immediately after cooking or is eaten in multiple portions, the cooking control unit 24 starts the timing means to count the set time, and controls the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17 to perform radiant heating so that the temperature of the cooked food, curry, is maintained at a suitable temperature for eating, for example, 85°C, for 30 to 60 minutes from the end of cooking. The temperature t b ' temperature control.

[0126] When cooking control unit 24 detects by the timing means that 30 to 60 minutes have passed since the end of cooking, cooking control unit 24 starts counting the set time by the timing means, as shown in (4) Curry the next day in FIG. 22, and counts the temperature t of bottom 35c for a predetermined period, such as 24 hours, from the end of cooking. b The upper heater and the lower heater 17 are controlled so that the temperature t of the bottom 35c is stabilized at 70 to 76°C. b The temperature indicated by "'" is an example, and the present invention is not limited to this. The temperature may be between 65 and 80°C, and preferably between 67 and 78°C.

[0127] In the configuration of this modified toaster oven, during the warming process that is carried out after the heating and cooking process is completed, the temperature of the curry to be cooked is maintained at 85°C, the ideal temperature for eating, for a specified period of 30 to 60 minutes, and then during the temperature drop period, the temperature is maintained above the ``danger temperature range of 10°C to 60°C'' at which food poisoning bacteria can grow.This prevents the risk of food poisoning or spoilage caused by the curry to be cooked, and also allows the curry to mature, bringing out its rich flavor.

[0128] Furthermore, while heating of the container 35 containing the food to be cooked during the cooking process is mainly performed by the lower heater 17, heating of the container 35 containing the food to be cooked during the keeping warm process is performed by the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17. Therefore, the lid 35b can be heated by the upper heater 16 to suppress condensation on the inner surface of the lid 35b, eliminating the risk of water droplets condensed on the inner surface of the lid 35b flowing into the curry or the risk of the condensed water droplets flowing out when the lid 35b is opened.

[0129] As described above, the toaster oven as a heating cooker of this modified example has a container 35 as a curry cooking container for containing curry ingredients and water, and a temperature t b The cooking device is equipped with a lower temperature sensor 31' as a container temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the container, an internal temperature sensor 18 as a boiling detection means for detecting the boiling of the curry water, and a buzzer as an alarm means for notifying the user of the timing to add the curry roux, and is configured such that a heating cooking control unit 24 as a control means controls the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17 as heating means based on the temperature detected by the lower temperature sensor 31' and the boiling detection by the internal temperature sensor 18.

[0130] With this configuration, the upper heater 16 and the lower heater 17 can be controlled so that when boiling is detected by the internal temperature sensor 18, the amount of heat applied after boiling is automatically reduced to prevent overflow. Also, by monitoring the temperature detected by the lower temperature sensor 31', it is possible to prevent the food from boiling dry due to a decrease in moisture content. Furthermore, it is possible to automatically determine when ingredients such as meat, carrots, onions, and potatoes have been cooked, and a buzzer will sound to indicate when it is time to add commercially available solid curry roux.

[0131] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the first to fourth embodiments and their modifications may be combined. Furthermore, the configurations and shapes of the components of the present embodiment are not limited to those shown in the drawings, and may be modified as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0132] 6a Ceiling wall 6b bottom wall 7. Cooking room 12 Timer knob (setting means) 13 Start-up temperature adjustment knob (selection means ) 1 6 Upper heater (heating step) 17 Lower heater (heating hand) step) 2 4 Cooking control unit (control means) )

Claims

1. a cooking chamber capable of accommodating food to be cooked therein; A heating means for heating the food to be cooked; a control means for controlling the heating means; A setting means for setting a heating time during cooking; a selection means for selecting a specific control pattern from a plurality of control patterns of the heating means by the control means, The cooking device characterized in that the control pattern includes a heating pattern in which the temperature in the cooking chamber is heated by the heating means to a predetermined set temperature during one of the heating times set by the setting means.

2. The control pattern is: a first step of heating the temperature inside the cooking chamber to the predetermined set temperature by the heating means; a second step of heating the heating means so as to maintain the predetermined set temperature; 2. The cooking device according to claim 1, wherein the times for the first and second steps do not depend on the control pattern selected by the selection means.

3. 2. The cooking device according to claim 1, wherein one of the heating patterns is to maintain a specific temperature lower than the set temperature for a predetermined time and then heat the food to the set temperature.

4. 4. The cooking device according to claim 1, wherein one of the heating patterns is to drive the heating means at maximum output to heat up to the set temperature.

5. The heating pattern in the first step is: a first pattern in which heating is performed at maximum output until the set temperature is reached or until a first period has elapsed, and then the heating means is controlled so that the temperature converges and stabilizes at the set temperature; a second pattern in which the heating means is controlled to heat at maximum output until a first temperature lower than the set temperature or until a second period shorter than the first period has elapsed, and then the output is reduced to converge and stabilize at the set temperature; a third pattern in which the temperature is maintained at a second temperature less than 100° C. for a predetermined time and then heated to the set temperature; 3. The cooking device according to claim 2, further comprising:

6. The heating cooker described in Claim 1, characterized in that the heating means is an upper heater arranged on the ceiling wall of the cooking chamber and a lower heater arranged on the bottom wall of the cooking chamber, and the food to be cooked is heated by radiant heating using the upper heater and the lower heater.

7. The control means A low-temperature cooking control in which the set temperature is 65°C or higher and lower than the boiling temperature of the food to be cooked; a medium-temperature cooking control in which the set temperature is a boiling temperature or a temperature near the boiling temperature of the food to be cooked; a high-temperature cooking control in which the set temperature is higher than the boiling temperature of the food to be cooked; a combined cooking control that combines the medium-temperature cooking control and the high-temperature cooking control; 2. The cooking device according to claim 1, further comprising a toast cooking control for controlling the heating means so as to perform toast cooking.

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