Cooking device, method and program for controlling cooking device

Abstract

To provide a heating cooker which can execute automatic cooking corresponding to the frozen state by automatically determining the frozen state of a food product, a control method and a program of the same.SOLUTION: A heating cooker comprises: a heating unit 55 which heats a cooking object placed on a placement part 54; and a control unit 9 which controls the heating unit 55. The control unit 9 is configured to be able to control the heating unit 55 by using detection results from a first temperature sensor 81 that detects the atmospheric temperature and a second temperature sensor 82 that detects the temperature of the cooking object in a state of being placed on the placement part 54. The control unit 9 controls the heating unit 55 to heat in the first heating mode when a difference between the detection value of the first temperature sensor 81 and the detection value of the second temperature sensor 82 is equal to or greater than a threshold, and controls the heating unit 55 to heat in the mode different from the first heating mode when the difference between the detection value of the first temperature sensor 81 and the detection value of the second temperature sensor 82 is less than the threshold.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooking device, a control method for a cooking device, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a conventional cooking device. The cooking device described in Patent Document 1 includes a grill burner and a heating control unit that automatically ignites, extinguishes, and adjusts the heat of the grill burner according to a cooking menu. Hereinafter, the mode in which ignition, extinguishing, and heat adjustment are automatically performed according to a cooking menu may be referred to as "automatic cooking."

[0003] The cooking device described in Patent Document 1 has automatic cooking modes (cooking modes) set to "bake," "non-fry," "warm," and "frozen food menu." When cooking using frozen food, the user can perform automatic cooking by placing the frozen food in the grill and selecting the "frozen food menu." [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-209186 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the above Patent Document 1, when cooking using frozen food, the user must determine for themselves that the food is frozen and select the "frozen food menu," and if they mistakenly select "heat," there is a risk that the food will be undercooked or overcooked.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a cooking device, a control method for a cooking device, and a program that can automatically determine the frozen state of food and perform automatic cooking corresponding to the frozen state. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A cooking device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a heating unit that heats an object placed on a mounting portion, and a control unit that controls the heating unit. The control unit is configured to control the heating unit using detection results from a first temperature sensor that detects an ambient temperature and a second temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the object placed on the mounting portion. The control unit controls the heating unit to heat in a first heating mode when a difference between a value detected by the first temperature sensor and a value detected by the second temperature sensor is equal to or greater than a threshold, and controls the heating unit to heat in a mode other than the first heating mode when a difference between a value detected by the first temperature sensor and a value detected by the second temperature sensor is less than the threshold.

[0008] A cooking device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a heating unit that heats an object placed on a placement section, and a control unit that controls the heating unit. The control unit is configured to control the heating unit using detection results from a first temperature sensor that detects ambient temperature and a second temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the object placed on the placement section. The control unit determines that the object placed on the placement section is frozen when a difference between the detection values ​​of the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

[0009] A control method for a cooking appliance according to one aspect of the present invention is a control method for a cooking appliance having a heating unit that heats an item placed on a mounting portion. The control method includes the steps of detecting an ambient temperature with a first temperature sensor, detecting the temperature of the item placed on the mounting portion with a second temperature sensor, and controlling the heating unit using the detection results of the first and second temperature sensors. The step of controlling the heating unit includes causing the heating unit to heat in a first heating mode when a difference between a detection value of the first temperature sensor and a detection value of the second temperature sensor is equal to or greater than a threshold, and causing the heating unit to heat in a mode different from the first heating mode when the difference between the detection values ​​of the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor is less than the threshold.

[0010] A program according to one aspect of the present invention causes one or more processors to execute the method for controlling the cooking device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the above aspect of the present invention, the frozen state of food can be automatically determined and automatic cooking can be performed according to the frozen state. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a cooking device according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a grill portion of the cooking device according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the grill portion of the cooking device according to the embodiment, taken along a plane perpendicular to the left-right direction. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of a fuel gas of the cooking device according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] 1 is a block diagram of a cooking device according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a graph showing the detection results of the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor when frozen food and room temperature food are heated using a heating cooker according to an embodiment, the graph being obtained when the ambient temperature is 20°C. [Figure 7] 10 is a graph showing the detection results of the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor when frozen food and room temperature food are heated using a heating cooker according to an embodiment, the graph being obtained when the ambient temperature is 10°C. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart for determining a frozen state in the cooking device according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The cooking device according to this embodiment will be described in detail below. In this specification, as shown in Fig. 1, the direction perpendicular to the installation surface (in this embodiment, the upper surface of the worktop) is defined as the "up-down direction." On a plane parallel to the installation surface, the direction from the cooking device toward the user (cooker) is defined as the "forward direction," and the opposite direction is defined as the "rear direction." In this embodiment, the installation surface is described as a horizontal plane, but the installation surface is not necessarily limited to a horizontal plane.

[0014] <Embodiment> A cooking appliance is a cooking device that cooks food using resources such as gas or electricity. Examples of cooking appliances include gas stoves, induction cookers (IH (Induction Heating) cookers), electric stoves, grill cookers, oven cookers, microwave ovens, and rice cookers. In this embodiment, a gas stove 1 will be described as an example of a cooking appliance.

[0015] The gas stove 1 is a stove that uses gas as fuel. The gas stove 1 according to this embodiment is a built-in stove in which the device body 3 is dropped into an opening formed in the worktop of a kitchen counter, but in the present invention, it may also be a table stove that is used by placing it on an installation surface (for example, a table, stove stand, etc.).

[0016] As shown in Figure 1, the gas stove 1 comprises a top plate 2 to which multiple trivets 23 and an exhaust port cover 22 are attached, an appliance body 3 having multiple burner sections 4 and a grill section 5, and a control section 9 (Figure 5).

[0017] (Top plate 2) The top plate 2 is the topmost plate of the gas stove 1. The top plate 2 is formed in a roughly rectangular plate shape. The top plate 2 has a plurality of holes formed therein through which the upper ends of the burner units 4 pass, and the top plate 2 is attached to the housing 31 of the appliance main body 3 so as to rest on the upper end of the housing 31. The top plate 2 also has an exhaust port 21 formed therein. The exhaust port 21 is formed along the rear edge of the top plate 2 and discharges exhaust from the grill unit 5. An exhaust port cover 22 is removably attached to the exhaust port 21.

[0018] (Device body 3) The device body 3 constitutes the main body of the gas stove 1. The device body 3 includes a housing 31 and a plurality of devices 4 and 5. The device body 3 according to this embodiment includes a plurality of burner units 4 and a grill unit 5 as the plurality of devices 4 and 5, as described above.

[0019] (Case 31) The housing 31 is a box in the device main body 3 that houses the devices 4 and 5. The housing 31 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape and has an opening (not shown) on the top surface. As shown in FIG. 1 , the front surface of the housing 31 is formed with an opening 311 for passing the grill door 52 of the grill section 5, an opening 312 for passing the ignition / extinguishing switches 35 of each device 4 and 5, and an opening 313 for passing the lock lever. Each time the ignition / extinguishing switch 35 is pressed, it repeatedly issues an ignition command and an extinguishing command to the corresponding device 4 and 5. When the device 4 and 5 are ignited, the corresponding ignition / extinguishing switch 35 protrudes forward from the front surface of the housing 31. A user can adjust the heat of the corresponding device by rotating the ignition / extinguishing switch 35 around a rotation axis parallel to the front-to-rear direction.

[0020] The front of the housing 31 is provided with a plurality of operating units 32, 33 for setting automatic cooking. The gas stove 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with operating units 32, 33, namely, a burner operating unit 32 for setting automatic cooking in the burner unit 4, and a grill operating unit 33 for setting automatic cooking in the grill unit 5. Attached to the lower half of the front panel is an operating body 34 that can be switched between a use position that protrudes forward from the front panel and a storage position where its front surface is flush with the front panel. Each operating unit 32, 33 is provided on the top surface of the operating body 34.

[0021] A rotation shaft 36 extending in the left-right direction is provided at the lower end of the operating body 34. The rotation shaft 36 is attached to the lower end of the housing 31. The operating body 34 is switched between the use position and the storage position by rotating around the rotation shaft 36. Note that the switching of the operating body 34 between the use position and the storage position is not limited to rotational movement around the rotation shaft 36, but may also be translational movement along the front-to-rear direction. Furthermore, the operating units 32, 33 may be exposed at all times.

[0022] (Burner section 4) The burner unit 4 heats an object to be heated placed on the trivet 23. The gas stove 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with a pair of large burners 41 spaced apart in the left-right direction, and a small burner 42 positioned between the pair of large burners 41 and behind the large burners 41, as the multiple burner units 4. The large burner 41 and the small burner 42 are Bunsen burners that receive a supply of gas containing gas and perform premixed combustion, and heat an object to be heated placed on the trivet 23.

[0023] In this specification, the term "object to be heated" refers to an object to be heated. The object to be heated includes an object to be cooked. The object to be heated may or may not include a cooking container. In other words, the burner unit 4 may heat the object to be cooked directly, or may heat the object to be cooked via the cooking container. In other words, in this specification, "heating the object to be cooked" includes both direct heating and indirect heating of the object to be cooked.

[0024] The heating container is a container used for cooking. Examples of the heating container include a pot, a frying pan, a heat-resistant plate, a barbecue plate, a grill plate, a grill grate, a fish grill, etc. The food to be cooked is the food material to be cooked.

[0025] (Grill section 5) The grill unit 5 heats an object to be heated placed inside the grill chamber 51. As shown in FIG. 2 , the grill unit 5 includes the grill chamber 51, a grill door 52, a support frame 53 having a pair of support rails 531, a placing section 54 on which the object to be cooked is placed, a heating section 55, a first temperature sensor 81, and a second temperature sensor 82.

[0026] (Grill 51) The grill chamber 51 is a box-shaped component for grilling inside. The grill chamber 51 has an opening on the front. As shown in FIG. 1, the grill chamber 51 is arranged inside the housing 31 so as to communicate with an opening in the center of the front of the housing 31 in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the grill chamber 51 has an exhaust pipe 511 formed at its rear end. The exhaust pipe 511 communicates with the exhaust port 21 of the top plate 2. Exhaust gases generated inside the grill chamber 51 and gases such as steam generated from the food being cooked are discharged through the exhaust pipe 511 and from the exhaust port 21.

[0027] (Grill door 52) The grill door 52 is a door that can open and close the opening at the front of the grill chamber 51. The grill door 52 is attached to a support frame 53 and can move in the front-rear direction.

[0028] (Support frame 53) The support frame 53 supports the mounting portion 54. The support frame 53 moves between a first position where it protrudes from the grill chamber 51 and a second position where it fits inside the grill chamber 51. In the second position, the support frame 53 positions the mounting portion 54 inside the grill chamber 51. The support frame 53 includes a pair of support rails 531, a door mounting portion 535, and a container mounting portion 536.

[0029] The pair of support rails 531 each extend in the front-rear direction and are separated in the left-right direction. The pair of support rails 531 are approximately parallel to each other. Each support rail 531 includes a first rail 532 fixed to the grill chamber 51, a second rail 533 movable in the front-rear direction relative to the first rail 532, and a third rail 534 movable in the front-rear direction relative to the second rail 533. The second rail 533 is movably connected to the first rail 532 and is also movably connected to the third rail 534. This allows each support rail 531 to extend and retract in the front-rear direction.

[0030] The door mounting portion 535 is a portion to which the grill door 52 is attached. The door mounting portion 535 connects the front ends of the third rails 534. The door mounting portion 535 is formed in the shape of a plate along a vertical plane.

[0031] The container mounting portion 536 is a portion that supports the mounting portion 54. The container mounting portion 536 removably supports the mounting portion 54. The container mounting portion 536 is formed by bending a wire rod. The container mounting portion 536 is attached to the third rail 534 and moves together with the third rail 534.

[0032] (Placement portion 54) The mounting portion 54 is a portion on which the food to be cooked can be placed. Examples of the mounting portion 54 include a grill, a corrugated plate, a flat plate, a casserole container, and a frying pan. The mounting portion 54 according to this embodiment is a casserole container having a plate-shaped bottom. Examples of materials for the mounting portion 54 include heat-conductive metals such as iron, aluminum alloy, stainless steel, titanium, and enamel.

[0033] (Heating section 55) Heating section 55 heats the food placed on mounting section 54. Heating section 55 according to this embodiment is provided inside grill chamber 51, and heats mounting section 54 and the food housed inside grill chamber 51. Heating section 55 includes lower burner 56 that heats the food from below, and upper burner 57 that heats the food from above.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 2, the lower burner 56 is provided in approximately the center of the bottom of the grill chamber 51 and is located below the mounting portion 54. As shown in FIG. 3, the lower burner 56 includes a cylindrical lower burner main body 561 and a lower mixing tube 562 that communicates with the interior of the lower burner main body 561. The lower mixing tube 562 is arranged along the bottom of the grill chamber 51. When fuel gas is supplied into the lower mixing tube 562, air is supplied to the lower mixing tube 562 along with the fuel gas. The gas in the lower mixing tube 562 is supplied into the lower burner main body 561. The lower burner main body 561 has multiple flame ports 563 arranged in an annular shape in a plan view. The lower burner main body 561 guides the gas supplied from the lower mixing tube 562 to the flame ports 563. This allows the lower burner 56 to perform premixed combustion.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 2, the upper burner 57 is provided along the top plate of the grill chamber 51 and is located above the mounting portion 54. In this embodiment, the upper burner 57 is a radiant burner that forms a flat flame. As shown in FIG. 2, the upper burner 57 includes a substantially rectangular upper burner main body 571 with multiple flame ports formed along its outer periphery, and an upper mixing tube 572 that communicates with the interior of the upper burner main body 571. When fuel gas is supplied into the upper mixing tube 572, air is supplied into the upper mixing tube 572 together with the fuel gas. The gas in the upper mixing tube 572 is supplied to the upper burner main body 571. The upper burner main body 571 guides the gas supplied from the upper mixing tube 572 to the flame ports. This allows the upper burner 57 to perform premixed combustion.

[0036] 4 shows a circuit diagram of fuel gas supplied from a gas supply source 61 to each burner 41, 42, 56, 57. The gas supply source 61 is a source of high-pressure fuel gas, and examples thereof include a city gas supply pipe and an LP gas (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) gas cylinder. The gas stove 1 is connected to the gas supply source 61 via a main gas supply line 63. An electromagnetically operated main gas valve 62 is provided in the main gas supply line 63.

[0037] The gas stove 1 is provided with a large-power burner branch passage 64 connecting the main gas supply passage 63 and the large burner 41, a small-power burner branch passage 65 connecting the main gas supply passage 63 and the small burner 42, and a grill burner branch passage 66 connecting the main gas supply passage 63 and the heating section 55 of the grill section 5. Each of the pair of large burner 41, small burner 42, upper burner 57, and lower burner 56 is provided with an ignition plug 67.

[0038] A stove gas flow control valve 68 is provided in each of the large-heat burner branch passage 64 and the small-heat burner branch passage 65. The stove gas flow control valve 68 adjusts the flow rate of fuel gas to adjust the heating power of the burner section 4. The stove gas flow control valve 68 includes a stepping motor and operates in response to a control signal from the control section 9. In this specification, "heat power" refers to the amount of heat per unit time.

[0039] A governor 69 is provided in the grill burner branch passage 66. The governor 69 adjusts the pressure on the primary side to a set pressure and sends it to the secondary side. The grill unit 5 is equipped with an upper burner supply passage 70 that connects the grill burner branch passage 66 and the upper burner 57, and a lower burner supply passage 71 that connects the grill burner branch passage 66 and the lower burner 56. An upper burner flow rate adjuster 72 is provided in the upper burner supply passage 70. A lower burner flow rate adjuster 73 is provided in the lower burner supply passage 71.

[0040] Upper burner flow rate adjuster 72 adjusts the flow rate of fuel gas to adjust the heating power of upper burner 57. Upper burner flow rate adjuster 72 according to this embodiment is a flow control valve including a stepping motor, and operates in response to a control signal from control unit 9. In this embodiment, upper burner flow rate adjuster 72 switches the heating power of upper burner 57 between three levels: "high," "low," and "off."

[0041] The upper burner flow rate adjusting unit 72 is not limited to a flow rate control valve, and may, for example, be provided with a solenoid valve provided in the upper burner supply passage 70 and a bypass passage connecting the front and rear of the solenoid valve in the upper burner supply passage 70, and the flow rate of the fuel gas may be adjusted by opening and closing the solenoid valve. Also, instead of three-stage heat power control, two stages or four or more stages may be used, or heat power control may be possible without stages.

[0042] Lower burner flow rate adjuster 73 adjusts the flow rate of fuel gas to adjust the heating power of lower burner 56. Lower burner flow rate adjuster 73 according to this embodiment is a flow control valve including a stepping motor, and operates in response to a control signal from control unit 9. In this embodiment, lower burner flow rate adjuster 73 switches the heating power of lower burner 56 between three levels: "high," "low," and "off."

[0043] The lower burner flow rate adjusting unit 73 is not limited to a flow rate control valve, and as described above, may include a solenoid valve provided in the lower burner supply passage 71 and a bypass passage connecting the front and rear of the solenoid valve in the lower burner supply passage 71, and the flow rate of the fuel gas may be adjusted by opening and closing the solenoid valve. Also, instead of three-stage heat power control, two stages or four or more stages may be used, or heat power control may be possible without stages.

[0044] (First temperature sensor 81) The first temperature sensor 81 is a temperature sensor that detects the ambient temperature. In this specification, the term "ambient temperature" refers to the temperature of the space in which the cooking appliance is installed (ambient temperature), and refers to the temperature of the air that is not easily affected by the heating unit 55. The term "air temperature that is not easily affected by the heating unit 55" refers to a temperature that changes within ±30°C two minutes after the heating unit 55 starts heating. For example, if the cooking appliance is installed indoors, the room temperature is the "ambient temperature." As shown in FIG. 3 , the first temperature sensor 81 according to this embodiment is provided on the back panel of the grill chamber 51 and detects the temperature of the air inside the grill chamber 51. The temperature of the air inside the grill chamber 51 can be considered the same as the temperature of the space in which the cooking appliance is installed, and the temperature changes within ±30°C two minutes after the heating unit 55 starts heating. Therefore, in this embodiment, the temperature of the air inside the grill chamber 51 is used as the ambient temperature.

[0045] As long as the first temperature sensor 81 can detect the ambient temperature, it is not limited to detecting the temperature of the air inside the grill chamber 51, but may also detect the temperature inside the housing 31 or directly detect the ambient temperature around the gas stove 1. The first temperature sensor 81 may also be provided in an item around the gas stove 1. Examples of the surrounding item include a range hood, a refrigerator, an air conditioner, a dishwasher, and a kitchen counter.

[0046] Examples of the first temperature sensor 81 include a resistance temperature detector, a thermocouple, a thermistor temperature detector, a radiation thermometer, and a pressure thermometer. The electrical signal (sometimes referred to as a "sensor signal") output from the first temperature sensor 81 is input to the control unit 9. Because the first temperature sensor 81 according to this embodiment can detect the temperature of the air inside the grill chamber 51, the sensor signal of the first temperature sensor 81 can also be used to perform safety control such as stopping (extinguishing) combustion in the heating unit 55 when the temperature of the exhaust gas inside the grill chamber 51 rises to an excessively high level.

[0047] (Second temperature sensor 82) The second temperature sensor 82 is a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the food placed on the placement portion 54. The second temperature sensor 82 may be of a contact type or a non-contact type, as long as it can detect the temperature of the food placed on the placement portion 54. Examples of the second temperature sensor 82 include a resistance temperature detector, a thermocouple, a thermistor temperature detector, a radiation thermometer, and a pressure thermometer. The second temperature sensor 82 may also be a thermography device that detects the temperature from an image acquired by a thermography camera. As such, the second temperature sensor 82 may be a detector that is pre-installed on the gas stove or a dedicated detector, and is not particularly limited. The electrical signal output from the second temperature sensor 82 (sometimes referred to as a "sensor signal") is input to the control unit 9.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 3 , the second temperature sensor 82 according to this embodiment is disposed in the center of the lower burner main body 561 of the lower burner 56. The second temperature sensor 82 according to this embodiment is a contact-type temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the mounting portion 54 by contacting the center of the mounting portion 54 from below. In this embodiment, the temperature of the mounting portion 54 detected by the second temperature sensor 82 is taken as the temperature of the food to be cooked. It is preferable that the second temperature sensor 82 contact the center of the mounting portion 54, but it may also contact an end of the mounting portion 54. Note that the second temperature sensor 82 may also detect the temperature of the food to be cooked directly, without going through the mounting portion 54.

[0049] (Control unit 9) The control unit 9 controls the operation of the gas stove 1. In response to the operation of the ignition / extinguishing switch 35 and the operation of the operating units 32 and 33, the control unit 9 controls the operation of, for example, the stove gas flow control valve 68, the upper burner flow rate adjuster 72, the lower burner flow rate adjuster 73, and various ignition plugs 67, and performs ignition, extinguishing, and flame power adjustment for the large burner 41, the small burner 42, the upper burner 57, and the lower burner 56. In addition, the control unit 9 can perform automatic cooking for the upper burner 57 and the lower burner 56 in response to the operation of the operating units 32 and 33.

[0050] "Automatic cooking" refers to the automatic control of ignition, extinguishing, and heat adjustment of the heating unit 55 according to the cooking menu and cooking mode. "Cooking menu" refers to the menu of dishes to be cooked, such as "toast," "grilled chicken thigh," "grilled in foil," "grilled whole fish," and "cooked rice." "Cooking mode" refers to the menu of cooking methods, such as "grill," "non-fry," and "warm."

[0051] The control unit 9 according to this embodiment can determine the storage state of the food. In this embodiment, the control unit 9 starts automatic cooking, starts heating, determines the storage state of the food, and then executes a heating mode according to the determination. However, in the present invention, the control unit 9 may also start automatic cooking, determine the storage state of the food before heating, and then start heating and execute a heating mode according to the determination. In this specification, the "storage state of the food" refers to any of a refrigerated storage state (refrigerated state), a frozen storage state (frozen state), or a room temperature storage state (room temperature state).

[0052] As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 9 includes a calculation unit 91, a threshold setting unit 92, a storage unit 93, a determination unit 94, and a heating control unit 95. The control unit 9 is mainly composed of a processor and a memory as hardware. The processor executes a program stored in the memory to realize the functions of the control unit 9. The program may be pre-stored in the memory, provided via a telecommunications line, or provided by being recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card, an optical disk, or a hard disk drive. The processor is composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) or a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI). The multiple electronic circuits may be integrated into a single chip or distributed across multiple chips.

[0053] The calculation unit 91 calculates the difference between the detection value of the first temperature sensor 81 and the detection value of the second temperature sensor 82. When an electrical signal is input from the first temperature sensor 81, the calculation unit 91 calculates the temperature value (detection value) of the ambient temperature based on the electrical signal. When an electrical signal is input from the second temperature sensor 82, the calculation unit 91 calculates the temperature value (detection value) of the food being cooked based on the electrical signal. Then, the calculation unit 91 calculates the difference between the detection value of the first temperature sensor 81 and the detection value of the second temperature sensor 82.

[0054] For example, if the temperature value detected by the first temperature sensor 81 is 23°C and the temperature value detected by the second temperature sensor 82 is 13°C, the calculation unit 91 obtains "10°C" as the calculation result of the difference between the detection value of the first temperature sensor 81 and the detection value of the second temperature sensor 82.

[0055] The threshold setting unit 92 sets a threshold value corresponding to the detected value from the first temperature sensor 81. The threshold setting unit 92 references a threshold value table stored in advance in the storage unit 93 to acquire the corresponding threshold value. The storage unit 93 stores a threshold value table in which threshold values ​​are assigned to the temperature value of the first temperature sensor 81 (i.e., the ambient temperature). As the threshold values, a first threshold value and a second threshold value are assigned to one ambient temperature. An example of the threshold value table is shown in Table 1. [Table 1]

[0056] The relationship between the first threshold value and the ambient temperature and the relationship between the second threshold value and the ambient temperature are both proportional. As an example, the corresponding relationship is shown for ambient temperatures from 10°C to 25°C, but for temperatures above 25°C, calculation is possible from the proportional relationship.

[0057] For example, if the detected value (i.e., ambient temperature) of the first temperature sensor 81 is "23°C," the threshold setting unit 92 obtains "9.5" as the first threshold and "5.2" as the second threshold from the storage unit 93 and sets them as the thresholds. In this embodiment, the thresholds are written to one decimal place, but they may be rounded up or down to the nearest integer.

[0058] The determination unit 94 compares the difference between the detection value of the first temperature sensor 81 and the detection value of the second temperature sensor 82 (hereinafter referred to as the "difference value") calculated by the calculation unit 91 with the threshold value acquired by the threshold setting unit 92. If the difference value is less than the second threshold value as a result of the comparison, the determination unit 94 determines that the storage state of the cooked food is "room temperature state". If the difference value is equal to or greater than the second threshold value and less than the first threshold value, the determination unit 94 determines that the storage state of the cooked food is "refrigerated state". If the difference value is equal to or greater than the first threshold value, the determination unit 94 determines that the storage state of the cooked food is "frozen state".

[0059] 6 and 7 show graphs of the relationship between the elapsed time since the start of heating and the detected temperature. Using "frozen" dumplings and "room temperature" dumplings as the food to be cooked, the detected values ​​of the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor were measured according to the elapsed time from the start of heating. Fig. 6 shows the measurement results when the room temperature was 20°C, and Fig. 7 shows the measurement results when the room temperature was 10°C.

[0060] As can be seen from Figure 6, the first temperature sensor behaves almost the same in the frozen state and in the room temperature state, and in particular, the temperature change is within ±30°C of room temperature. Furthermore, the second temperature sensor always maintains a relationship where the temperature in the room temperature state is greater than the temperature in the frozen state, even from the start of heating to the end of heating. Figure 7 also shows the same behavior. As can be seen from these, by performing automatic cooking and using the difference value and the threshold value after heating has started, it is possible to determine whether the food is in a frozen state or a room temperature state.

[0061] In Figures 6 and 7, the determination unit 94 shows the temperature change when the storage state of the food is "room temperature state" and "frozen state." However, even when the food is "refrigerated," the same behavior is observed at a temperature intermediate between "room temperature state" and "frozen state." Therefore, by using the first threshold value and the second threshold value, it is possible to determine whether the food is in "room temperature state," "refrigerated state," or "frozen state." As another example, it may be possible to determine whether the food is in a "frozen state" or other state. In this case, it is sufficient to simply compare the difference value with the "first threshold value" as a threshold value.

[0062] The heating control unit 95 controls the heating unit 55 according to the determination result by the determination unit 94. When the determination unit 94 determines that "the food to be cooked is in a frozen state," the heating control unit 95 controls the heating unit 55 to execute a heating mode according to the frozen state (this will be referred to as the "first heating mode").

[0063] In this embodiment, the first heating mode is a heating method in which the heat power and the heating time corresponding to the heat power are set so that frozen food can be cooked while thawing. In the first heating mode, for example, the heat power of the upper burner 57 is set to "low" and the temperature of the lower burner 56 is controlled to heat for a certain period of time. The "temperature control" here refers to control that compares the electrical signal of the second temperature sensor 82 with a target value and controls the heat power according to the deviation. After the certain period of time has elapsed, the upper burner 57 is extinguished, and the temperature control of the lower burner 56 continues. This makes it possible to raise the temperature of the food while minimizing the temperature difference between the surface and the interior of the food, thereby heating the food without burning it.

[0064] When the determination unit 94 determines that "the food is in a refrigerated state," the heating control unit 95 controls the heating unit 55 to execute a heating mode according to the refrigerated state (this will be referred to as a "second heating mode").

[0065] In this embodiment, the second heating mode is a heating method in which the heat power and the heating time corresponding to the heat power are set to cook refrigerated food. In the second heating mode, for example, the heat power of the upper burner 57 is set to "high" and the temperature of the lower burner 56 is controlled to heat for a certain period of time. After the certain period of time has elapsed, the upper burner 57 is extinguished and the temperature control of the lower burner 56 continues. After another certain period of time has elapsed, the heat power of the upper burner 57 is set to "high" or "low" and the temperature control of the lower burner 56 continues. This allows the food to be heated without burning.

[0066] When the determination unit 94 determines that "the food to be cooked is at room temperature," the heating control unit 95 controls the heating unit 55 to execute a heating mode corresponding to the room temperature state (this will be referred to as the "third heating mode").

[0067] In this embodiment, the third heating mode is a heating method in which the heat power and the heating time corresponding to the heat power are set to cook food at room temperature. In the third heating mode, for example, the heat power of the upper burner 57 is set to "medium," and the temperature of the lower burner 56 is controlled to heat for a certain period of time. After the certain period of time has elapsed, the upper burner 57 is extinguished, and the temperature control of the lower burner 56 continues. After another certain period of time has elapsed, the heat power of the upper burner 57 is set to "high" or "low," and the temperature control of the lower burner 56 continues. This allows the food to be heated without burning.

[0068] The first, second, and third heating modes described above are merely examples, and other heating methods may be performed. The same heating method may be performed in the second and third heating modes. The heating power may be changed in the first, second, and third heating modes depending on the type of food being cooked.

[0069] (flowchart) Next, an example of the operation of the gas stove 1 according to this embodiment will be described using a flowchart.

[0070] When the user places the food on the placement section 54 and operates the operation section (for example, pressing the "warm" button), the control section 9 executes automatic operation (ST1 to ST3).

[0071] Then, an electrical signal to start cooking is input to control unit 9. When the electrical signal to start cooking is input, control unit 9 starts heating both upper burner 57 and lower burner 56 at "high" heat, and after a certain time has passed, acquires the sensor signals of first temperature sensor 81 and second temperature sensor 82 (ST4). Since control unit 9 does not acquire the sensor signals of the temperature sensors immediately after the electrical signal to start cooking is input, but acquires the sensor signals after a certain time has passed, it can detect the temperature value after the heat of the food to be cooked has been sufficiently conducted to mounting unit 54.

[0072] Here, 20 seconds is set as an example of the "certain time," but it is preferably between 15 and 60 seconds, and more preferably between 15 and 30 seconds. This "certain time" is not particularly limited, as it is determined by the material (thermal conductivity) and shape of the mounting portion 54. The "certain time" may be changed depending on the cooking vessel.

[0073] Next, the control unit 9 acquires a threshold value according to the temperature value of the second temperature sensor 82, and compares the threshold value with the difference between the detection values ​​of the first temperature sensor 81 and the second temperature sensor 82 to determine the preservation state of the food (ST5). The control unit 9 controls the heating unit 55 according to the determination result (ST6). The control unit 9 extinguishes the combustion in the heating unit 55, and the automatic cooking ends.

[0074] (effect) As described above, in the heating cooker of this embodiment, the control unit 9 controls the heating unit 55 to heat in the first heating mode when the difference between the detection value of the first temperature sensor 81 and the detection value of the second temperature sensor 82 is greater than or equal to the threshold value, and controls the heating unit 55 to heat in a mode different from the first heating mode when the difference between the detection value of the first temperature sensor 81 and the detection value of the second temperature sensor 82 is less than the threshold value.

[0075] This allows the heating mode to be automatically selected after determining the preservation state of the food from the difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the food, preventing the user from making an erroneous selection of the preservation state of the food. If the preservation state of the food were to be determined solely using the second temperature sensor 82, it would be impossible to determine whether the low temperature was detected because the food was frozen, or because the temperature of the placement section 54, temperature sensor, etc., had dropped due to the cold, and this could result in an inaccurate determination of the preservation state. As a result, for example, a heating mode for a frozen food would be executed for a refrigerated food. However, in this embodiment, the determination is made using the difference between the detected values ​​of the first temperature sensor 81 and the second temperature sensor 82, so the appropriate heating mode can be automatically executed.

[0076] Furthermore, the control unit 9 changes the threshold value depending on the detected value of the first temperature sensor 81, and therefore can determine the preservation state of the food regardless of the ambient temperature.

[0077] Furthermore, when the difference between the detected value of the first temperature sensor 81 and the detected value of the second temperature sensor 82 is equal to or greater than the second threshold value and less than the first threshold value, the control unit 9 controls the heating unit 55 to heat in the second heating mode, and when the difference is less than the second threshold value, the control unit 9 controls the heating unit 55 to heat in the third heating mode. This makes it possible to grasp not only the frozen state of the food, but also its refrigerated state and room temperature state, and automatically select the appropriate heating mode accordingly.

[0078] In addition, the control unit 9 controls the heating unit 55 using the detection value of the first temperature sensor 81 and the detection value of the second temperature sensor 82 after a certain time has elapsed since the electrical signal to start cooking was input, so that it is possible to detect the temperature of the placement unit 54 when the temperature of the food being cooked has been sufficiently conducted, thereby reducing false detections.

[0079] Furthermore, when the difference between the detection value of the first temperature sensor 81 and the detection value of the second temperature sensor 82 is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the control unit 9 determines that the food placed on the placement unit 54 is frozen. This allows the preservation state of the food to be determined from the difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the food, preventing the user from erroneously operating the preservation state of the food.

[0080] <Modification>

[0081] The above embodiment is merely one of various embodiments of the present invention. The embodiment can be modified in various ways depending on the design, etc., as long as the object of the present invention can be achieved. Modifications of the embodiment are listed below. The modifications described below can be applied in appropriate combinations.

[0082] In the heating cooker according to the above embodiment, the control unit 9 determines the storage state of the food and then executes a heating mode corresponding to the storage state of the food. However, for example, it is also possible to simply display the determined storage state of the food on the display unit without executing the heating mode.

[0083] In the heating cooker according to the above embodiment, the control unit 9 determines the storage state of the food and then executes a heating mode corresponding to the storage state of the food. However, the control unit 9 may also be controlled to select a heating mode such as the first heating mode based on the value obtained by subtracting a threshold value from the difference between the detection value of the first temperature sensor 81 and the detection value of the second temperature sensor 82, without determining the storage state of the food.

[0084] The temperature value obtained by the first temperature sensor 81 may be, for example, temperature data obtained from the Japan Meteorological Agency, or temperature data obtained from a temperature element mounted on a smartphone.

[0085] In the above embodiment, the second temperature sensor 82 is attached to the cooking appliance, but it may be provided outside the cooking appliance. In this case, the second temperature sensor 82 may be, for example, a thermography device attached to a range hood, a wall surface around the cooking appliance, or the like.

[0086] The heating section 55 of the grill section 5 is not limited to the upper burner 57 and the lower burner 56. For example, it may be provided with side burners that heat the food from both the left and right sides. If the grill section 5 does not have a lower burner, the material of the mounting section 54 does not necessarily have to be a material with high thermal conductivity. In this case, the mounting section 54 may be made of, for example, heat-resistant glass.

[0087] In the above embodiment, the cooking device of the present invention has been described using the control of the grill unit 5 as an example, but it may also be applied to automatic cooking by the burner unit 4. In this case, a cooking vessel such as a pot corresponds to the placement unit 54, and the burners (large burner and / or small burner) correspond to the heating unit 55.

[0088] In this specification, expressions accompanied by "approximately", such as "approximately parallel" or "approximately perpendicular", may be used. For example, "approximately parallel" means that the state is substantially "parallel", and includes not only a strictly "parallel" state but also an error of a few degrees. The same applies to other expressions accompanied by "approximately".

[0089] Furthermore, in this specification, expressions such as "end" and "edge" are used that are distinguished by the presence or absence of "... part." For example, "edge" means the end of an object, while "edge" means a region having a certain range that includes the "edge." Any point within a certain range that includes the edge is considered to be an "end." The same applies to other expressions that include "... part." [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 1 gas stove (heating cooker) 54 Placement section 55 Heating section 81 First temperature sensor 82 Second temperature sensor 9 Control Unit

Claims

1. a heating section for heating the food placed on the placement section; a control unit that controls the heating unit; Equipped with The control unit The heating unit is configured to be controllable using detection results from a first temperature sensor that detects an ambient temperature and a second temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the food placed on the placement unit, When a difference between the detected value of the first temperature sensor and the detected value of the second temperature sensor is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the heating unit is controlled to heat in a first heating mode; When a difference between the detected value of the first temperature sensor and the detected value of the second temperature sensor is less than a threshold value, the heating unit is controlled to heat in a mode different from a first heating mode; The threshold value is a first threshold value, The control unit When a difference between the detected value of the first temperature sensor and the detected value of the second temperature sensor is equal to or greater than a second threshold value that is smaller than the first threshold value and is less than the first threshold value, controlling the heating unit to heat in a second heating mode; When a difference between the detected value of the first temperature sensor and the detected value of the second temperature sensor is less than the second threshold value, the heating unit is controlled to heat in a third heating mode; The mounting portion has a plate-shaped bottom plate, the second temperature sensor is configured to detect the temperature of the food by detecting the temperature of the placement section, The control unit controls the heating unit using the detection results of the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor after a certain time has elapsed since an electrical signal to start cooking is input and heating has started.

2. the control unit changes the first threshold value and the second threshold value in accordance with a detection value of the first temperature sensor. The cooking device according to claim 1 .

3. Further provided with a grill section having a grill chamber, The placement portion is accommodated in the grill chamber, The first temperature sensor is configured to detect the temperature inside the grill chamber as the ambient temperature. The cooking device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. a heating section for heating the food placed on the placement section; a control unit that controls the heating unit; Equipped with The control unit The heating unit is controlled using the results of detection by a first temperature sensor that detects an ambient temperature and a second temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the food placed on the placement unit, When a difference between the detected value of the first temperature sensor and the detected value of the second temperature sensor is equal to or greater than a first threshold value, the food placed on the food placement unit is determined to be in a frozen state, and the heating unit is controlled to heat the food in a first heating mode. When a difference between the detected value of the first temperature sensor and the detected value of the second temperature sensor is equal to or greater than a second threshold value that is smaller than the first threshold value and is less than the first threshold value, the food placed on the food placement unit is determined to be in a refrigerated state, and the heating unit is controlled to heat the food in a second heating mode; When the difference between the detected value of the first temperature sensor and the detected value of the second temperature sensor is less than the second threshold value, the food placed on the food placement unit is determined to be at room temperature, and the heating unit is controlled to heat the food in a third heating mode. The mounting portion has a plate-shaped bottom plate, the second temperature sensor is configured to detect the temperature of the food by detecting the temperature of the placement section, The control unit controls the heating unit using the detection results of the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor after a certain time has elapsed since an electrical signal to start cooking is input and heating has started.

5. A control method for a cooking device having a heating unit that heats food placed on a placing unit, comprising: detecting an ambient temperature with a first temperature sensor; detecting the temperature of the food placed on the food placement section by a second temperature sensor; controlling the heating unit using detection results from the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor; Equipped with The step of controlling the heating unit includes: When a difference between a detected value of the first temperature sensor and a detected value of the second temperature sensor is equal to or greater than a first threshold value, the heating unit is caused to heat in a first heating mode; when a difference between the detected value of the first temperature sensor and the detected value of the second temperature sensor is equal to or greater than a second threshold value that is smaller than the first threshold value and is less than the first threshold value, causing the heating unit to heat in a second heating mode; When a difference between the detected value of the first temperature sensor and the detected value of the second temperature sensor is less than the second threshold value, the heating unit is caused to heat in a third heating mode; The mounting portion has a plate-shaped bottom plate, the second temperature sensor is configured to detect the temperature of the food by detecting the temperature of the placement section, A control method for a cooking appliance, comprising: inputting an electrical signal to start cooking; and controlling the heating unit using the detection results of the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor after a certain time has elapsed since the start of heating.

6. A program causing one or more processors to execute the method for controlling a cooking appliance according to claim 5.

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