Heating Regulator

Abstract

To apply a more appropriate set temperature in accordance with an opening / closing state, etc. of a lid.SOLUTION: A cooker comprises a container, a main body part, a lid, a heating part, a temperature detection part, lid opening / closing detection means, an operation part, and a control part. Manual cooking menus for allowing a user to set heating intensity are included in cooking menus capable of being selected by the operation part. In a case where a cooking menu selected by the operation part is a specific manual cooking menu, and the heating intensity of the manual cooking menu is set to first heating intensity, the control part changes a set temperature on the basis of a detection result of the lid opening / closing detection means, unlike a case where the heating intensity is set to second heating intensity lower than the first heating intensity.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cooking appliance. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, cooking devices that heat and cook food stored in a container have been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The cooking device in Patent Document 1 uses a temperature sensor to detect the temperature inside a container that stores ingredients, and controls the operation of a heater, etc. based on the detected temperature to cook the ingredients. Depending on the cooking menu, some cooking devices are compatible with both cooking with the lid open and cooking with the lid closed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-224107 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the temperature inside the container and other parts of the cooking device change significantly depending on whether the lid is open or closed, so it is desirable to apply a more appropriate set temperature depending on the open or closed state of the lid and other conditions.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to solve the above problem by applying a more appropriate set temperature depending on the open / closed state of the lid, etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the heating cooker of the present disclosure comprises a container for storing ingredients, a main body for storing the container, a lid that is positioned above the container and can be opened and closed, a heating unit for heating the container, a temperature detection unit for detecting temperature, a lid opening / closing detection means for detecting the opening and closing of the lid, an operation unit for a user to select and operate a cooking menu, and a control unit that controls the heating unit to target a predetermined set temperature based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit in accordance with the cooking menu selected by the operation unit, wherein the cooking menus selectable by the operation unit include manual cooking menus for which the user can set the heating intensity, and the control unit changes the set temperature based on the detection result of the lid opening / closing detection means when the cooking menu selected by the operation unit is a specific manual cooking menu and the heating intensity of the manual cooking menu is set to a first heating intensity, unlike when it is set to a second heating intensity lower than the first heating intensity. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, a more appropriate set temperature can be applied depending on whether the lid is open or closed and the heating intensity. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cooking device according to an embodiment (with the lid closed); [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cooking device according to an embodiment (with the lid closed); [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cooking device according to an embodiment (with the lid open); [Figure 4A] FIG. 1 is a front view showing the inside of the lid of the embodiment. [Figure 4B] FIG. 1 is a front view showing the inside of a main body of an embodiment; [Figure 5] 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the cooking device according to the embodiment (a view taken along the arrow AA in FIG. 1); [Figure 6] Graph showing temperature changes during the heating and cooking process of a manual cooking menu [Figure 7] Table showing heater drive power according to heating intensity (applies to each manual cooking menu) [Figure 8] Table showing the set temperature according to heating intensity (applies to manual cooking menu A) [Figure 9] Table showing the set temperature according to "heating intensity" and "lid open / close status" (applies to manual cooking menu B) [Figure 10] Table showing the set temperature according to "heating intensity" and "lid open / close status" (applies to ingredient X in manual cooking menu C) [Figure 11] Table showing the set temperature according to "heating intensity" and "lid open / close status" (applies to ingredient Y in manual cooking menu C) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cooking device comprising: a container for storing ingredients; a main body for storing the container; a lid that is arranged above the container and can be opened and closed; a heating unit for heating the container; a temperature detection unit for detecting temperature; a lid opening / closing detection means for detecting the opening and closing of the lid; an operation unit for a user to select and operate a cooking menu; and a control unit that controls the heating unit to target a predetermined set temperature based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit in accordance with the cooking menu selected by the operation unit, wherein the cooking menus selectable by the operation unit include manual cooking menus for which the user can set heating intensity, and the control unit changes the set temperature based on the detection result of the lid opening / closing detection means when the cooking menu selected by the operation unit is a specific manual cooking menu and the heating intensity of the manual cooking menu is set to a first heating intensity, unlike when it is set to a second heating intensity lower than the first heating intensity.

[0011] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heating cooker as described in the first aspect, wherein the control unit uses the same set temperature regardless of the detection result of the lid opening / closing detection means when the heating intensity of the specific manual cooking menu is set to the second heating intensity.

[0012] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heating cooker as described in the first or second aspect, wherein when the heating intensity of the specific manual cooking menu is set to the first heating intensity, the control unit sets the set temperature relatively low based on the detection result of the lid opening / closing detection means to a temperature higher than the set temperature when set to the second heating intensity.

[0013] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heating cooker according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the driving power of the heating unit when set to the first heating intensity is higher than the driving power of the heating unit when set to the second heating intensity.

[0014] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heating cooker according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the specific manual cooking menu includes a first manual cooking menu, and when the heating intensity of the first manual cooking menu is set to the first heating intensity, the control unit changes the set temperature when the lid is closed to be lower than the set temperature when the lid is open, based on the detection result of the lid opening / closing detection means.

[0015] According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heating cooker as described in the fifth aspect, wherein the first manual cooking menu includes at least one of a stir-fry cooking menu for stir-frying the ingredients and a simmering cooking menu for simmering the ingredients.

[0016] According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided the cooking device according to the fifth or sixth aspect, wherein the control unit sets the set temperature for the first manual cooking menu at 150 degrees or higher when the lid is opened.

[0017] According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heating cooker according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the specific manual cooking menu includes a second manual cooking menu, and when the heating intensity of the second manual cooking menu is set to the first heating intensity, the control unit applies, based on the detection result of the lid opening / closing detection means, a first setting that makes the set temperature when the lid is closed lower than the set temperature when the lid is open, or a second setting that makes the set temperature when the lid is open lower than the set temperature when the lid is closed.

[0018] According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the cooking device according to the eighth aspect, wherein the control unit switches between the first setting and the second setting depending on the target ingredients of the second manual cooking menu.

[0019] According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the cooking device according to the ninth aspect, wherein the second manual cooking menu includes a reducing cooking menu for reducing the ingredients.

[0020] According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided the cooking device according to any one of the first to tenth aspects, wherein the first heating intensity is the highest heating intensity among a plurality of selectable heating intensities.

[0021] According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heating cooker described in any one of the first to eleventh aspects, wherein when a third manual cooking menu different from the specific manual cooking menu is selected, the control unit uses the same set temperature for each heating intensity set in the operation unit regardless of the detection result of the lid opening / closing detection means.

[0022] According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the cooking device according to any one of the first to twelfth aspects, wherein the temperature detection section is provided in the main body section and detects the temperature of the container.

[0023] According to a 14th aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heating cooker according to any one of the 1st to 13th aspects, wherein when the heating intensity of the specific manual cooking menu is set to a first intensity, the set temperature is 100 degrees or higher.

[0024] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of a cooking device according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to the specific configurations of the following embodiments, and configurations based on similar technical ideas are included in the present disclosure.

[0025] (Embodiment) First, a cooking device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0026] Figures 1 to 3 are perspective views of a cooking device 2 according to an embodiment, Figure 4A is a plan view showing the inside of the lid 10, Figure 4B is a plan view showing the inside of the main body 8, and Figure 5 is a view taken along the arrow AA in Figure 1. Figures 1 and 2 show a state in which the lid 10 is closed, and Figure 3 shows a state in which the lid 10 is open.

[0027] The cooking device 2 shown in Figures 1 to 5 is a cooking appliance for cooking food ingredients (not shown) as objects to be heated. The cooking device 2 of this embodiment can be used as an automatic cooking device in which an operation sequence for each cooking menu is pre-programmed, and such cooking devices are also called "auto cookers," "multi cookers," or "slow cookers." Note that the cooking device 2 of this embodiment can also be used for manual cooking without using a pre-programmed operation sequence.

[0028] When a user uses the cooking appliance 2 as an automatic cooker, the user places ingredients (not shown) in the cooking space S1 of the container 4 shown in Fig. 3, and operates the operation unit 6 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to select a cooking menu and decide to perform cooking. The cooking appliance 2 performs a cooking process to heat and cook the ingredients according to a predetermined program according to the dish of the selected cooking menu (stir-fried vegetables, curry, jam, etc.).

[0029] Hereinafter, in this embodiment, a case where the cooking appliance 2 is used as an automatic cooking appliance will be described.

[0030] The cooking device 2 of this embodiment has a "pressure cooking function" that cooks ingredients in a pressurized state in which the cooking space S1 is at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure. The operation unit 6 shown in FIG. 2 allows selection of a pressure cooking menu for pressure cooking and a non-pressure cooking menu. The operation unit 6 functions as a cooking menu selection unit for selecting a cooking menu. In addition to the pressure cooking function, a "reduced pressure cooking function" that cooks ingredients in a reduced pressure state in which the cooking space S1 is at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure may also be selectable.

[0031] The cooking device 2 is not limited to one having a pressure cooking function, and may not have a pressure cooking function.

[0032] The cooking device 2 shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 includes a container 4 (FIGS. 3 and 5), a main body 8 for accommodating the container 4, and a lid 10.

[0033] The container 4 is a cylindrical container with a bottom and an open top. The container 4 forms a cooking space S1, and the cooking space S1 is provided with a stirring blade 5. The stirring blade 5 is an example of a stirring body for stirring the ingredients stored in the container 4.

[0034] The main body 8 is a cylindrical member having a bottom and an open top. The main body 8 houses various components for operating the cooking appliance 2. For example, as shown in FIG. 4B, a magnet 152 is built into the upper end of the main body 8 as a lid opening / closing detection means 150 for detecting whether the lid 10 is opened or closed. As shown in FIG. 5, a heater 9 as a heating unit for heating the container 4 and a temperature sensor 7 as a temperature detection unit for detecting the temperature of the container 4 are built into the bottom side of the main body 8. The temperature sensor 7 shown in FIG. 5 is provided in the upper center of the main body 8 so as to detect the temperature of the bottom of the container 4. The temperature sensor 7 is illustrated in a simplified form in FIG. 5.

[0035] 1 and 3, the main body 8 pivotally supports the lid 10 so that it can rotate (arrow R1) from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position, thereby allowing the lid 10 to rotate in the vertical and depth directions.

[0036] The lid 10 is a member for opening and closing the main body 8 and the container 4. The lid 10 houses various components for operating the cooking appliance 2, and for example, as shown in Fig. 5, it houses a control unit 11. In Fig. 5, the control unit 11 is illustrated in a simplified form.

[0037] As shown in Figures 3 and 4A, lid 10 is provided with a substrate 154 as lid open / close detection means 150 for detecting the open / closed state of lid 10. In this embodiment, substrate 154 is a substrate on which a Hall element capable of detecting magnetic force is mounted, and is capable of detecting the magnetic force of magnet 152 built into main body 8 shown in Figure 4B. Substrate 154 transmits the magnetic force detection result by the Hall element to control unit 11, and control unit 11 determines the open / closed state of lid 10.

[0038] The lid 10 comprises an outer lid 12 and an inner lid 14. The outer lid 12 is a lid for opening and closing the top opening of the main body 8, and the inner lid 14 is a lid for sealing the top opening of the container 4. The inner lid 14 is detachably attached to the inside (bottom side) of the outer lid 12. Fig. 3 shows the inner lid 14 detached from the outer lid 12, and Fig. 4A shows the inner lid 14 attached to the outer lid 12.

[0039] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the outer cover 12 includes a vent 16 and a handle 201.

[0040] The vent 16 is an opening for venting the cooking space S1 of the container 4 to the outside. The vent 16 is switched between a connected state in which it is connected to the cooking space S1 and a disconnected state in which it is not connected by a pressure reducing valve 26 described below. In the connected state, the pressure in the cooking space S1 is atmospheric pressure. In the disconnected state, the cooking space S1 is sealed by the inner lid 14 and has a pressure independent of atmospheric pressure.

[0041] Handle 201 is a member that the user rotates to switch between the locked and unlocked states of lid 10. Handle 201 is rotated (arrow R2) around a rotation axis Ax that extends in the thickness direction of lid 10. The thickness direction of lid 10 roughly coincides with the vertical direction when lid 10 is closed (FIGS. 1 and 2), and roughly coincides with the horizontal direction when lid 10 is open (FIG. 3).

[0042] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4A, the inner lid 14 has an inner lid main body 20 and a packing 22.

[0043] The inner lid main body 20 corresponds to the main body of the inner lid 14 and has a generally circular disk shape. A gasket 22 is attached to the outer periphery of the inner lid main body 20. The gasket 22 is a generally annular member attached to the outer periphery of the inner lid main body 20 and is made of an elastic material such as rubber. When the lid 10 is closed, the gasket 22 abuts against the upper end 4A of the container 4, sealing the cooking space S1.

[0044] The inner lid body 20 is provided with a safety valve 24 and a pressure reducing valve 26 .

[0045] Both the safety valve 24 and the pressure reducing valve 26 are valves attached to the inner lid body 20 and are positioned so as to be exposed to the cooking space S1. As shown in Figure 5, a ventilation space S2 that communicates with the ventilation opening 16 is provided on the upper surface side of the inner lid body 20. The safety valve 24 and the pressure reducing valve 26 each operate to switch between a communication state and a non-communication state between the cooking space S1 and the ventilation space S2.

[0046] The safety valve 24 is a valve that operates automatically in response to an increase in pressure in the cooking space S1. The safety valve 24 is positioned to seal the cooking space S1, and moves from the sealed position to the open position in response to the pressure in the cooking space S1 increasing above a predetermined pressure. The safety valve 24 prevents the cooking space S1 from becoming overpressurized.

[0047] The pressure reducing valve 26 is a valve that operates mainly under the control of the control unit 11. The pressure reducing valve 26 is movable between a sealing position where it seals the cooking space S1 and an open position where it is open to atmospheric pressure, and the position of the pressure reducing valve 26 is controlled by the control unit 11. A valve drive unit 40 is provided above the pressure reducing valve 26, and the control unit 11 drives the valve drive unit 40 to control the position of the pressure reducing valve 26. The pressure reducing valve 26 may also be called a "pressure release valve" or a "pressure release valve."

[0048] 1 and 2, the cooking appliance 2 is further provided with handles 50. The handles 50 are provided as a pair on the left and right sides to allow the user to hold the cooking appliance 2. The handles 50 have a shape in which a portion of the upper end of the main body 8 and a portion of the lower end of the lid 10 each protrude horizontally.

[0049] The lid 10 of this embodiment is further provided with a pressure regulating valve for pressure cooking. Similar to the safety valve 24, the pressure regulating valve is positioned to seal the cooking space S1, and moves from the sealed position to the open position when the pressure in the cooking space S1 rises above a predetermined pressure (a pressure lower than the predetermined pressure of the safety valve 24). The pressure regulating valve is a valve that operates during normal use and has the function of maintaining the cooking space S1 in a pressurized state of 1 atm or higher. Pressure cooking using the pressure regulating valve allows the food to be heated to a high temperature of 100°C or higher, accelerating the cooking process and shortening the cooking time.

[0050] The cooking device 2 having the above configuration performs a predetermined cooking process according to a cooking menu set by the operation unit 6. When performing the cooking process, the cooking device 2 controls the driving of the heater 9 and the like based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 7, with the set temperature according to each cooking menu as the target temperature.

[0051] An example of the cooking process performed by the cooking device 2 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0052] Fig. 6 is a graph showing an example of temperature transition during the cooking process using the cooking device 2 of this embodiment. In Fig. 6, the horizontal axis represents "time" and the vertical axis represents "temperature" and "heater driving power." The heater driving power is the power value applied to drive the heater 9. In Fig. 6, the detected temperature of the temperature sensor 7 is shown by a solid line, the estimated temperature of the food material is shown by a dotted line, and the heater driving power is shown by a bar graph.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 6, control unit 11 sets a predetermined set temperature Ts according to the selected cooking menu, and then executes a heating process in which power is continuously supplied to heater 9 so as to raise the temperature detected by temperature sensor 7 toward set temperature Ts. Heater drive power Ws is set to a predetermined power value according to the selected cooking menu. During the heating process, container 4 is strongly heated, and the food stored in container 4 is also strongly heated by heat transfer from container 4 and radiant heat from heater 9. During the heating process, both the temperature detected by temperature sensor 7 (solid line) and the temperature of the food (dotted line) rise.

[0054] When the detected temperature reaches the set temperature Ts, the control unit 11 executes a temperature adjustment process that controls the ON / OFF of the heater 9 so as to maintain the detected temperature at the set temperature Ts. The heater driving power Ws is set, for example, to the same power value as in the temperature rising process. After starting the temperature adjustment process, the temperature adjustment process ends when a predetermined set time has elapsed. This executes a cooking process that includes the temperature rising process and the temperature adjustment process.

[0055] The example shown in Figure 6 illustrates a "manual cooking menu" in which the user can set various heating conditions. In the manual cooking menu, in addition to the "set time" which is the duration of the temperature adjustment process, the "heating intensity" (heating setting) which is an indicator of the intensity at which the ingredients are heated can be set. In this embodiment, three levels of heating intensity, "strong," "medium," and "weak," can be selected on the operation unit 6.

[0056] When one cooking menu is selected from multiple available manual cooking menus, and one heating intensity is selected from multiple heating intensities, the control unit 11 determines the heater drive power Ws and set temperature Ts to be used in the cooking process according to the selected cooking menu and heating intensity.

[0057] FIG. 7 is a table showing heater drive power Ws according to heating intensity selected for a manual cooking menu.

[0058] 7, when the heating intensity is "high," the heater drive power Ws is set to W1, when the heating intensity is "medium," the heater drive power Ws is set to W2, and when the heating intensity is "low," the heater drive power Ws is set to W3, where W1 > W2 > W3.

[0059] As shown in Figure 7, the heater drive power Ws is set to increase as the selected heating intensity increases. The table shown in Figure 7 is commonly applied to multiple manual cooking menus, and the specific power values ​​may differ for each cooking menu. Note that the relationship W1 > W2 > W3 is not limited to W1 > W2 > W3, and W1 ≥ W2 ≥ W3 may also be true. Note that the heater drive power Ws is the average drive power per unit time.

[0060] Fig. 8 is a table showing the set temperature Ts according to the heating intensity selected for the manual cooking menu. The table shown in Fig. 8 is applied to a specific manual cooking menu (hereinafter referred to as "manual cooking menu A") among multiple types of manual cooking menus.

[0061] In the example shown in Figure 8, when the heating intensity is "high," the set temperature Ts is set to T1, when the heating intensity is "medium," the set temperature Ts is set to T2, and when the heating intensity is "low," the set temperature Ts is set to T3, where T1 > T2 > T3.

[0062] As shown in Fig. 8, the higher the selected heating intensity, the higher the set temperature Ts. The manual cooking menu A in this embodiment includes, for example, "stewing cooking" for stewing ingredients and "normal heating cooking" for normal heating / extended heating of ingredients.

[0063] Stewing can be performed only when the lid 10 is closed (lid closed state), whereas normal heating can be performed both when the lid 10 is closed and when the lid 10 is open (lid open state).

[0064] Comparing cooking with the lid closed and cooking with the lid open, cooking with the lid closed is more likely to result in a higher internal temperature of the container 4, and accordingly, the temperature of other parts of the cooker 2 (for example, the handle 50) is also more likely to rise. For cooking menus with a particularly high set temperature Ts among the multiple manual cooking menus, the entire cooker 2 becomes hot when cooking with the lid closed, which can cause the handle 50, which is likely to be touched by the user, to become excessively hot. To prevent this, the cooker 2 of this embodiment applies the table of set temperatures Ts shown in FIG. 9 instead of the table of set temperatures Ts shown in FIG. 8 for a manual cooking menu with an especially high set temperature Ts (referred to as manual cooking menu B).

[0065] FIG. 9 is a table showing the set temperature Ts according to the heating intensity and the open / closed state of the lid 10, to be applied to the manual cooking menu B.

[0066] In the example shown in Figure 9, when the heating intensity is set to the highest "high," a different set temperature Ts is applied depending on whether the lid 10 is open or closed. Specifically, set temperature T4 is applied when the lid is open, and set temperature T5 is applied when the lid is closed. Here, T4 > T5. In other words, set temperature Ts is changed so that set temperature T5 when the lid is closed is relatively lower than set temperature T4 when the lid is open.

[0067] By changing the set temperature Ts in this way, when the highest heating intensity is set for manual cooking menu B, which has a higher set temperature Ts than the other cooking menus, setting the set temperature Ts with the lid closed relatively low can prevent the temperature of parts that are likely to be touched by the user, such as the handle 50, from becoming excessively high, thereby improving safety.

[0068] When the heating intensity is "medium" or "low," the same set temperatures T6 and T7 are applied regardless of whether the lid 10 is open or closed. When the heating intensity is "medium" or "low," the set temperatures T6 and T7 are low, so the handle 50 and other parts do not become excessively hot even when the lid is closed. For this reason, it is not necessary to change the set temperature Ts depending on whether the lid 10 is open or closed.

[0069] In the example shown in FIG. 9, T4>T5≧T6>T7.

[0070] As can be seen from the relationship T5 ≥ T6, the set temperature T5 with the lid closed when the heating intensity is "high" is set to a temperature equal to or higher than the set temperature T6 when the heating intensity is "medium." Even if the set temperature T5 with the lid closed when the heating intensity is "high" is set relatively lower than the set temperature T4 with the lid open, by setting it so that it does not fall below the set temperature T6 when the heating intensity is "medium," it is possible to prevent a reversal of the set temperatures and perform heating at the heating intensity intended by the user.

[0071] Even if the set temperatures T5 and T6 are set to the same temperature, because there is a difference in the heater drive power Ws shown in the table of Figure 7, the food can be heated more strongly when the heating intensity is set to "strong" than when it is set to "medium," thereby ensuring a difference in heating intensity.

[0072] In this embodiment, manual cooking menu B includes a "stir-fry" option for stir-frying ingredients. For stir-frying, for example, set temperature T4 is 190°C, set temperature T5 is 170°C, set temperature T6 is 150°C, and set temperature T7 is 130°C. When the heating intensity is set to "high," the heater drive power Ws is, for example, 1280 W, regardless of whether the lid 10 is open or closed.

[0073] In the case of stir-frying, the original set temperature Ts when the heating intensity is set to "high" is high, so when cooking with the lid closed, the temperature inside the container 4 rises, and not only the ingredients in contact with the surface of the container 4 but also the ingredients not in contact with the container 4 are heated efficiently. Therefore, even if the set temperature Ts is relatively lowered, the cooking result can be maintained at the same level as when cooking with the lid open. By cooking with the lid closed, energy savings can be expected, and when stir-frying, oil splashing can be prevented. Although the state inside the container 4 cannot be seen when cooking with the lid closed, the cooking device has a stirring function using the stirring blade 5 and a temperature control function, and cooking is completed automatically after the cooking start command is given, allowing the user to perform other tasks after adding ingredients.

[0074] This is not limited to the case where the set temperature T4 is 190°C as in the example described above, but rather when the set temperature is 150°C or higher, the handle 50 is likely to become excessively hot during cooking with the lid closed. Therefore, when the set temperature T4 for the lid-open state is set to 150°C or higher, the same effect can be achieved by changing the set temperature T5 for the lid-closed state to a relatively lower value, as in the table of Figure 9.

[0075] Furthermore, for manual cooking menu C, which is different from manual cooking menu B described above, the cooking device 2 of this embodiment determines the set temperature Ts using a table different from that shown in FIG.

[0076] 10 and 11 are tables showing the set temperatures Ts according to the heating intensity and the open / closed state of the lid 10, to be applied to the manual cooking menu C.

[0077] FIG. 10 shows a table to be applied when the target ingredient of the manual cooking menu C is ingredient X, and FIG. 11 shows a table to be applied when the target ingredient of the manual cooking menu C is ingredient Y, which is different from ingredient X.

[0078] The manual cooking menu C in this embodiment is a boiling cooking menu for boiling down ingredients. In the boiling cooking menu, the set temperature Ts when the heating intensity is set to "high" is relatively high, and the target ingredient may be an ingredient X (e.g., curry) that contains a lot of water and contains starch and oil, or a highly viscous ingredient Y (e.g., jam).

[0079] In the case of food X, which has a high moisture content and low viscosity, if cooking is performed with the lid closed and the set temperature Ts set to a high temperature, the moisture will boil and form a film on the surface, which will easily boil over to the outside of the container 4. On the other hand, in the case of food Y, which has a high viscosity, if cooking is performed with the lid open and the set temperature Ts set to a high temperature, food Y will easily splash to the outside.

[0080] The control is performed to selectively use the table shown in Fig. 10 (first setting) and the table shown in Fig. 11 (second setting) depending on the characteristics of the ingredients X and Y. The ingredients X and Y can be selected when the manual cooking menu C is selected on the operation unit 6.

[0081] In the table shown in Figure 10 for food ingredient X, when the heating intensity is "high," the set temperature T8 is applied when the lid is open, and the set temperature T9 is applied when the lid is closed. Here, T8 > T9, and the set temperature Ts is changed so that the set temperature T9 when the lid is closed is relatively lower than the set temperature T8 when the lid is open.

[0082] By changing the set temperature Ts in this way, it is possible to prevent the food material X from boiling over during cooking with the lid closed when the heating intensity is set to "high."

[0083] When the heating intensity is "medium" or "low," the same set temperatures T10 and T11 are applied regardless of whether the lid 10 is open or closed. When the heating intensity is "medium" or "low," the set temperatures T10 and T11 are low, so the temperature inside the container 4 does not become excessively hot even when the lid is closed, and the food ingredient X is less likely to boil over. In the example shown in FIG. 10, T8 > T9 ≥ T10 > T11.

[0084] In the case of simmering cooking, for example, the set temperature T8 is 110° C., the set temperature T9 is 105° C., the set temperature T10 is 100° C., and the set temperature T11 is 95° C. When the heating intensity is set to “high,” the heater drive power Ws is, for example, 880 W regardless of whether the lid 10 is open or closed.

[0085] In the table shown in Figure 11 for food ingredient Y, when the heating intensity is "high," the set temperature T12 is applied when the lid is open, and the set temperature T13 is applied when the lid is closed. Here, T13>T12, and unlike the table shown in Figure 10, the set temperature Ts is changed so that the set temperature T12 when the lid is open is relatively lower than the set temperature T13 when the lid is closed.

[0086] By changing the set temperature Ts in this way, it is possible to prevent the food material Y from scattering during cooking with the lid open when the heating intensity is set to "high."

[0087] When the heating intensity is "medium" or "weak," the same set temperatures T14 and T15 are applied regardless of whether the lid 10 is open or closed, as in the table shown in Figure 10. In the example shown in Figure 11, T13 > T12 ≥ T14 > T15.

[0088] In the case of simmering cooking, for example, the set temperature T12 is 105° C., the set temperature T13 is 110° C., the set temperature T14 is 100° C., and the set temperature T15 is 95° C. When the heating intensity is set to “high,” the heater drive power Ws is, for example, 1000 W regardless of whether the lid 10 is open or closed.

[0089] As described above, in the case of simmering, when the heating intensity is set to "high," the set temperatures T8, T9, T12, and T13 are all 100°C or higher. When the set temperature is 100°C or higher, ingredient X is likely to boil over when cooking with the lid closed, and ingredient Y is likely to splash when cooking with the lid open. However, changing the set temperature Ts shown in Figures 10 and 11 can prevent these situations from occurring.

[0090] As described above, for the multiple manual cooking menus, the appropriate set temperature Ts can be applied by using the tables of set temperature Ts shown in Figures 8 to 11 depending on the specifications of each cooking menu and the ingredients to be cooked. In particular, for manual cooking menus B and C, which are compatible with both closed-lid cooking and open-lid cooking, changing the set temperature Ts depending on whether the lid 10 is open or closed when the highest heating intensity is set to "high" can prevent the handle 50 from becoming excessively hot and prevent ingredients X and Y from boiling over or splashing.

[0091] (Actions and Effects) As described above, the cooking device 2 of this embodiment comprises a container 4 for storing ingredients, a main body 8 for storing the container 4, a lid 10 that is arranged above the container 4 and can be opened and closed, a heater 9 (heating unit) for heating the container 4, a temperature sensor 7 (temperature detection unit) for detecting temperature, a lid opening / closing detection means 150 that detects the opening and closing of the lid 10, an operation unit 6 that allows the user to select and operate a cooking menu, and a control unit 11 that controls the heater 9 to target a predetermined set temperature Ts based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 7 in accordance with the cooking menu selected by the operation unit 6. The cooking menus selectable by the operation unit 6 include manual cooking menus for which the user can set the heating intensity, and the control unit 11 changes the set temperature Ts based on the detection result of the lid opening / closing detection means 150 when the cooking menu selected by the operation unit 6 is a specific manual cooking menu B or C and the heating intensity of the manual cooking menu B or C is set to a first heating intensity (e.g., "strong"), unlike when it is set to a second heating intensity (e.g., "medium" or "weak") that is lower than the first heating intensity.

[0092] With this type of cooking device 2, a more appropriate set temperature Ts can be applied depending on the open / closed state of the lid 10 and the heating intensity. For example, if a particular part of the cooking device 2 (such as the handle 50) becomes excessively hot during cooking with the lid closed, or if the temperature inside the container 4 becomes too high and food ingredient X is likely to boil over, the set temperature Ts when the lid is closed (e.g., T5, T9) may be changed to be lower than the set temperature Ts when the lid is open (e.g., T4, T8). Also, if highly viscous food ingredient Y, such as jam, is likely to splatter during cooking with the lid open, the set temperature Ts when the lid is open (e.g., T12) may be changed to be lower than the set temperature Ts when the lid is closed (e.g., T13).

[0093] Furthermore, in the cooker 2 of this embodiment, when the heating intensity for specific manual cooking menus B and C is set to a second heating intensity (e.g., "medium" or "low"), the control unit 11 uses the same set temperature Ts (e.g., T6, T7, T10, T11, T14, T15) regardless of the detection result of the lid open / close detection means 150. With this cooker 2, when the heating intensity for manual cooking menus B and C is set to a second heating intensity lower than the first heating intensity, the handle 50 of the cooker 2 and the like are unlikely to become excessively hot, and ingredients X and Y are unlikely to boil over or splash. Therefore, by using the same set temperature Ts regardless of whether the lid 10 is open or closed, ingredients can be heated at the desired heating intensity intended by the user.

[0094] Furthermore, in the cooker 2 of this embodiment, when the heating intensity for specific manual cooking menus B and C is set to a first heating intensity (e.g., "high"), the control unit 11 sets the set temperature Ts relatively low based on the open / close state of the lid 10 to a temperature (e.g., T5, T9, T12) that is equal to or higher than the set temperature Ts (e.g., T6, T10, T14) when the heating intensity is set to a second heating intensity (e.g., "medium" or "low"), when the heating intensity is set to a first heating intensity (e.g., "high"), by setting the set temperature Ts to a temperature equal to or higher than the set temperature Ts of the second heating intensity, heating processing according to the difference in heating intensity can be performed without causing a reversal of the set temperature Ts.

[0095] Furthermore, in the cooking device 2 of this embodiment, the drive power W1 of the heater 9 when set to a first heating intensity (e.g., "high") is higher than the drive powers W2 and W3 of the heater 9 when set to a second heating intensity (e.g., "medium" or "low"). With such a cooking device 2, because there is a difference in the drive power Ws, even if the set temperature Ts is relatively lowered at the first heating intensity and brought closer to the set temperature Ts at the second heating intensity, the heating process can be performed while maintaining a difference between the first heating intensity and the second heating intensity.

[0096] Furthermore, in the cooker 2 of this embodiment, the specific manual cooking menu includes a first manual cooking menu (e.g., manual cooking menus B and C), and when the heating intensity of the first manual cooking menu is set to a first heating intensity (e.g., "high"), the control unit 11 changes the set temperatures T5 and T9 when the lid is closed to be lower than the set temperatures T4 and T8 when the lid is open, based on the detection result of the lid open / close detection means 150. Such a cooker 2 can prevent parts such as the handle 50 of the cooker 2 from becoming excessively hot and prevent the food material X from boiling over during cooking with the lid closed.

[0097] Furthermore, in the cooker 2 of this embodiment, the first manual cooking menu includes a stir-fry cooking menu (manual cooking menu B) for stir-frying ingredients and a simmering cooking menu (manual cooking menu C) for simmering ingredients. With this cooker 2, for the stir-fry cooking menu, the set temperature Ts is set higher (e.g., 190°C) than for other cooking menus, so parts such as the handle 50 of the cooker are likely to become hot when cooking with the lid closed. Furthermore, for simmering cooking, ingredients X, which are high in moisture and contain starch and oils and fats, are heated at high temperatures with the lid closed, making it easy for the food to boil over. For this reason, for the stir-fry cooking menu and the simmering cooking menu, the set temperatures T5 and T9 when the lid is closed can be changed to be lower than the set temperatures T4 and T8 when the lid is open, thereby allowing the set temperature Ts to be set appropriately depending on whether the lid 10 is open or closed.

[0098] The first manual cooking menu is not limited to including both stir-fry and simmering menus, but may include at least one of stir-fry and simmering menus. Also, the first manual cooking menu may include cooking menus other than stir-fry and simmering menus.

[0099] Furthermore, in the cooking device 2 of this embodiment, the control unit 11 sets the set temperature T4 when the lid is open for the first manual cooking menu (for example, manual cooking menu B) to 150 degrees or higher (for example, 190 degrees). With this cooking device 2, when the set temperature Ts (for example, set temperature T4) is high, such as for a stir-fry cooking menu, at 150 degrees or higher, the set temperature T5 when the lid is closed can be changed to be lower than the set temperature T4 when the lid is open, thereby preventing parts such as the handle 50 from becoming excessively hot.

[0100] Furthermore, in the cooker 2 of this embodiment, the specific manual cooking menu includes a second manual cooking menu (for example, manual cooking menu C), and when the heating intensity of the second manual cooking menu is set to a first heating intensity (for example, "high"), the control unit 11 applies a first setting that makes the set temperature T9 when the lid is closed lower than the set temperature T8 when the lid is open, or a second setting that makes the set temperature T12 when the lid is open lower than the set temperature T13 when the lid is closed, based on the detection result of the lid open / close detection means 150. Such a cooker 2 can switch between the first setting and the second setting according to various conditions.

[0101] Furthermore, in the cooker 2 of this embodiment, the control unit 11 switches between the first setting and the second setting depending on the food ingredient of the second manual cooking menu (for example, manual cooking menu C). With this cooker 2, food ingredient X, which contains a lot of moisture including starch and oil, is likely to boil over when cooked with the lid closed, whereas food ingredient Y, which is highly viscous such as jam, is likely to splash when cooked with the lid open. By switching between the first setting and the second setting depending on the characteristics of such food ingredients X and Y, an appropriate set temperature Ts can be applied depending on the food ingredient.

[0102] Furthermore, in the cooker 2 of this embodiment, the second manual cooking menu (for example, manual cooking menu C) includes a boiling-down menu for boiling down ingredients X and Y. In such a cooker 2, the target ingredients for boiling down include curry, jam, etc., so by switching between the first setting and the second setting depending on the type of these ingredients, an appropriate set temperature Ts for the target ingredients can be applied.

[0103] Furthermore, in the cooking device 2 of this embodiment, the first heating intensity (e.g., "high") is the highest heating intensity among multiple selectable heating intensities (e.g., "high," "medium," and "low"). With such a cooking device 2, when the highest heating intensity is set, certain parts such as the handle 50 tend to become excessively hot, and ingredients are likely to boil over or splash. Under such circumstances, a more appropriate set temperature Ts can be applied by changing the set temperature Ts depending on whether the lid 10 is open or closed.

[0104] Furthermore, in the cooker 2 of this embodiment, when a third manual cooking menu (for example, manual cooking menu A) different from the specific manual cooking menus B and C is selected, the control unit 11 uses the same set temperatures T1, T2, T3 for each heating intensity (for example, "high," "medium," or "low") set in the operation unit 6, regardless of the detection result of the lid open / closed detection means 150. With such a cooker 2, control can be executed that does not change the set temperature Ts depending on the open / closed state of the lid 10, even for manual cooking menus that support both lid-closed cooking and lid-open cooking.

[0105] Furthermore, in the cooking device 2 of the present embodiment, the temperature sensor 7 is provided in the main body 8 and detects the temperature of the container 4. According to such a cooking device 2, by detecting the temperature of the container 4, the temperature of the food ingredients stored in the container 4 can be estimated with high accuracy.

[0106] Furthermore, in the cooker 2 of this embodiment, when the heating intensity for specific manual cooking menus B and C is set to a first intensity (for example, "high"), the set temperatures T4, T5, T8, T9, T12, and 13 are 100 degrees or higher. With such a cooker 2, cooking is performed at a high temperature, which can easily cause problems depending on the type of cooking menu and the ingredients being cooked (such as boiling over, splashing, and overheating of the handle 50). However, by changing the set temperature Ts depending on whether the lid 10 is open or closed, each of these problems can be solved.

[0107] Although the invention of the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the above-mentioned embodiments, the invention of the present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. For example, in the above-mentioned embodiments, the heating intensity is described as having three levels, namely, "strong," "medium," and "weak." However, the invention is not limited to this case, and any level may be used as long as it is two or more levels.

[0108] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the set temperature Ts is changed depending on whether the lid 10 is open or closed only when the heating intensity is "high," and the set temperature Ts is not changed when the heating intensity is "medium" or "low." However, this is not a limitation. For example, the set temperature Ts may be changed in the same way when the heating intensity is "medium" as well as when the heating intensity is "high," or the set temperature Ts may be changed for a plurality of heating intensities.

[0109] In the above embodiment, the temperature sensor 7 measures the temperature at the bottom of the container 4, but this is not limiting and the temperature may be measured at any position in the container 4. For example, a temperature sensor attached to the lid 10 may be used as the temperature detection unit so as to measure the temperature at the top of the container 4.

[0110] In the above embodiment, the heater drive power Ws is not changed depending on whether the lid 10 is open or closed, but this is not a limitation. The heater drive power Ws may also be changed in accordance with a change in the set temperature Ts. In this case, the heater drive power Ws may also be changed to a relatively lower value in accordance with a relatively lower set temperature Ts.

[0111] Although the present disclosure has been fully described in connection with the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, various variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such variations and modifications should be understood to be included within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims, unless they depart therefrom. Furthermore, changes in the combination and order of elements in each embodiment may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

[0112] By appropriately combining any of the various modifications of the above embodiment, it is possible to achieve the effects of each of the modifications. [Industrial Applicability]

[0113] The present disclosure is applicable to any cooking device that heats and cooks food. [Explanation of symbols]

[0114] 2 Cooker 4 containers 6 Control section 7 Temperature sensor (temperature detection part) 8 Main body 9 Heater (heating part) 10 Lid 11 Control section 150 Lid opening / closing detection means Ts Set temperature Ws Heater drive power

Claims

1. A container for storing ingredients; a main body that houses the container; a lid disposed above the container and capable of being opened and closed; a heating unit that heats the container; a temperature detection unit that detects a temperature; a lid opening / closing detection means for detecting whether the lid is open or closed; an operation unit for a user to select and operate a cooking menu; a control unit that controls the heating unit to a predetermined set temperature based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit in accordance with the cooking menu selected by the operation unit, The cooking menu selectable by the operation unit includes a manual cooking menu that allows a user to set a heating intensity, When the cooking menu selected by the operation unit is a specific manual cooking menu and the heating intensity of the manual cooking menu is set to a first heating intensity, the control unit changes the set temperature based on the detection result of the lid opening / closing detection means, unlike when the heating intensity is set to a second heating intensity lower than the first heating intensity, and when the heating intensity of the specific manual cooking menu is set to the second heating intensity, the control unit uses the same set temperature regardless of the detection result of the lid opening / closing detection means.

2. 2. The cooking device according to claim 1, wherein when the heating intensity of the specific manual cooking menu is set to the first heating intensity, the control unit sets the set temperature relatively low based on the detection result of the lid opening / closing detection means to a temperature equal to or higher than the set temperature when the heating intensity is set to the second heating intensity.

3. The cooking device according to claim 1 , wherein a drive power of the heating unit when set to the first heating intensity is higher than a drive power of the heating unit when set to the second heating intensity.

4. the specific manual cooking menu includes a first manual cooking menu, 2. The heating cooker according to claim 1, wherein, when the heating intensity of the first manual cooking menu is set to the first heating intensity, the control unit changes the set temperature when the lid is closed to be lower than the set temperature when the lid is open, based on the detection result of the lid opening / closing detection means.

5. The cooking device according to claim 4 , wherein the first manual cooking menu includes at least one of a stir-fry cooking menu for stir-frying the ingredients and a simmering cooking menu for simmering the ingredients.

6. The cooking device according to claim 4 , wherein the control unit sets the set temperature for the first manual cooking menu at the time of lid opening to 150° C. or higher.

7. the specific manual cooking menu includes a second manual cooking menu, 2. The heating cooker according to claim 1, wherein, when the heating intensity of the second manual cooking menu is set to the first heating intensity, the control unit applies, based on the detection result of the lid opening / closing detection means, a first setting that makes the set temperature when the lid is closed lower than the set temperature when the lid is open, or a second setting that makes the set temperature when the lid is open lower than the set temperature when the lid is closed.

8. The cooking device according to claim 7 , wherein the control unit switches between the first setting and the second setting depending on the target ingredients of the second manual cooking menu.

9. The cooking device according to claim 7 , wherein the second manual cooking menu includes a simmering cooking menu for simmering the ingredients.

10. The cooking device according to claim 1 , wherein the first heating intensity is the highest heating intensity among a plurality of selectable heating intensities.

11. 2. The heating cooker according to claim 1, wherein when a third manual cooking menu different from the specific manual cooking menu is selected, the control unit uses the same set temperature for each heating intensity set in the operation unit regardless of the detection result of the lid opening / closing detection means.

12. The cooking device according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature detection unit is provided in the main body and detects the temperature of the container.

13. The cooking device according to claim 1 , wherein the set temperature when the heating intensity for the specific manual cooking menu is set to the first heating intensity is 100 degrees or higher.

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