Heating Regulator

Abstract

To provide a cooker capable of obtaining a desired serving state (finished state) by a simple operation when thawing and heating a frozen food by using low-temperature steam.SOLUTION: A cooker 100 comprises: a cooking chamber 1 that houses an object to be heated 2; a steam generation heater 6 and a steam supply port 7 as a supply unit that supplies low-temperature steam into the cooking chamber 1; an operation panel 31 as an input unit into which information about the object to be heated 2 is input; and a control unit 30 that controls the supply unit based on the information about the object to be heated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3A

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a heating cooker that performs heating with superheated steam, and particularly relates to a heating cooker capable of thawing heating with low-temperature steam.

Background Art

[0002] The high-frequency heating cooking apparatus described in Patent Document 1 has a frozen food sequence for thawing and cooking frozen foods in addition to a thawing sequence and a warming sequence, and an operation unit for inputting operations includes a display means and a switching means for switching between these sequences. Accordingly, when thawing and cooking frozen foods, the frozen food sequence can be easily set via the switching means in accordance with the display, and the reference thawing cooking time displayed on the package of the frozen food can be directly input as the operation time without conversion.

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0003]

Patent Literature 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In thawing heating using low-temperature steam, which is a new heating method, different provision states (finished states) are originally required depending on the type of frozen food and other factors. For example, frozen cakes are required to be finished in a refrigerated state, frozen rolled sushi is required to be finished in a room-temperature state, and frozen bento boxes are required to be finished in a warm state. However, in actual practice, all are uniformly finished in a refrigerated state.

[0005] Frozen food packaging often displays the recommended thawing time for standard methods such as refrigeration, running water, room temperature, or microwave. However, it is rare to find information on the thawing temperature and time for thawing using low-temperature steam, and since simple conversions are not possible, it is difficult for users to determine the appropriate settings.

[0006] This disclosure aims to provide a cooking device that allows for the thawing and heating of frozen foods using low-temperature steam, enabling the acquisition of a desired serving state with simple operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The heating appliance of this disclosure comprises a heating chamber for containing an object to be heated, a supply unit for supplying low-temperature steam into the heating chamber, an input unit for receiving information about the object to be heated, and a control unit for controlling the supply unit based on the information about the object to be heated. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, when thawing and heating frozen food using low-temperature steam, the desired serving state can be obtained with simple operation, making it possible to serve the food at the ideal temperature immediately after thawing. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of a heating appliance 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the schematic electrical configuration of the heating appliance 100. [Figure 3A] This is an explanatory diagram showing a first example of thawing and heating using low-temperature steam. [Figure 3B] This is an explanatory diagram showing a second example of thawing and heating using low-temperature steam. [Figure 3C] This is an explanatory diagram showing a third example of thawing and heating using low-temperature steam. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts will be denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be repeated in the description.

[0011] (1) Basic configuration of the heating appliance 100 Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a heating appliance 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. This heating appliance 100 is configured to function as a microwave oven in addition to heating with superheated steam above 100°C, saturated steam at 100°C, or low-temperature steam below 100°C, but the magnetron 40 is not shown in Figure 1.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the cooking appliance 100 mainly consists of a cooking chamber 1 for containing food, a circulation fan 4 (for example, an axial flow type) installed in a circulation duct 20 located on the side of the chamber for circulating air inside the chamber, and a heater 5 for heating the air inside the chamber. Air intake ports 22 and outlet ports 23 for the air inside the chamber are opened at the top and bottom of the circulation duct 20. The food to be heated 2, which is contained in the cooking chamber 1, is placed on a mesh or dish-shaped food shelf 3 installed at the bottom of the chamber.

[0013] Furthermore, an outside air supply path 21 is connected to the upper part of the circulation duct 20, and a cooling fan 16 for drawing in outside air and a second on / off valve 17 are installed inside it. A steam supply port 7 is installed in the internal air circulation path within the circulation duct 20. Meanwhile, a water supply tank 8 is provided diagonally above the circulation duct 20, and the water in the water supply tank 8 is supplied to the steam generating heater 6 through the water flow path 11 below. The supplied water is heated by the steam generating heater 6 and ejected as steam from the steam supply port 7. Note that the steam generating heater 6 alone, or the steam generating heater 6 and the steam supply port 7, correspond to the "supply unit" in this disclosure.

[0014] During cooking, the second on-off valve 17 in the outside air supply path 21 closes, and saturated steam or superheated steam generated by the steam generating heater 6 is supplied into the circulation duct 20 from the steam supply port 7. The supplied steam is heated by the heater 5 in the circulation duct 20 and supplied into the chamber as high-temperature superheated steam. Specifically, the superheated steam is sent into the cooking chamber 1 from the outlet 23 at the bottom of the circulation duct 20 by the circulation fan 4, thereby heating the food items 2 on the food shelves 3. At this time, the food items 2 are efficiently cooked by convection heat transfer due to the high-temperature atmosphere and condensation heat transfer and radiant heat transfer of the superheated steam.

[0015] Next, during thawing and cooking, the second on-off valve 17 in the outside air supply path 21 opens, and outside air is blown into the chamber by the cooling fan 16. At the same time, saturated steam or superheated steam generated by the steam generating heater 6 is supplied into the circulation duct 20 from the steam supply port 7. The supplied steam is mixed with the outside air blown in from the outside air supply path 21 to become low-temperature saturated steam or superheated steam, which is supplied into the chamber in the same manner as described above. Then, mainly through the heat transfer of condensation of steam, the food to be heated 2 is efficiently heated and thawed.

[0016] Furthermore, since the ambient temperature varies depending on the location, time, and season of the cooking appliance, a temperature sensor 33 (not shown in Figure 1, see Figure 2) is installed inside the heating chamber 1 or inside the exhaust pipe 12a, which will be described later. Based on the detection signal from this temperature sensor 33, the rotation speed of the cooling fan 16 or the amount of steam supplied is controlled so that the steam reaches an appropriate temperature.

[0017] Furthermore, during both the heating and defrosting processes, when steam is supplied to the oven, excess air and excess steam pass through the discharge path 24 located on the bottom or lower side of the heating chamber 1, and through the drain container 19 located further below, and are exhausted through the exhaust pipe 12a installed on the side opposite to the circulation duct 20, and then out through the exhaust port 12.

[0018] Further, the bottom surface of the heating cooking chamber 1 is inclined such that the discharge path 24 is located at the lowest position. Water vapor condensed during cooking and moisture released from food flow along the inclination of the bottom surface of the heating cooking chamber 1, pass through the discharge path 24, and are stored in the detachable drainage container 19. The stored drainage can be drained from the drainage outlet 18 at an appropriate time.

[0019] Furthermore, a first opening / closing valve 15 is arranged in the discharge path 24. Here, the first opening / closing valve 15 is kept closed for the entire cooking time or a predetermined time period; during this period, new steam supply is stopped, and water vapor present in the chamber is circulated. This reduces the amount of water supply required for steam generation. After cooking is completed, the first opening / closing valve 15 is opened to drain water into the drainage container 19.

[0020] (2) General Electrical Configuration of Heating Cooker 100 Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the general electrical configuration of the heating cooker 100.

[0021] As shown in Figure 2, in addition to the above-described circulation fan 4, heater 5, steam generation heater 6, cooling fan 16, and temperature sensor 33, the heating cooker 100 includes a control unit 30, an operation panel 31, a voice input unit 32, a voice output unit 34, a non-volatile memory 35, and a magnetron 40.

[0022] The control unit 30 controls each part of the heating cooker 100. The control unit 30 may include a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and execute computer programs stored in the non-volatile memory 35.

[0023] The control panel 31 is an operating component for performing various operations on the cooking appliance 100, and for example, it has a defrost key 31b for starting defrost heating. Furthermore, the control panel 31 has a display screen 31a that displays various information and status of the cooking appliance 100. The control panel 31 is not limited to, but may include, a touch panel display using liquid crystal or organic electroluminescence (OLED). Various operations on this control panel 31 are input to the control unit 30. Various displays on this control panel 31 are controlled by the control unit 30.

[0024] The voice input unit 32 includes a microphone 32a for inputting voice and a voice recognition unit 32b for recognizing the voice input to the microphone 32a. The voice recognition unit 32b transmits the recognition result to the control unit 30. As a result, the voice commands spoken by the user to the cooking appliance 100 are input to the control unit 30.

[0025] The audio output unit 34 includes an audio synthesis unit 34a and a speaker 34b, and outputs notifications such as the completion of cooking, various operation guidance, and warnings to the user as notification sounds or synthesized voices from the speaker 34b.

[0026] The non-volatile memory 35 is a rewritable memory that can retain its contents even when power is not supplied, and is not limited to flash memory. Various setting information is stored in this non-volatile memory 35, and if the control unit 30 includes a CPU, it may also store the computer program for the CPU.

[0027] The magnetron 40 outputs microwaves to heat the object to be heated 2 by dielectric heating, causing the cooking appliance 100 to function as a microwave oven.

[0028] (3) Example of thawing and heating operation using low-temperature steam Figure 3A is an explanatory diagram showing the first example of thawing and heating using low-temperature steam, Figure 3B is an explanatory diagram showing the second example of the operation, and Figure 3C is an explanatory diagram showing the third example of the operation.

[0029] (3-1) Sashimi For example, suppose the frozen food to be thawed and cooked is sashimi, and the thawing method and recommended thawing time indicated on the package is "running water" for 1 hour. The thawing method can be, for example, in the refrigerator, running water, at room temperature, or in a microwave, and can also be considered as the thawing temperature. In this case, the recommended thawing method and thawing time is an example of "information on the food to be heated" as described in this disclosure.

[0030] As shown in Figure 3A, when you touch the defrost key 31b, a prompt will appear on the display screen 31a asking you to select a defrosting method and input the defrosting time. Touch "Running water" to select it and enter 1 hour 00 minutes as the defrosting time. Next, a prompt will appear on the display screen 31a asking you to select the desired finished temperature range (refrigerated, room temperature, or warm). Touch "Refrigerated".

[0031] The display screen 31a then shows the set temperature for low-temperature steam (55°C) and the thawing heating time (30 minutes), and the thawing process begins under those conditions. After the thawing process is complete, the sashimi is refrigerated and ready to eat.

[0032] (3-2) Frozen cake For example, suppose the frozen food you want to thaw and cook is a frozen cake, and the thawing method and recommended thawing time listed on its package is 24 hours in the refrigerator.

[0033] As shown in Figure 3B, when you touch the defrost key 31b, a prompt will appear on the display screen 31a asking you to select the defrosting method and input the defrosting time. Touch "Refrigerator" to select it and enter 24 hours and 00 minutes as the defrosting time. Next, a prompt will appear on the display screen 31a asking you to select the desired finished temperature range (refrigerated, room temperature, or warm). Touch "Refrigerated".

[0034] The display screen 31a then shows the set temperature for low-temperature steam (50°C) and the thawing heating time (1 hour 30 minutes), and the thawing process begins under those conditions. After the thawing process is complete, the frozen cake is refrigerated and ready to eat.

[0035] (3-3) Rolled sushi For example, suppose the frozen food you want to thaw and cook is sushi rolls, and the thawing method and recommended thawing time listed on the package is 24 hours in the refrigerator.

[0036] As shown in Figure 3C, when you touch the defrost key 31b, a prompt will appear on the display screen 31a asking you to select the defrosting method and input the defrosting time. Touch "Refrigerator" to select it and enter 24 hours and 00 minutes as the defrosting time. Next, a prompt will appear on the display screen 31a asking you to select the desired finished temperature range (refrigerated, room temperature, or warm). Touch "Room temperature".

[0037] The display screen 31a then shows the set temperature for low-temperature steam (60°C) and the thawing heating time (1 hour 50 minutes), and the thawing process begins under those conditions. After the thawing process is complete, the sushi roll is at room temperature and can be eaten immediately.

[0038] In this manner, once the thawing method and thawing time have been selected and the desired temperature range has been selected, the control unit 30 determines the control method for frozen cooking. Specifically, it determines the thawing conditions, such as the set temperature of the low-temperature steam and the thawing heating time, and starts the thawing cooking process, while also displaying the determined control method on the operation panel 31. In this case, the operation panel 31 corresponds to the "display unit" in this disclosure. The desired temperature range is an example of the "serving state" in this disclosure.

[0039] To achieve this, for example, the most appropriate low-temperature steam setting temperature and thawing heating time can be calculated in advance for each possible combination of thawing method, thawing time, and finished temperature range, and stored in the non-volatile memory 35 in the form of a table or similar. This is because the control unit 30 can read it from the non-volatile memory 35 when needed. In this case, the non-volatile memory 35 corresponds to the "storage unit" in this disclosure.

[0040] Furthermore, the control panel 31 may display not only the determined control method, but also, for example, an estimate of the defrosting time for other defrosting methods. The information necessary for this display can be stored in the non-volatile memory 35 beforehand. [Industrial applicability]

[0041] This disclosure can be used in cooking appliances and other devices that perform thawing and heating using low-temperature steam. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 1 Cooking chamber 2 Object to be heated 3 Food shelves 4. Circulation fan 5 Heater 6. Steam-generating heater 7. Steam supply port 8. Water tank 11. Water flow paths 12 Exhaust vents 12a Exhaust pipe 15. First shut-off valve 16 Cooling Fans 17. Second shut-off valve 18 Drain 19 Drain container 20 Circulation duct 21. Outside air supply path 22 Inlet 23 air outlets 24 Emission Routes 30 Control Unit 31 Control Panel 32 Voice input section 33 Temperature Sensor 34 Audio output section 35 Non-volatile memory 40 Magnetron

Claims

1. A cooking chamber for containing the food to be heated, A supply unit that supplies low-temperature steam into the aforementioned heating chamber, An input unit into which information about the object to be heated regarding the thawing of the object to be heated is input, The system includes a control unit which determines a control method for the supply unit based on the information of the object to be heated, and controls the supply unit based on the control method to perform thawing and cooking using low-temperature steam, The control unit, A cooking appliance that determines the set temperature of the low-temperature steam and the thawing heating time based on a pre-stored correspondence relationship corresponding to information on thawing methods other than thawing by low-temperature steam and the corresponding thawing time, which are input as information on the object to be heated to the input unit, and then performs thawing cooking by low-temperature steam.

2. The heating appliance according to claim 1, wherein the information of the object to be heated further includes a finished temperature range, and the finished temperature range is selected from three states: refrigerated, room temperature, and warm.

3. The system further includes an audio input unit having a microphone into which audio is input, and an audio recognition unit that recognizes the audio input to the microphone, The cooking appliance according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the voice input unit transmits the recognition result from the voice recognition unit to the control unit as information about the object to be heated.

4. The heating appliance according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising a display unit that displays the control method determined by the control unit.

5. The heating appliance according to claim 4, wherein the control unit starts the defrosting cooking and displays the set temperature and the defrosting heating time on the display unit.

6. A cooking appliance according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a storage unit for storing an appropriate control method corresponding to the information of the object to be heated that can be anticipated.

Images