Cooker and cooking system

Abstract

A cooker according to the present disclosure comprises a heating chamber, a heating unit, an operation unit, and a control unit. An object to be heated can be placed in the heating chamber. The heating unit is installed within the heating chamber and operates in a preheating mode and a cooking mode. The operation unit is operated by a user in order to start heating. The control unit controls the heating unit to execute the preheating mode and the cooking mode. Furthermore, the control unit can start the preheating mode in response to an operation performed by the user with respect to the operation unit, and can start the preheating mode before the user operates the operation unit.

Description

Cooking appliance and cooking system

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cooking device that heats food in a heating chamber by radiant heat, and a cooking system that includes the cooking device.

[0002] Conventionally, among this type of cooking device, there exists a cooking device having a function of preheating a heating chamber (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] JP 2011-158166 A

[0004] In the conventional cooking devices described above, there is still room for improvement in the technology for shortening the cooking time from when the user places the food to be heated in the heating chamber until the heating is completed without always preheating the food. The purpose of the present disclosure is to propose one method for solving the above problem.

[0005] A cooking device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a heating chamber, a heating unit, an operating unit, and a control unit. The heating chamber can accommodate an object to be heated. The heating unit is installed within the heating chamber and operates in a preheating mode and a cooking mode. The operating unit is operated by a user to start heating. The control unit controls the heating unit to execute the preheating mode and the cooking mode.

[0006] Furthermore, the control unit can start the preheating mode in response to a user's operation on the operation unit, and can also start the preheating mode before the user operates the operation unit.

[0007] According to this aspect, the cooking time from when the user places the food to be heated in the heating chamber until the heating is completed can be shortened without always requiring preheating, thereby reducing the power consumption of the cooking appliance.

[0008] Fig. 1 is an external perspective view of a cooking device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the cooking device according to the embodiment with the door open. Fig. 3 is a front view of the cooking device according to the embodiment with the door open. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view in the front-rear direction of the cooking device according to the embodiment with the door closed. Fig. 5 is a front view of a convection device installed in the cooking device according to the embodiment. Fig. 6 is a block diagram of a cooking system according to the embodiment. Fig. 7 is a schematic plan view of a convenience store equipped with a cooking system according to the embodiment.

[0009] A cooking device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes a heating chamber, a heating unit, an operating unit, and a control unit. The heating chamber can accommodate an object to be heated. The heating unit is installed in the heating chamber and operates in a preheating mode and a cooking mode. The operating unit is operated by a user to start heating. The control unit controls the heating unit to execute the preheating mode and the cooking mode.

[0010] Furthermore, the control unit can start the preheating mode in response to a user's operation on the operation unit, and can also start the preheating mode before the user operates the operation unit.

[0011] According to this aspect, the cooking time from when the user places the food to be heated in the heating chamber until the heating is completed can be shortened without always requiring preheating, thereby reducing the power consumption of the cooking appliance.

[0012] A cooking device according to a second aspect of the present disclosure further includes a clock unit that provides time information in addition to the first aspect, wherein the operation unit can set a predetermined time, and the control unit starts the preheating mode at the predetermined time set by the operation unit based on the time information.

[0013] According to this aspect, when a cooking appliance is used in a store such as a convenience store or supermarket, the cooking appliance can start the preheating mode during the time period when customers who are users of the cooking appliance use the cooking appliance most frequently. This eliminates the need for constant preheating and shortens the cooking time from when the user places the food to be heated in the heating chamber until heating is complete. This reduces the power consumption of the cooking appliance.

[0014] In a cooking device according to a third aspect of the present disclosure, in addition to the first aspect, the control unit can obtain time information and a predetermined time from an external source via wireless communication, and the control unit starts the preheating mode at the predetermined time based on the time information obtained from the external source.

[0015] According to this aspect, when a cooking appliance is used in a store such as a convenience store or supermarket, the cooking appliance can start the preheating mode during the time period when customers who are users of the cooking appliance use the cooking appliance most frequently. This eliminates the need for constant preheating and shortens the cooking time from when the user places the food to be heated in the heating chamber until heating is complete. This reduces the power consumption of the cooking appliance.

[0016] A cooking device according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure further includes a door that can be opened and closed, in addition to any one of the first to third aspects. The control unit starts preheating when the door is opened.

[0017] According to this aspect, the cooking time from when the user places the food to be heated in the heating chamber until the heating is completed can be shortened without always requiring preheating, thereby reducing the power consumption of the cooking appliance.

[0018] A cooking system according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure includes the cooker according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, an imaging unit, and an imaging target recognition unit that recognizes an imaging target captured by the imaging unit. When the imaging target recognition unit determines that a user has picked up an object to be heated by the cooker (specifically, by radiant heating), the cooker starts a preheating mode.

[0019] According to this aspect, the cooking time from when the user places the food to be heated in the heating chamber until the heating is completed can be shortened without always requiring preheating, thereby reducing the power consumption of the cooking appliance.

[0020] A cooking system according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure includes the cooker according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, an imaging unit, and an imaging target recognition unit that recognizes an imaging target obtained by the imaging unit. When the imaging target recognition unit recognizes a user, the cooker starts a preheating mode.

[0021] According to this aspect, the cooking time from when the user places the food to be heated in the heating chamber until the heating is completed can be shortened without always requiring preheating, thereby reducing the power consumption of the cooking appliance.

[0022] A cooking system according to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure includes the cooker according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, a human presence sensor that detects a user, and an alarm unit that notifies by voice that the human presence sensor has detected the user. The cooker further includes a voice recognition unit that recognizes voice, and starts a preheat mode in response to recognition of the voice by the voice recognition unit.

[0023] According to this aspect, the cooking time from when the user places the food to be heated in the heating chamber until the heating is completed can be shortened without always requiring preheating, thereby reducing the power consumption of the cooking appliance.

[0024] A cooking system according to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure includes a cooking device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects and a Point of Sale (POS) terminal. The cooking device is capable of wireless communication with the POS terminal. When a user pays for an item to be heated at the POS terminal, the cooking device starts a preheating mode.

[0025] According to this aspect, the cooking time from when the user places the food to be heated in the heating chamber until the heating is completed can be shortened without always requiring preheating, thereby reducing the power consumption of the cooking appliance.

[0026] Hereinafter, a cooking device and a cooking system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] (Embodiment) A cooking device 10 according to this embodiment is a commercial microwave oven capable of performing microwave heating, grill heating, and convection heating, and is used in stores such as convenience stores and fast food restaurants. Cooking device 10 may also be a convection oven capable of performing only convection heating. Cooking device 10 has a maximum output of, for example, 2000 W, and is capable of switching the output power in multiple stages.

[0028] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a cooking appliance 10 with a door 3 installed on the front side closed. Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 are a perspective view and a front view, respectively, showing the cooking appliance 10 with the door 3 open. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view in the front-rear direction of the cooking appliance 10 with the door 3 closed.

[0029] 1 and 2, the cooking appliance 10 includes a main body 1, a machine compartment 2, and a door 3. The machine compartment 2 is disposed below the main body 1 and supports the main body 1. A removable front grill panel 12 is installed in front of the machine compartment 2.

[0030] A heating chamber 4 is formed inside the main body 1. The heating chamber 4 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped space with a front opening for placing an object to be heated inside. The door 3 is disposed on the front of the main body 1 and covers the front opening of the heating chamber 4 in an openable and closable manner.

[0031] In this embodiment, the side of the main body 1 on which the door 3 is located is defined as the front of the cooking appliance 10, and the opposite side is defined as the rear of the cooking appliance 10. The right side of the cooking appliance 10 when viewed from the front is defined as the right side of the cooking appliance 10, and the left side of the cooking appliance 10 when viewed from the front is defined as the left side of the cooking appliance 10. The vertically upward side is defined as the upper side of the cooking appliance 10, and the opposite side is defined as the lower side of the cooking appliance 10.

[0032] The door 3 is attached to the main body 1 by a hinge installed below the front opening of the heating chamber 4. The door 3 can be opened and closed vertically using a handle 5 installed on the door 3. When the door 3 is closed, the heating chamber 4 becomes an enclosed space for heating an object to be heated placed inside using microwaves or the like. The cooking appliance 10 has a door switch 44 (see FIG. 6 described later) for detecting whether the door 3 is open or closed.

[0033] In this embodiment, an operation unit 6 is installed on the front right side of the main body 1. The operation unit 6 includes operation keys 6b for setting cooking conditions and a display unit 6a. A control unit 50 (see FIG. 6) including a microcomputer is installed within the main body 1 behind the operation unit 6. The control unit 50 receives signals from the operation keys 6b and controls the display unit 6a.

[0034] As shown in Figure 2, a ceramic tray 7 and a stainless steel wire rack 8 are detachably arranged in the heating chamber 4. Specifically, the tray 7 is made of cordierite. Cordierite is a material consisting of 2MgO.2Al ２ O ３ 5SiO ２ It is a ceramic having the following composition.

[0035] The wire rack 8 is a mounting member made of a mesh material on which the object to be heated is placed. The wire rack 8 allows hot air to be circulated efficiently not only above the object to be heated but also below the object to be heated. The tray 7 is placed below the wire rack 8 to catch grease and other drippings from the object to be heated.

[0036] As shown in Figure 4, the machine room 2 accommodates a magnetron 35, an inverter 36, and a cooling fan 37. The magnetron 35 is a microwave generating unit that generates microwaves. The inverter 36 is controlled by a control unit 50 (see Figure 6) to drive the magnetron 35. The cooling fan 37 is controlled by the control unit 50 (see Figure 6) to cool the inside of the machine room 2.

[0037] The microwaves generated by the magnetron 35 are transmitted through a waveguide (not shown) and radiated into the heating chamber 4 through a microwave radiation hole (not shown) formed in the waveguide and an opening (not shown) formed in the bottom surface of the heating chamber 4. The stirrer 32 is controlled by the control unit 50 (see FIG. 6 ) and stirs the microwaves radiated into the heating chamber 4. In this way, the cooking appliance 10 microwaves the object to be heated placed in the heating chamber 4.

[0038] The cooking appliance 10 has a grill heater 38, which is a radiant heating unit, installed near the ceiling of the heating chamber 4. In this embodiment, the grill heater 38 is, for example, a sheathed heater, and is an example of a heating unit according to this embodiment. The control unit controls the grill heater 38 to perform grill heating. In grill heating, an object to be heated placed in the heating chamber 4 is radiantly heated by radiant heat from the grill heater 38.

[0039] 3 and 4 , the cooking appliance 10 has a convection device 30 that is installed behind the rear wall 31 of the heating chamber 4 and that performs convection heating on an object to be heated. The convection device 30 draws air from inside the heating chamber 4 through the center of the rear wall 31, heats the drawn-in air, and blows the heated air as hot air from the bottom of the rear wall 31 into the heating chamber 4. The hot air supplied to the heating chamber 4 becomes a circulating flow within the heating chamber 4.

[0040] The convection device 30 has a temperature sensor (not shown), such as a thermistor, that detects the temperature of the space within the convection device 30. The control unit controls the convection device 30 in accordance with information from the temperature sensor.

[0041] The cooking device 10 can perform microwave heating, radiant heating, and convection heating separately, or can perform at least two of these three types of heating simultaneously.

[0042] 4, in the present embodiment, cooking appliance 10 is provided with two magnetrons 35 with a total output of 1200 W to 1300 W. Cooking appliance 10 is therefore provided with, in machine chamber 2, two waveguides that transmit microwaves from the two magnetrons 35, two inverters 36 for driving the two magnetrons 35, and a cooling fan 37 for cooling magnetrons 35 and inverter 36.

[0043] Furthermore, a total of four cooling fans 37 are installed in the machine room 2, with two cooling fans 37 cooling one set of magnetrons 35 and one set of inverters 36. The cooling fans 37 cool the inverters 36, magnetrons 35, etc. by drawing in outside air from the front grill panel 12 installed in front of the machine room 2 and sending it rearward. Furthermore, a power supply circuit board and another cooling fan (not shown) for cooling the power supply circuit board are installed.

[0044] In this embodiment, the four cooling fans 37 and the cooling fan for the power supply circuit board are configured as multi-blade fans, and are arranged so that their rotation axes are aligned in a straight line.

[0045] The air sent out by the cooling fan travels rearward through the machine chamber 2, rises through an exhaust duct located on the back of the main body 1, travels forward through the space between the ceiling of the heating chamber 4 and the top wall of the main body 1, and is exhausted from the front of the main body 1. This prevents the main body 1 from becoming too hot.

[0046] The internal structure of the cooking device 10 will be described in more detail below with reference to FIG.

[0047] 4, the tray holder 22 is made of a ceramic plate material that allows microwaves to pass through, and is installed on the bottom surface of the heating chamber 4. The tray 7 is placed on the tray holder 22.

[0048] The stirrer 32 is installed between the tray receiving stand 22 and the bottom surface of the heating chamber 4. The stirrer 32 is a rotor that rotates around a stirrer shaft 33 to stir the microwaves. A motor 34 is installed in the machine chamber 2 and drives the stirrer 32 to rotate.

[0049] The rear wall 31 of the heating chamber 4 has a number of openings formed by punching. A convection device 30 is installed behind the rear wall 31. The convection device 30 takes in air for the heating chamber 4, heats it, and sends the hot air into the heating chamber 4. The space in which the convection device 30 is located is separated from the heating chamber 4 by the rear wall 31, and communicates with the heating chamber 4 through the openings formed in the rear wall 31.

[0050] 4, the convection device 30 has a hot air generation mechanism 39 for generating hot air. The hot air generation mechanism 39 takes in air from the heating chamber 4, heats the air to generate hot air, and sends the hot air into the heating chamber 4. This creates a circulating flow of hot air in the heating chamber 4.

[0051] Fig. 5 is a front view of the convection device 30. As shown in Fig. 5, the hot air generating mechanism 39 includes a convection heater 40, a circulation fan 41, a fan drive unit (not shown) that drives the circulation fan 41 to rotate, and a first hot air guide 42 and a second hot air guide 43 that guide the hot air in the hot air generating mechanism 39. The hot air generating mechanism 39 is an example of a heating unit according to this embodiment.

[0052] The convection heater 40 is a sheathed heater that heats the air inside the convection device 30. In order to increase the contact area with the air, the convection heater 40 has a spiral shape centered on a straight line L (see FIG. 4 ) that connects the center of the circulation fan 41 and the center of the heating chamber 4.

[0053] The circulation fan 41 is a centrifugal fan that takes in air at its center and sends it out in a centrifugal direction. The circulation fan 41 is disposed behind the convection heater 40 and is driven by a fan drive unit that is also installed behind the circulation fan 41. In this embodiment, the circulation fan 41 rotates in the direction of arrow R (see FIG. 5). The control unit 50 (see FIG. 6) controls the hot air generating mechanism 39 (the convection heater 40 and the fan drive unit).

[0054] The operation and function of the cooking device 10 will be described below.

[0055] When the user operates the operation unit 6 to issue a command to start heating, the control unit 50 turns on the grill heater 38 with an output power of, for example, 1000 W, to start the preheating mode. This raises the temperature of the heating chamber 4 (hereinafter referred to as the internal temperature), which was previously at room temperature (approximately 25°C). The control unit 50 turns on the grill heater 38 and simultaneously activates the hot air generating mechanism 39. In the preheating mode, the output power of the grill heater 38 may be in the range of 400 W to 1300 W.

[0056] After 5 minutes or more have passed since the start of preheating, the control unit 50 stops the hot air generating mechanism 39 and ends the preheating mode. After that, the control unit 50 continues to cause the grill heater 38 to maintain the output power during preheating. The period from the end of the preheating mode to the start of the cooking mode is called the standby mode.

[0057] When the preheating mode ends, the control unit 50 causes the display unit 6a or an alarm unit such as a buzzer (not shown) to notify the user that the cooking appliance 10 is in standby mode. In response to this, the user opens the door 3, places the food to be heated in the heating chamber 4, and closes the door 3. The opening and closing of the door 3 is detected by the door switch 44.

[0058] When the user presses the start button on the operation unit 6, the control unit 50 reduces the output power of the grill heater 38 to 470 W to start the cooking mode and heat the object to be heated in the heating chamber 4. The standby mode time may be set in advance to, for example, 2 minutes, and after the standby mode, the output power of the grill heater 38 may be reduced to 470 W and the cooking mode may start. After heating for a predetermined time (approximately 3 to 15 minutes), the control unit 50 ends the cooking mode and terminates the operation of the cooking appliance 10.

[0059] The output power of the grill heater 38 and the temperature inside the oven after preheating is started when the temperature inside the oven is around 70° C. (hereinafter, this temperature range will be referred to as medium temperature) will be described.

[0060] When the preheating mode starts, the control unit 50 turns on the grill heater 38 at an output power of 850 W, causing the internal temperature, which was at medium temperature, to rise. Specifically, when the internal temperature is medium, the control unit 50 operates the grill heater 38 at an output power lower than the output power when the internal temperature is at room temperature. The control unit 50 turns on the grill heater 38 and simultaneously operates the hot air generating mechanism 39.

[0061] After 5 minutes have passed since the start of preheating, the control unit 50 stops the hot air generating mechanism 39 and ends the preheating mode. After that, the control unit 50 continues to cause the grill heater 38 to maintain the output power during the preheating mode.

[0062] When the preheating mode ends, the control unit 50 causes the display unit 6a or an alarm unit such as a buzzer (not shown) to notify the user that the cooking appliance 10 is in standby mode. In response to this, the user opens the door 3, places the food to be heated in the heating chamber 4, and closes the door 3. The opening and closing of the door 3 is detected by the door switch 44.

[0063] When the user presses the start button on the operation unit 6, the control unit 50 reduces the output power of the grill heater 38 to 470 W to start the cooking mode and heat the object to be heated in the heating chamber 4. The standby mode time may be set in advance to, for example, 2 minutes, and after the standby mode, the output power of the grill heater 38 may be reduced to 470 W and the cooking mode may start. After heating for a predetermined time (approximately 3 to 15 minutes), the control unit 50 ends the cooking mode and terminates the operation of the cooking appliance 10.

[0064] The output power of the grill heater 38 and the temperature inside the oven after preheating is started when the temperature inside the oven is around 150° C. (hereinafter, this temperature range is referred to as high temperature) will be described.

[0065] When the preheating mode is initiated and the control unit 50 turns on the grill heater 38 at an output power of 470 W, the already high internal temperature rises further. Specifically, when the internal temperature is high, the control unit 50 operates the grill heater 38 at an output power that is even lower than when the internal temperature is medium. The control unit 50 turns on the grill heater 38 and simultaneously operates the hot air generating mechanism 39.

[0066] After three and a half minutes have elapsed since the start of preheating, the control unit 50 stops the hot air generating mechanism 39 and ends the preheating mode. After that, the control unit 50 continues to cause the grill heater 38 to maintain the output power during the preheating mode.

[0067] When the preheating mode ends, the control unit 50 causes the display unit 6a or an alarm unit such as a buzzer (not shown) to notify the user that the cooking appliance 10 is in standby mode. In response to this, the user opens the door 3, places the food to be heated in the heating chamber 4, and closes the door 3. The opening and closing of the door 3 is detected by the door switch 44.

[0068] When the user closes the door 3 and presses the start button on the operation unit 6, the control unit 50 starts the cooking mode by maintaining the output power of the grill heater 38 at 470 W and heats the object to be heated in the heating chamber 4. The standby mode time may be set in advance to, for example, 2 minutes, and after the standby mode, the grill heater 38 maintains the output power at 470 W and the cooking mode may start. After heating for a predetermined time (approximately 3 to 15 minutes), the control unit 50 ends the cooking mode and terminates the operation of the cooking appliance 10.

[0069] That is, in this embodiment, even during standby after preheating until cooking begins, the control unit 50 may operate the grill heater 38 at the output power used during preheating without turning it off.

[0070] According to this embodiment, by continuing to energize the grill heater 38 even after preheating is complete, the surface temperature of the grill heater 38 can be maintained at a high level, thereby preventing insufficient heating and uneven cooking.

[0071] The control unit 50 may temporarily stop power supply to the grill heater 38 or reduce the output power of the grill heater 38 in the standby mode, and may restart power supply to the grill heater 38 or increase the output power of the grill heater 38 in the cooking mode, thereby reducing the power consumption of the cooking appliance 10.

[0072] When the internal temperature of the oven is relatively low at the start of preheating, the internal temperature immediately after preheating is not as stable as when the internal temperature is relatively high at the start of preheating. As a result, if you start cooking immediately after preheating is complete, there is a risk of insufficient heating or uneven cooking.

[0073] According to this embodiment, when the temperature inside the oven is low at the start of preheating, the output power of the grill heater 38 is set higher, thereby preventing insufficient heating and uneven cooking.

[0074] According to this embodiment, in the cooking results for bread, no insufficient heating or uneven baking was observed in any of the cases of "preheating started at room temperature," "preheating started at medium temperature," and "preheating started at high temperature," and a good finish was confirmed.

[0075] Although the above has described in detail preheating using the grill heater 38, preheating may also be performed using the convection heater 40. When preheating using the convection heater 40, it is more preferable to drive the circulation fan 41, as this will increase the temperature of the entire heating chamber 4.

[0076] Preheating with the grill heater 38 or the convection heater 40 raises the temperature of these heaters themselves. Therefore, even if the door 3 is opened after preheating and the temperature drops, the temperature of the heaters themselves has already risen due to preheating. As a result, cooking time can be shortened.

[0077] As described above, the cooking appliance 10 starts the preheating mode when the user issues a command to start heating by operating the operation unit 6. In addition, the cooking appliance 10 may start the preheating mode before the user operates the operation unit 6, as described below.

[0078] Hereinafter, cooking system 200 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. Figure 6 is a block diagram of cooking system 200. Figure 7 is a schematic plan view of convenience store 100 equipped with cooking system 200.

[0079] 6, cooking system 200 includes cooker 10 according to the present embodiment. When a user (customer, store clerk, etc.) in convenience store 100 attempts to start heating an object to be heated using cooker 10 installed in the store, cooker 10 may start the preheating mode in response to the opening of door 3 detected by door switch 44.

[0080] After the preheating mode has started, the cooking appliance 10 continues preheating when the user places the object to be heated in the heating chamber 4, closes the door 3, and presses the start button on the operation unit 6. Even if the user does not press the start button on the operation unit 6, the cooking appliance 10 may continue the preheating mode if the preheating mode has not ended at the time when the closing of the door 3 is detected.

[0081] If the preheating mode has already ended when the closing of the door 3 is detected, the cooking device 10 may start or continue the cooking mode. This makes it possible to shorten the cooking time from when the user places the food to be heated in the heating chamber 4 until heating is completed without constantly performing preheating. Therefore, the power consumption of the cooking device 10 can be reduced.

[0082] Cooking appliance 10 further includes a clock unit 45 that provides time information. In the present embodiment, as shown in Fig. 6, clock unit 45 is provided separately from control unit 50. However, clock unit 45 may also be incorporated into control unit 50.

[0083] At the convenience store 100, a store clerk can operate the operation unit 6 of the cooking appliance 10 to set the predetermined time. The predetermined time is, for example, a time desired by the store clerk. Specifically, the store clerk may set the predetermined time to a time during which an increase in customers visits the convenience store 100 occurs (for example, between 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM). The cooking appliance 10 may start the preheating mode at the set predetermined time based on time information from the clock unit 45.

[0084] After the preheating mode has started, if the user opens the door 3, places the object to be heated in the heating chamber 4, closes the door 3, and presses the start button on the operation unit 6, the cooking appliance 10 continues the preheating mode. If the preheating mode has already ended when the opening and closing of the door 3 is detected, the cooking appliance 10 may start or continue the cooking mode.

[0085] Even if the user does not press the start button on the operation unit 6, if the preheating mode has not ended when the opening or closing of the door 3 is detected after the preheating mode has started, the cooking appliance 10 may continue the preheating mode. If the preheating mode has already ended when the opening or closing of the door 3 is detected, the cooking appliance 10 may start or continue the cooking mode.

[0086] Cooking appliance 10 may further include a calendar function, allowing not only the time but also the date and day of the week to be set. In this case, the predetermined time may be set to a date, day of the week, or time period when an increase in customers visits convenience store 100. Cooking appliance 10 operates in the same way as when clock unit 45 is installed after the start of the preheating mode.

[0087] Cooking appliance 10 may include a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) compatible communication unit (not shown) that can communicate with control unit 50. In this case, in cooking appliance 10, control unit 50 can obtain time information from external server 104 via a router (not shown) that can wirelessly communicate with the communication unit.

[0088] Furthermore, the communication unit may be compatible with Bluetooth (registered trademark). In this case, the user can send information to the cooking appliance 10 using an information terminal such as a smartphone, and the control unit 50 can set the predetermined time based on that information. In other words, the control unit 50 can obtain time information and the predetermined time from an external device via wireless communication.

[0089] When cooking appliance 10 is used in a convenience store 100, a store clerk can set the predetermined time by operating operation unit 6. Control unit 50 may start the preheating mode at the set predetermined time. The operation of cooking appliance 10 after the start of the preheating mode is the same as when clock unit 45 is installed.

[0090] 7, a convenience store 100 is typically equipped with multiple in-store cameras 102 (imaging units) (eight cameras in the example of FIG. 7). The in-store cameras 102 monitor various locations within the convenience store 100.

[0091] The image capture target recognition unit 103 includes a computer and performs image analysis on the video captured by the in-store camera 102. When the image capture target recognition unit 103 determines that a user has picked up an object to be heated (specifically, radiantly heated) by the cooker 10 from the product display shelf 112, the unit 103 may notify the cooker 10 of this information via the server 104. In response to this information, the control unit 50 of the cooker 10 may start the preheating mode described above.

[0092] When image capture target recognition unit 103 recognizes that a person has entered convenience store 100 based on the image captured by in-store camera 102, control unit 50 of cooking appliance 10 may start the preheating mode. The operation of cooking appliance 10 after the start of the preheating mode is the same as when clock unit 45 is installed.

[0093] The imaging target recognition unit 103 may have a deep learning type image analysis technology that improves recognition accuracy by having a computer learn by reading a large amount of image data. The imaging target recognition unit 103 may have, as the image analysis technology, an object recognition technology that verifies whether an object identical to the target object exists in the image, or a face recognition technology that extracts prominent features from a human face image, or a combination of these technologies.

[0094] If the preheating mode is started when the image capture target recognition unit 103 identifies that a user has picked up an object to be heated from the product display shelf 112 or when the image capture target recognition unit 103 recognizes that a user has entered the convenience store 100, and the user does not open the door 3 of the cooking appliance 10 within a predetermined time (for example, five minutes) from the start of preheating, the control unit 50 may end the preheating mode after the predetermined time has elapsed and terminate the operation of the cooking appliance 10. This makes it possible to reduce the power consumption of the cooking appliance 10.

[0095] As shown in Fig. 7, convenience store 100 is equipped with an automatic door 90 for customers to enter the store. A human presence sensor 91 and a chime generator 92 are installed near automatic door 90. Chime generator 92 is an example of an alarm unit according to this embodiment. Human presence sensor 91 may detect the body temperature of a human body as infrared rays, or may emit ultrasonic waves and detect their reflection.

[0096] When the human presence sensor 91 detects a customer entering the convenience store 100, the chime generator 92 is configured to ring a chime in response. Instead of a chime, a buzzer or sound such as a human voice may be used.

[0097] Cooking appliance 10 may include microphone 46 as a voice recognition unit. In this case, when microphone 46 recognizes the sound of a chime announcing that a customer has entered the store, control unit 50 may start the preheating mode in response. Cooking appliance 10 operates in the same way as when clock unit 45 is installed.

[0098] When the chime sound is detected by microphone 46 and the preheating mode is started, if the user does not open door 3 of cooking appliance 10 for a predetermined time (e.g., five minutes) after the start of preheating, control unit 50 may end the preheating mode after the predetermined time has elapsed and terminate the operation of cooking appliance 10. This makes it possible to reduce the power consumption of cooking appliance 10.

[0099] As shown in Figure 7, convenience store 100 is equipped with POS register 107 (POS terminal). When a customer pays for merchandise at POS register 107, POS register 107 may notify cooking appliance 10 via server 104 of payment information including information about the object to be heated. In response to this information, control unit 50 of cooking appliance 10 may start the preheating mode described above. The operation of cooking appliance 10 after starting the preheating mode is the same as when clock unit 45 is installed.

[0100] When the above-mentioned preheating mode is started in accordance with the customer's payment information, if the user does not open the door 3 of the heating cooker 10 for a predetermined time (e.g., 5 minutes) after the start of preheating, the control unit 50 may end the preheating mode after the predetermined time has elapsed and terminate the operation of the heating cooker 10.

[0101] Similarly, in any of the cases where a clock unit 45 or a calendar function is installed, where a person entering the store is detected by the in-store camera 102, and where a person entering the store is detected by the motion sensor 91 and the chime generator 92, if the user does not open the door 3 of the cooking appliance 10, the control unit 50 may terminate the operation of the cooking appliance 10 after a predetermined time has elapsed. This makes it possible to reduce the power consumption of the cooking appliance 10.

[0102] According to the present disclosure, the cooking time from when the user places the food to be heated in the heating chamber 4 until the heating is completed can be shortened without always requiring preheating, and therefore the power consumption of the cooking device 10 can be reduced.

[0103] The present disclosure is applicable to, for example, a microwave oven with an oven function.

[0104] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Main body 2 Machine room 3 Door 4 Heating chamber 5 Handle 6 Operation unit 6a Display unit 6b Operation keys 7 Tray 8 Wire rack 10 Cooking device 12 Front grill panel 22 Tray holder 30 Convection device 31 Rear wall 32 Stirrer 33 Stirrer shaft 34 Motor 35 Magnetron 36 Inverter 37 Cooling fan 38 Grill heater (heating unit) 39 Hot air generating mechanism (heating unit) 40 Convection heater 41 Circulation fan 42 First hot air guide 43 Second hot air guide 44 Door switch 45 Clock unit 46 Microphone (voice recognition unit) 50 Control unit 90 Automatic door 91 Human presence sensor 92 Chime generator (alarm unit) 100 Convenience store 102 In-store camera (imaging unit) 103 Image capture target recognition unit 104 Server 107 POS register (POS terminal) 112 Product display shelf 200 Cooking system

Claims

1. A heating cooker comprising: a heating chamber in which an object to be heated can be placed; a heating unit installed within the heating chamber and configured to operate in a preheating mode and a cooking mode; an operation unit configured to be operated by a user to start heating; and a control unit configured to control the heating unit to execute the preheating mode and the cooking mode, wherein the control unit starts the preheating mode in response to the user's operation of the operation unit, and is capable of starting the preheating mode before the user operates the operation unit.

2. The heating cooker of claim 1, further comprising a clock unit configured to provide time information, wherein the operation unit is capable of setting a predetermined time, and the control unit is configured to start the preheating mode at the predetermined time set by the operation unit based on the time information.

3. The heating cooker of claim 1, wherein the control unit can obtain time information and a predetermined time from the outside via wireless communication, and the control unit is configured to start preheating at the predetermined time obtained from the outside based on the time information obtained from the outside.

4. The cooking device according to claim 1, further comprising a door that can be opened and closed, wherein the control unit is configured to start preheating when the door is opened.

5. A cooking system comprising: a cooking device according to any one of claims 1 to 4; an imaging unit; and an imaging target recognition unit configured to recognize an imaging target obtained by said imaging unit, wherein said cooking device is configured to start said preheating mode when said imaging target recognition unit determines that said user has picked up said object to be heated by said cooking device.

6. A cooking system comprising: a cooking device according to any one of claims 1 to 4; an imaging unit; and an imaging target recognition unit configured to recognize an imaging target obtained by said imaging unit, wherein when said imaging target recognition unit recognizes the user, said cooking device is configured to start said preheating mode.

7. A cooking system comprising: a cooking appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 4; a human presence sensor configured to detect the user; and an alarm unit configured to notify by voice that the human presence sensor has detected the user, wherein the cooking appliance further comprises a voice recognition unit that recognizes the voice, and is configured to start the preheating mode in response to recognition of the voice by the voice recognition unit.

8. A cooking system comprising: a cooking device according to any one of claims 1 to 4; and a POS terminal, wherein the cooking device is capable of wireless communication with the POS terminal; and the cooking device is configured to start the preheating mode when the user pays for the food to be heated at the POS terminal.

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