JP2010054101A - Steam generation device and heating cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a steam generation device preventing decline in steam generation amount and overflow of water, and also to provide a heating cooker achieving excellent cooking by using the steam generation device and improving safety. <P>SOLUTION: The steam generation device 10 is provided with: a metallic housing 2; a water supply port 3 for supplying water to inside of the housing 2; a steam generation heater 4 embedded in the lower part of the housing 2 and evaporating water supplied from the water supply port 3; a discharge port 8 for discharging steam generated by the steam generation heater 4; and a temperature sensor 9 for detecting the temperature of the housing 2. When the temperature of the housing 2 exceeds predetermined determination temperature, it is determined that heating is performed without water, and the steam generation heater 4 is controlled. Determination temperature T3 when use time is long can be varied so as to become higher than determination temperature T1 when the use time is short. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a steam generator that generates steam and a cooking device using the same.

  A cooking device using a conventional steam generator is disclosed in Patent Document 1. In this heating cooker, a steam generator is attached to the outer wall of the heating chamber for storing the food. The steam generator has a housing made of die-cast metal such as aluminum. The housing is hermetically formed with an opening surface of a box-shaped main body portion closed by a lid portion and having a cavity inside. A steam generating heater is cast and embedded in the lower wall surface of the housing.

  A water supply port is formed at one side of the housing at the center in the vertical direction. The water supply port is connected to the water supply tank, and water is supplied into the housing through the water supply port. A steam discharge port facing the heating chamber is provided at the top of the housing.

  When water is supplied into the steam generator from the water supply port, the water is stored at the bottom of the housing, and steam is generated by driving the steam generating heater. The generated steam rises in the housing and comes into contact with the wall surface of the hot housing to be further heated. As a result, high-temperature steam is generated, and the steam is discharged into the heating chamber through the discharge port. Then, the cooked food is cooked by the steam supplied into the heating chamber.

  In addition, when there is no water in the housing and it is in an empty state, the energy of the steam generating heater is wasted and the steam generating heater continues to be heated and the safety of the cooking device is lowered. For this reason, the steam generator which attached the temperature sensor to the housing is known. When the housing becomes higher than a predetermined determination temperature due to heat transfer from the steam generation heater, it is determined that the housing is empty and the steam generation heater is stopped. Thereby, power saving and safety improvement can be achieved.

JP-A-2006-349313 (page 3 to page 11, FIG. 5)

  However, according to the conventional steam generator, water supplied into the housing is bumped by the steam generating heater, and water droplets adhere to the inner surface of the housing and evaporate. Thereby, a scale remains on the surface of the housing. Since the housing becomes high temperature due to heat transfer from the steam generating heater, the remaining scale is burned and deposited.

  For this reason, the scale accumulated by long-term use forms a heat insulating layer, and the heat of the housing in which the steam generating heater is embedded cannot be sufficiently transferred to the water. As a result, when the water remains in the housing, the temperature of the housing exceeds the determination temperature, and the steam generating heater may be stopped. As a result, the amount of steam generated may decrease, or water may overflow from the steam generator into the heating chamber. Therefore, there is a problem that good cooking cannot be performed by the heating cooker. In addition, there is a problem that high-temperature water accumulated in the heating chamber due to overflow leaks when the door is opened and the safety of the cooking device is lowered.

  An object of this invention is to provide the steam generator which can prevent the fall of the amount of steam generation, and the overflow of water, and the heating cooker which can improve safety | security while improving it using it.

  In order to achieve the above object, a steam generator according to the present invention includes a metal housing, a water supply port for supplying water in the housing, and a vapor that is embedded in the housing and evaporates water supplied from the water supply port. A generating heater, a discharge port for discharging the steam generated by the steam generating heater, and a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the housing, and determining that the housing is empty when the housing exceeds a predetermined determination temperature. In the steam generator for controlling the steam generating heater, the discrimination temperature when the usage period is long is varied so as to be higher than the discrimination temperature when the usage period is short.

  According to this configuration, when water is supplied into the housing from the water supply port, water is stored at the bottom of the housing, and steam is generated by driving the steam generating heater. The generated steam rises in the housing and is further heated by exchanging heat with the housing. The vapor whose temperature has been raised is discharged through the discharge port. When the temperature of the temperature sensor exceeds the discrimination temperature when the housing is in an empty state, the steam generating heater is controlled such as stopping or reducing the output. When the period of use of the steam generator becomes long, the scale deposited on the inner surface of the housing becomes a heat insulating layer, and the heat of the steam generating heater is hardly transmitted to water. For this reason, the discrimination temperature is set to a higher temperature than when the usage period is short, and the empty-running state is accurately detected.

  According to the present invention, in the steam generator configured as described above, a storage unit that stores data based on a relationship between a use time of the steam generator that is acquired in advance and a start temperature of airing the housing, and an accumulation of the steam generator A timer for measuring the usage time, and a temperature near the start temperature of the housing corresponding to the time measured by the timer is set to the discriminating temperature based on the data at a high temperature in the vicinity. Yes.

  According to this configuration, the relationship between the usage time of the steam generator and the start temperature of the housing is acquired in advance, and a database corresponding to, for example, the use time and the start temperature of the operation is stored in the storage unit. When the driving of the steam generator is started, the accumulated use time is detected by the timer, and the discrimination temperature is set to a temperature near the high temperature side of the housing temperature corresponding to the accumulated use time based on the data stored in the storage unit. When the temperature of the temperature sensor exceeds the discrimination temperature when the housing is in an empty state, the steam generating heater is controlled such as stopping or reducing the output. The data stored in the storage unit may be a database in which the discrimination temperature based on the temperature of the housing corresponds to the usage time, or may be a relational expression between the housing temperature or the discrimination temperature and the usage time.

  Further, in the steam generating device having the above-described configuration, the temperature near the temperature at which the rate of increase of the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is smaller than a predetermined value at the start of steam generation is set to the discrimination temperature at a high temperature. It is characterized by that.

  According to this configuration, when the driving of the steam generator is started, the temperature of the housing is monitored by the temperature sensor. The housing temperature rises and saturates at any temperature above 100 ° C. When this saturation temperature is exceeded, the inside of the housing becomes empty. For this reason, when the rate of increase in the temperature detected by the temperature sensor becomes smaller than a predetermined value, it is determined that the state is saturated, and a high temperature is set as the determination temperature in the vicinity of this temperature. When the temperature of the temperature sensor exceeds the discrimination temperature when the housing is in an empty state, the steam generating heater is controlled such as stopping or reducing the output.

  Further, the present invention provides a metal housing, a water supply port for supplying water into the housing, a steam generation heater embedded in the housing and evaporating water supplied from the water supply port, and the steam generation heater A steam generating device that includes a discharge port for discharging the generated steam and a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the housing, and controls the steam generating heater by determining that the housing is empty when the housing exceeds a predetermined determination temperature The starting temperature of the emptying of the housing when the service life of the steam generator has elapsed is acquired in advance, and a temperature close to the starting temperature is set as the discrimination temperature.

  According to this configuration, the start temperature of emptying of the housing when the service life of the steam generator has elapsed is acquired in advance, and the temperature near the higher temperature side than this temperature is set as the discrimination temperature. When water is supplied into the housing from the water supply port, water is stored at the bottom of the housing, and steam is generated by driving the steam generating heater. The generated steam rises in the housing and is further heated by exchanging heat with the housing. The vapor whose temperature has been raised is discharged through the discharge port. When the temperature of the temperature sensor exceeds the discrimination temperature when the housing is in an empty state, the steam generating heater is controlled such as stopping or reducing the output.

  Moreover, the cooking device of the present invention includes a steam generator configured as described above, a heating chamber in which cooked food is stored and steam is supplied from the discharge port, a circulation fan that circulates steam in the heating chamber, A circulation heater for heating steam circulated by a circulation fan is provided. According to this configuration, steam is supplied from the steam generator into the heating chamber and is circulated by the circulation fan for cooking. The steam circulated by the circulation fan is heated by the circulation heater and maintained at a predetermined temperature.

  According to the present invention, since the discrimination temperature when the usage period is long is changed to be higher than the discrimination temperature when the usage period is short, the temperature of the housing rises when the scale accumulates inside the housing and the emptying starts. However, it is possible to prevent misidentification of the empty state. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the amount of steam generated from the steam generator and an overflow of water. Thereby, while being able to perform favorable cooking with a heating cooker, the safety | security of a heating cooker can be improved.

  In addition, according to the steam generator of the present invention, since the discrimination temperature is set according to the scale inside the housing when the service life of the steam generator has elapsed, the scale is deposited inside the housing and the emptying of the housing is started. Even if the temperature rises, misidentification of an empty state can be prevented. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the amount of steam generated by the steam generator and an overflow of water. Thereby, while being able to perform favorable cooking with a heating cooker, the safety | security of a heating cooker can be improved.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1, 2, and 3 are a right side view, a front view, and a top sectional view showing the inside of the heating cooker according to the first embodiment. The heating cooker 10 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped heating chamber 11 for storing cooked food in a main body housing 22. The side wall and the ceiling wall of the heating chamber 11 are covered and shielded by the heat shield plate 23, and the front surface is opened and closed by the door 11b.

  A temperature sensor 11 c that detects the room temperature of the heating chamber 11 is provided on the top surface of the heating chamber 11. A circulating heater 15 described later is controlled based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 11c. In the heating chamber 11, a tray 17 on which a placement net 17a is placed is disposed. The food W is placed on the placement net 17a.

  An outside air inflow duct 34 is formed between the main body housing 22 and the lower side and the right side of the heating chamber 11. The outside air inflow duct 34 has a suction port 34 a opened at the bottom surface of the main body housing 22. A cooling fan 35, an electrical component 33, and a magnetron 30 are disposed below the outside air inflow duct 34. An air supply duct 36 having an air supply fan 37 is disposed on the side of the outside air inflow duct 34. The air supply duct 36 opens an air supply port 38 at the front portion of one side wall 11 a of the heating chamber 11.

  The electrical unit 33 includes a drive circuit that drives each unit of the cooking device 10, a control unit 50 (see FIG. 6) that controls the drive circuit, and the like. The magnetron 30 supplies microwaves into the heating chamber 11 through the waveguide 31. An antenna 32 that is rotated by an antenna motor 32 a is disposed in the waveguide 31, and microwaves are uniformly supplied to the heating chamber 11.

  The cooling fan 35 takes outside air into the outside air inflow duct 34 via the suction port 34a, and cools the electrical component 33 and the magnetron 30 that generate heat. The outside air taken into the outside air inflow duct 34 flows out from an opening (not shown) formed on the back surface of the main body housing 22. Part of the outside air flows into the air supply duct 36 by driving the air supply fan 37.

  An exhaust duct 40 is led out to the rear portion of the side wall 11 a of the heating chamber 11 through an exhaust port 41. The exhaust duct 40 is formed to extend to the rear of the heating chamber 11, and the open end 40 a opens to the top surface of the main body housing 22. Further, the exhaust duct 40 is provided with a humidity sensor 42 that detects the humidity of the exhaust from the exhaust port 41.

  A steam generator 1 that supplies steam to the heating chamber 11 through the discharge port 8 is attached to the upper portion of the side wall 11 a of the heating chamber 11. A detachable water supply tank 20 is disposed on the side of the steam generator 1. A water supply pump 21 connected to the water supply port 3 of the steam generator 1 is disposed behind the water supply tank 20. When the water supply tank 20 is mounted, it is connected to the water supply pump 21 via a joint (not shown). Water is supplied from the water supply tank 20 to the steam generator 1 through the water supply pipe 21a by driving the water supply pump 21.

  A circulation duct 12 is provided behind the heating chamber 11. The circulation duct 12 has an air inlet 14 at the center of the back wall of the heating chamber 11, and a plurality of jets 13 at the periphery of the back wall of the heating chamber 11. A circulation fan 16 and a circulation heater 15 are provided in the circulation duct 12. The circulation fan 16 is rotationally driven by a fan motor 16a. The circulation fan 16 sucks the steam in the heating chamber 11 from the intake port 14 into the circulation duct 12 and blows it out from the ejection port 13. The circulation heater 15 is composed of an annular sheathed heater, and maintains the steam flowing through the circulation duct 12 at a predetermined temperature.

  FIG. 4 shows a front sectional view of the steam generator 1. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. The steam generator 1 has a housing 2 made of metal die casting. In the housing 2, the opening surface of the box-shaped main body 2a is closed with a lid 2b fixed with screws 2c, and a cavity is formed inside. Use of aluminum or an aluminum alloy as the material of the housing 2 is more preferable because of good castability and high thermal conductivity.

  A water supply port 3 connected to a water supply pump 21 (see FIG. 1) opens at the center portion in the vertical direction in the lid 2b of the housing 2. The main body portion 2 a is provided with a plurality of discharge ports 8 facing the side wall 11 a of the heating chamber 11.

  A steam generating heater 4 composed of a sheathed heater is disposed at the lower part of the housing 2. The steam generating heater 4 is cast and embedded in the housing 2, and is in close contact with the housing 2 so that heat of the steam generating heater 4 is efficiently transmitted to the housing 2. Thereby, the water dripped from the water supply port 3 and accumulated at the bottom of the housing 2 is evaporated by the heat transmitted from the steam generating heater 4 to the housing 2 to generate steam.

  The surface on which the discharge port 8 is formed is provided so as to protrude from the lower portion of the housing 2 in which the steam generating heater 4 is embedded. For this reason, the lower part of the housing 2, which is heated by the steam generating heater 4, is arranged away from the side wall 11 a of the heating chamber 11. Thereby, the heat-resistant structure of the heating chamber 11 can be simplified.

  A temperature sensor 9 is attached in the vicinity of the steam generating heater 4. The temperature sensor 9 is embedded in the housing 2 and monitors the temperature of the housing 2 to detect emptying. Further, the temperature sensor 9 detects insufficient heating due to a failure of the steam generating heater 4 or the like.

  A steam temperature raising heater 5 including a sheathed heater formed in a spiral shape so as to be arranged in a plurality of rows in the left-right direction is disposed on the upper portion of the housing 2. The steam temperature raising heater 5 is attached to the housing 2 by a flange portion 5 a of a non-heat generating portion, and the heat generating portion is arranged at a predetermined distance from the inner wall of the housing 2. Thereby, even if the temperature of the steam temperature raising heater 5 is increased, the temperature rise of the housing 2 can be suppressed.

  A box-shaped partition member 7 is provided around the steam heating heater 5 so as to open the upper surface and surround the steam heating heater 5. The discharge port 8 is formed in a cylindrical shape that penetrates the partition member 7, and the discharge port 8 is disposed below the bottomed partition member 7. Part of the partition member 7 is supported by being joined to the housing 2, and is disposed at a predetermined distance from the inner wall of the housing 2.

  As a result, a steam passage 6 is formed that guides the steam from the lower part of the housing 2 to the discharge port 8 through the steam heating heater 5. For this reason, it is possible to prevent a shortcut that the steam flows out from the discharge port 8 directly from the lower part of the housing 2 without passing through the steam heating heater 5, and it is possible to reliably generate the superheated steam.

  Further, since the partition member 7 is separated from the inner wall of the housing 2, overheating of the housing 2 can be prevented. Furthermore, steam flows through the external passage 6 a between the housing 2 and the partition member 7 to cool the housing 2, thereby further preventing overheating of the housing 2.

  The steam passage 6 includes an external passage 6 a outside the partition member 7 and an internal passage 6 b inside the partition member 7. The external passage 6 a and the internal passage 6 b communicate with each other at the upper end of the partition member 7, and the discharge port 8 is provided in the lower portion of the space surrounded by the partition member 7.

  The partition member 7 is formed of a metal or ceramic having higher heat resistance than the housing 2. More preferably, the partition member 7 is formed of stainless steel or the like having excellent corrosion resistance and thermal conductivity. In addition, the surface of the partition member 7 facing the steam temperature raising heater 5 is formed in a dark color by applying heat-resistant black coating. Thereby, the radiant heat of the steam temperature raising heater 5 is absorbed by the partition member 7 and the temperature rise of the housing 2 is suppressed. Moreover, the electrolytic corrosion of the junction part by the dissimilar metal between the partition member 7 and the housing 2 is prevented.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the heating cooker 10. The heating cooker 10 has a control unit 50 disposed in the electrical equipment unit 33. The control unit 50 includes a steam generating heater 4, a steam heating heater 5, temperature sensors 9 and 11 c, a humidity sensor 42, a water supply pump 21, an operation unit 51, a display unit 52, a timer 53, a storage unit 54, a circulation heater 15, and a circulation. The fan 16, the cooling fan 35, the air supply fan 37, the magnetron 30 and the antenna motor 32 a are connected, and each part is controlled by the control unit 50.

  The operation unit 51 and the display unit 52 are provided on an operation panel (not shown) disposed on the side of the heating chamber 11. The operation unit 51 performs a cooking menu selection operation and a cooking start operation. The display unit 52 is composed of a liquid crystal panel or the like, and displays a cooking menu selection screen, cooking progress, and the like.

  The timer 53 counts the cooking time and the cumulative usage time of the steam generator 1. The storage unit 54 includes a RAM and a ROM, and stores an operation program, a cooking menu, various setting data, and the like.

  When cooking with microwaves is started in the heating cooker 10 configured as described above, the magnetron 30 and the antenna motor 32a are driven. Further, the cooling fan 35 and the air supply fan 37 are driven. A microwave is supplied into the heating chamber 11 via the waveguide 31 by the magnetron 30, and the food W is heated by microwaves.

  Outside air flows into the outside air inflow duct 34 from the suction port 34 a by the cooling fan 35. The outside air that has flowed into the outside air inflow duct 34 cools the electrical component 33 and the magnetron 30 and is exhausted to the outside. A part of the outside air heated by cooling the electrical unit 18 and the magnetron 20 is guided to the air supply duct 36 by the air supply fan 37.

  Outside air flowing through the air supply duct 36 is supplied to the heating chamber 11 from an air supply port 38. At this time, since the air supply port 38 is arranged in the front part of the heating chamber 11, the airflow blown out from the air supply port 38 circulates along the door 11b. Thereby, dew condensation of the door 11b can be prevented by the air heated by cooling the electrical component 33 and the magnetron 30.

  The air in the heating chamber 11 is exhausted from the exhaust port 41 by supplying air from the air supply port 38, flows through the exhaust duct 40, and is released to the atmosphere from the open end 40 a. The humidity flowing through the exhaust duct 40 is detected by a humidity sensor 42. When steam is generated from the food W by microwave heating and the inside of the heating chamber 11 reaches a predetermined humidity, the end time of cooking is determined by detection of the humidity sensor 42. Thereby, cooking by a microwave is complete | finished.

  When cooking with steam, a stored water tank 20 is attached. Then, the food W is placed on the placement net 17a and cooking is started. When cooking is started, the feed water pump 21 is driven, and then the steam generating heater 4 and the steam temperature raising heater 5 are driven. Water is supplied into the housing 2 of the steam generator 1 from the water supply port 3 as shown by an arrow B (see FIG. 4) by the water supply pump 21.

  The water supplied to the housing 2 accumulates in the lower part of the housing 2 and is evaporated by the steam generating heater 4 to generate steam. At this time, the steam generating heater 4 generates heat at a temperature lower than the softening temperature of the housing 2. Further, since the steam temperature raising heater 5 is separated from the housing 2 and is shielded from the housing 2 by the partition member 7, it generates heat at a temperature higher than the softening temperature of the housing 2.

  For example, when the housing 2 is made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, the softening temperature is about 400 ° C. For this reason, since the steam generation heater 4 only needs to evaporate water, it generates heat at about 200 ° C. Moreover, since the steam heating heater 5 generates high-temperature superheated steam, it generates heat at about 600 ° C.

  The steam generated in the lower part of the housing 2 rises in the steam passage 6 as shown by an arrow C1 (see FIG. 4) and flows through the external passage 6a outside the partition member 7 as shown by an arrow C2 (see FIG. 4). . The steam flowing through the external passage 6 a exchanges heat with the partition member 7 that has absorbed the radiant heat of the steam heating heater 5. Further, the steam flowing through the external passage 6a exchanges heat with the housing 2, and the housing 2 is cooled. At this time, fins for heat exchange may be provided on the outer surface of the partition member 7 or the inner wall of the housing 2. Thereby, heat exchange efficiency can be improved.

  The steam that has flowed into the partition member 7 from above is lowered by the steam pressure and guided to the discharge port 8. At this time, the steam is further heated by exchanging heat with the inner surface of the partition member 7 and the steam heating heater 5. Thereby, superheated steam is produced | generated and it supplies to the heating chamber 11 from the discharge port 8 as shown by arrow C3 (refer FIG. 4). A heat exchange fin may be provided on the inner surface of the partition member 7.

  The food W on the tray 17 is cooked by the superheated steam supplied into the heating chamber 11. Further, the steam in the heating chamber 11 flows into the circulation duct 12 through the intake port 14 by driving of the circulation fan 16. The steam flowing through the circulation duct 12 is heated by the circulation heater 15 and ejected from the ejection port 13 into the heating chamber 11.

  The output of the circulation heater 15 is variable according to the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 11c. Thereby, the vapor | steam in the heating chamber 11 is maintained at predetermined temperature. Then, the cooking ends when the cooking time elapses due to the timing of the timer 53. When cooking is completed, the accumulated use time of the steam generator 1 measured by the timer 53 is stored in the storage unit 6.

  Further, when the steam temperature raising heater 5 is stopped, saturated steam near 100 ° C. is supplied to the heating chamber 11 from the discharge port 8. Thereby, steaming cooking of the food W can be performed.

  In the steam generator 1, the temperature of the housing 2 is monitored by a temperature sensor 9. When water is supplied to the housing 2 and the steam generating heater 4 is driven, the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 9 changes as indicated by A1 in FIG. In FIG. 7, the vertical axis represents the temperature (unit: ° C.) of the housing 2, and the horizontal axis represents the heating time by the steam generating heater 4.

  As shown in the figure, the temperature of the housing 2 changes in the order of the temperature raising period D1, the evaporation period D2, and the emptying period D3. During the temperature increase period D1, the housing 2 is heated until the water in the housing 2 boils. The evaporation period D2 is a period in which water in the housing 2 evaporates, and the housing 2 is saturated at a constant temperature until all the water evaporates. During the emptying period D3, all the water in the housing 2 evaporates to become an empty state, and the temperature of the housing 2 further rises from the evaporation period D2. Therefore, the saturation temperature of the evaporation period D2 coincides with the starting temperature of the airing.

  When the inside of the housing 2 is in an empty state, the energy of the steam generating heater 4 is wasted, and the steam generating heater 4 continues to be heated and the safety of the heating cooker 11 is lowered. When the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 9 exceeds a determination temperature that is higher by a predetermined temperature than the start temperature of airing, it is determined that the air is heated, and the control unit 50 stops the steam generating heater 4 and the steam heating heater 5. Thereby, power saving and safety improvement can be achieved.

  A scale accumulates on the inner surface of the housing 2 by long-term use. Since the scale becomes a heat insulating layer, the heat of the steam generating heater 4 becomes difficult to be transferred to the water with the increase, and the starting temperature of the air heating rises.

  FIG. 8 shows the relationship between the starting temperature of the emptying in the evaporation period D2 and the years of use of the steam generator 1. The vertical axis indicates the starting temperature (unit: ° C.) of emptying, and the horizontal axis indicates the number of years of use (unit: year). The average usage time per day is 40 minutes.

  According to the figure, the start temperature of emptying of the housing 2 is about 105 ° C. at the start of use of the cooking device 10 with no scale attached. In addition, the starting temperature of airing is about 140 ° C. when the service life is 5 years, and the starting temperature of airing is about 180 ° C. when it is 10 years. In FIG. 7 described above, A1 indicates the start of use of the heating cooker 10, and A2 and A3 indicate cases where the years of use are 5 years and 10 years, respectively.

  The storage unit 54 (see FIG. 6) stores a database that shows the relationship between the start temperature of air-boiling and the usage time of the steam generator 1 as in FIG. When cooking is started, the accumulated use time of the steam generating device 1 is acquired from the storage unit 54, and the start temperature of the empty-fired corresponding to the accumulated use time is acquired from the database. Then, the control unit 50 sets a temperature close to the starting temperature of the airing (for example, + 10 ° C.) as the discrimination temperature.

  For example, when the use of the heating cooker 10 is started, the accumulated use time of the steam generating device 1 is 0, and the start temperature of airing is about 105 ° C. As a result, the discrimination temperature T1 (see FIG. 7) is set to 115 ° C. at a high temperature with respect to 105 ° C. When the use period of the heating cooker 10 is an accumulated use time corresponding to 5 years, the starting temperature of airing is about 140 ° C., and the discrimination temperature T2 (see FIG. 7) is set to 150 ° C. When the usage period of the heating cooker 10 is an accumulated usage time corresponding to 10 years, the starting temperature of the emptying is about 180 ° C., and the discrimination temperature T3 (see FIG. 7) is set to 190 ° C.

  In addition, although the database which shows the relationship between the start temperature of the emptying acquired beforehand and the usage time of the steam generator 1 is memorize | stored in the memory | storage part 54, you may memorize | store other data. For example, this database may be stored by deriving the relationship between the starting temperature of the air-blow and the discrimination temperature from the relationship between the starting temperature of the air-blow obtained in advance and the usage time of the steam generator 1. Further, a relational expression between the start temperature or the discrimination temperature of the emptying and the usage time of the steam generator 1 may be stored in the storage unit 54, and the discrimination temperature may be derived by calculation by the control unit 50. In other words, the storage unit 54 only needs to store data based on the starting temperature of airing and the usage time of the steam generator 1.

  According to the present embodiment, since the determination temperature when the steam generator 1 is used for a long time is changed to be higher than the determination temperature when the steam generation device 1 is short, the scale is accumulated in the housing 2 and the emptying is started. Even if the temperature of the housing 2 increases, it is possible to prevent misidentification of the empty state. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the amount of steam generated by the steam generator 1 and an overflow of water. Thereby, while being able to perform favorable cooking with the heating cooker 10, the safety | security of the heating cooker 10 can be improved.

  In addition, the storage unit 54 stores data based on the relationship between the use time of the steam generator 1 acquired in advance and the start temperature of airing of the housing 2, and the timer 54 that measures the accumulated use time of the steam generator 1 is stored. Since the temperature near the starting temperature of the housing 2 corresponding to the time keeping time is set to the discrimination temperature based on the data in the storage unit 54, the discrimination temperature can be easily varied according to the period of use. It is possible to prevent misidentification of an empty state.

  Next, a second embodiment will be described. The present embodiment is configured in the same manner as the first embodiment, and the determination temperature setting method is different from that of the first embodiment. Other parts are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  In this embodiment, when cooking with steam is started, the temperature of the housing 2 is monitored by the temperature sensor 9. The controller 50 derives the rate of increase in temperature detected by the temperature sensor 9 (temperature increase per unit time). When the rate of increase in the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 9 is smaller than a predetermined value near 0, it is determined that the saturation temperature of the evaporation period D2 has been reached. Then, a temperature close to the temperature at this time (for example, + 10 ° C.) is set as the discrimination temperature.

  According to the present embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the determination temperature when the steam generator 1 is long is variable so that the determination temperature becomes higher than the determination temperature when the steam generator 1 is short, so that the misfired state is misidentified. Can be prevented. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the amount of steam generated by the steam generator 1 and an overflow of water. Thereby, while being able to perform favorable cooking with the heating cooker 10, the safety | security of the heating cooker 10 can be improved.

  Further, since the temperature near the temperature at which the rate of increase of the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 9 becomes smaller than a predetermined value at the start of steam generation is set as the discrimination temperature, the discrimination temperature can be easily set according to the period of use. It can be varied to prevent misidentification of the empty state.

  In the first and second embodiments, when the determination temperature set due to the large amount of scale accumulation exceeds the softening temperature of the housing, cooking is stopped and an abnormality is notified. Thereby, replacement | exchange etc. of the steam generator 1 are performed.

  Next, a third embodiment will be described. The present embodiment is configured in the same manner as the first embodiment, and the determination temperature setting method is different from that of the first embodiment. Other parts are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  In the present embodiment, the relationship between the starting temperature of the emptying period D2 shown in FIG. 8 and the service life of the steam generator 1 is acquired in advance, and the temperature of the housing 2 corresponding to the service life of the steam generator 1 is obtained. In contrast, a high temperature and a nearby temperature (for example, + 10 ° C.) are set as the discrimination temperature. For example, when the service life of the steam generator 1 is 10 years, the discrimination temperature is set to 190 ° C. because the start temperature of airing is about 180 ° C.

  According to the present embodiment, when the service life of the steam generator 1 has elapsed, the start temperature of airing of the housing 2 is acquired in advance, and the temperature near the start temperature is set to a discrimination temperature, so that It is possible to prevent misidentification of the empty state until the end of the useful life.

  In addition, when the years of use of the heating cooker 1 are small, the discrimination temperature is largely separated from the saturation temperature of the housing 2. For this reason, compared with 1st, 2nd embodiment, although the waste of electric power of the steam generation heater 4 becomes large, overflow of high temperature water can be prevented and safety can be maintained.

  In the first to third embodiments, the steam generating heater 4 and the steam temperature raising heater 5 are stopped when the discrimination temperature is exceeded, but these outputs may be reduced. That is, when the housing 2 exceeds the discrimination temperature, it is determined that the housing 2 is empty, and the steam generating heater 4 and the steam heating heater 5 are controlled.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it can utilize for the steam generator which generate | occur | produces a vapor | steam, and a heating cooker using the same.

The right view which shows the heating cooker of 1st Embodiment of this invention. The front view which shows the heating cooker of 1st Embodiment of this invention. Top surface sectional drawing which shows the heating cooker of 1st Embodiment of this invention. Front sectional drawing which shows the steam generator of the heating cooker of 1st Embodiment of this invention. AA sectional view of FIG. The block diagram which shows the structure of the heating cooker of 1st Embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the relationship between the housing temperature and heating time of the steam generator of the heating cooker of 1st Embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the relationship between the starting temperature of the empty burning of the housing of the steam generator of the heating cooker of 1st Embodiment of this invention, and years of use.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Steam generator 2 Housing 3 Water supply port 4 Steam generation heater 5 Steam temperature rising heater 6 Steam passage 7 Partition member 8 Discharge port 9, 11c Temperature sensor 10 Heating cooker 11 Heating chamber 12 Circulation duct 13 Spout 14 Intake port 15 Circulation Heater 16 Circulating fan 20 Water supply tank 21 Water supply pump 22 Main body housing 23 Heat shield plate 30 Magnetron 31 Waveguide 32 Antenna 33 Electrical component 34 Cooling duct 35 Cooling fan 36 Air supply duct 37 Air supply fan 38 Air supply port 40 Exhaust duct 41 Exhaust port 42 Humidity sensor 50 Control unit 51 Operation unit 52 Display unit 53 Timer 54 Storage unit

Claims (5)

  A metal housing, a water supply port for supplying water in the housing, a steam generating heater embedded in the housing and evaporating water supplied from the water supply port, and discharging steam generated by the steam generating heater In a steam generator that includes a discharge port and a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the housing, and that determines that the housing is empty when the housing exceeds a predetermined determination temperature, the steam generation device controls the steam generating heater. A steam generator characterized in that the discrimination temperature at a long time is varied to be higher than the discrimination temperature at a short time.   A storage unit for storing data based on a relationship between a use time of the steam generator acquired in advance and a start temperature of airing of the housing; and a timer for measuring a cumulative use time of the steam generator; 2. The steam generator according to claim 1, wherein a temperature close to a start temperature of airing of the housing corresponding to a timed time is set to the discriminating temperature based on the data.   2. The steam generation according to claim 1, wherein at the start of steam generation, a temperature close to the temperature at which the rate of increase of the temperature detected by the temperature sensor becomes smaller than a predetermined value is set as the discrimination temperature. apparatus.   A metal housing, a water supply port for supplying water into the housing, a steam generating heater embedded in the housing for evaporating water supplied from the water supply port, and discharging steam generated by the steam generating heater A steam generating apparatus comprising: a discharge port; and a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the housing, wherein the steam generating apparatus controls the steam generating heater by determining that the housing is empty when the housing exceeds a predetermined determination temperature. A steam generating device characterized in that a starting temperature of emptying of the housing when the service life of has passed is acquired in advance, and a temperature close to the starting temperature is set as the discrimination temperature.   The steam generator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, a heating chamber in which cooked food is stored and steam is supplied from the discharge port, a circulation fan that circulates steam in the heating chamber, and A cooking device comprising a circulation heater for heating steam circulated by a circulation fan.

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