JPS61281494A - Automatic heater - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a control system for optimally heating an object to be heated in an automatic heating apparatus such as an automatic microwave oven equipped with a sensor and capable of automatic cooking.

Conventional technology The automatic heating device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 58-75629 uses a sensor to determine the temporal change in steam generated from an object to be heated, and from this, the object to be heated is covered with a plastic sheet or a lid. The detection time T1 is multiplied by a constant K, which differs depending on the presence or absence of a cover, to calculate the additional heat time KTl.

FIG. 6 is a time chart showing this conventional example. (a) shows the time change in the amount of steam generated with a cover, and (b) shows the amount of steam generated without a cover. A detection time T1 until a certain detection threshold value α is detected by the gas sensor is counted. In addition, the rise time t from steam generation to detection is counted, and the ratio i/T1 is calculated.

Then, it is determined that t/T1<R: cover is present and t/T1≧R: no cover is present. That is, if t/T 1 is small, the change in steam generation is rapid and the food is considered to have been cooked and no additional heat is applied (K=O).

On the other hand, if t/T1 is large, the change in steam generation is gradual and the food is considered uncovered and additional heat is applied. The additional heat time is calculated by multiplying the detection time T1 by a certain cooking constant K.

If we judge the change in steam generation only by the rise time t,
Even for the same food, the rise time t varies greatly depending on the amount, but by taking the ratio with the detection time T1, which changes depending on the amount, it is possible to handle a relatively stable value depending on the food.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, with such conventional automatic heating methods, even if it is possible to determine the presence or absence of a cover, it is not possible to perform optimal heating for each food item, or for each similar food item. I had to separate the cooking keys for each category I put together.

In other words, taking reheating as an example, there is no need for additional heat if miso soup is covered (but if there is no cover, an additional heat of about 0.3 is required. However, when reheating curry or stew, etc. Even with a cover, an additional heat of about K = 0.3 is required, and without a cover, a considerably longer additional heat of about K = 0.8 is required.Therefore, in the case of reheating, 3 to 4 pieces per food item are required. keys, and each key had to have a different value.For this reason, the user had to refer to a quick reference table and select the appropriate key from among these keys, which was tedious. .

The present invention solves these conventional problems, and provides an automatic heating device configured to provide optimal additional heat to various foods with a single key, regardless of the presence or absence of a cover or differences in quantity. It is something.

Means for Solving the Problems The automatic heating device of the present invention is equipped with a gas sensor for detecting steam and various gases generated from an object to be heated, and the control section has at least two counter means and a calculation means.

Function: The automatic heating device of the present invention calculates the time T until the detected value of the gas sensor reaches a certain threshold by the first counter means.
1, and the second counter means counts the time t from when the detected value of the gas sensor starts to change until the detected value reaches the threshold value. - and the ratio t/T
1 is calculated, a cooking variable K is determined according to the value, and additional heating is performed by KTl, which is obtained by multiplying this by T1.

EXAMPLE Hereinafter, an automatic heating device according to an example of the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 2, the automatic heating device according to the present invention includes a main body 1 containing a heating chamber, a door body 2 that freely opens and closes the opening of the heating chamber, and an operation spring (v3) for inputting various commands. and a cooking key 4 arranged thereon.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of such an automatic heating device. Commands input from the cooking key 4 on the operating spring /L/3 are decoded by the control unit 6. Then, the control unit 5 starts heating the object to be heated 7 placed in the heating chamber 6. Heating is performed by supplying power to a magnetron (high frequency generating means) serving as a heating means 9 via a driver 8 .

The gas sensor 10 is realized by a humidity sensor, a gas sensor, etc., and reacts to steam or gas discharged by the fan 11.
Detect when cooking is complete.

12 is an exhaust guide, and 13 is a detection circuit.

The mounting plate 14 is rotationally driven by a motor 15, and uneven heating of the object 7 to be heated is improved.

Examples of the gas sensor 10 include a relative humidity sensor and an absolute humidity sensor manufactured by Matsushita Electric, and gas sensor #81 manufactured by Figaro.
3. An absolute deadness sensor made by Shibaura Denshi can be used.

Now, FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the control sequence of the present invention. The amount of steam generated from the object to be heated 7 changes over time as shown in FIG. Focusing on the way steam changes, the ratio of the detection time T1 at which a certain detection threshold α is detected by the gas sensor to the rise time t from steam generation to detection is determined by the physical quantity t/T1. The conventional method is to determine the presence or absence, and to calculate the additional heating time by switching between two different constants based on the determination result.

In this example, "t/T1=0. with cover.
04-0.3, t/T1=0.0 without cover.
46 to 1.0,” as an example of an experiment. If the threshold value is set to, for example, about 0.38, it is possible to determine whether there is a cover or not.

This t/T 1 value varies depending on the type of sensor employed, the mounting structure of the sensor, the detection threshold α, etc., but the inventor of the above example determined that after further detailed study,
It was found that there is a strong correlation between the t7''rI value and the heating state of the heated object at the detection time T1.

The following table contains some reheating data using a Matsushita Electric microwave oven equipped with an absolute humidity sensor.

Table These foods have different optimum values as shown in the table. There is no correlation between quantity and value.

Therefore, these have traditionally been divided into different keys.

Only the differences in values depending on the presence or absence of a cover could be combined into the same key using the conventional example.

However, when the relationship between the t/'i'1 value and the optimal value is plotted, it is found that there is a strong correlation between the two, as shown in FIG. In other words, there is a relationship =A(t/TI)+B (A, B: constants), and in this example, A=1.3 and B=-0,2. Also, since the value cannot be negative, it can be approximated by two straight broken lines.

Returning to Figure 1 again, if the cooking variable K is treated as a function x(t/T1) of t/T1 as described above, the heating daughter μ time To becomes TO=T1+K(t/T1) ・T1. Become.

With this control sequence, various optimal values as shown in the table above can be automatically and appropriately selected by focusing on the value t/T 1 . In other words, cooking keys that conventionally had to be subdivided for each type of food can be consolidated into one.

Next, FIG. 5 shows a flow chart of an embodiment of the control program when this control section is configured with a microcomputer.

First, the initialization program executes RUNL, clears RAM, resets output ports, etc. (A) Next, clocks are counted and basic data for various counters is created (B). Then, display data is output to display a predetermined display on the display section (C). Since dynamic lighting is normally used for general purpose, display data for this purpose is output. Then, it is checked whether the heating device is in operation (D), and when it is not in operation, the key input is captured and decoded (E).The cooking key and start key can be operated here. is decoded and processed.

When it is confirmed that it is in operation during the operation check (D), it is first determined whether it is before or after humidity detection (F).

The T1 time is counted until the humidity is detected, and the KTl time (additional heat time) is counted down after the humidity is detected.

To explain the control before humidity detection, first, it is checked whether the humidity change ΔH exceeds the humidity change threshold.

ΔH≧h (G) When this condition is satisfied, counting of the rise time t starts (H). The detection time T1 is counted regardless of the condition of the G term (I).

Next, it is checked whether the humidity change ΔH exceeds the detection threshold α.

ΔH≧α (I) The above T1 time counting routine is repeated until this is satisfied, and when this is satisfied, t/T is calculated, and based on this, K(t/TI).

KT[ is calculated one after another (K). Then, the humidity detection process ends, and the process shifts to additional heat control.

For additional heat control, additional heat time KTl is counted down.
'L (L)・It is executed by supplying power (M) until its contents become zero. It is also possible to consider a configuration in which the additional heat time is counted up and compared with the KTl time calculated using the K term, and if they match, it is determined that the heating has ended.

When the KTl time ends, termination processing such as notification by a buzzer is performed (N), and the process returns to 5TART.

As described above, according to the heating control sequence of the present invention, the value can be optimally selected depending on the heating state of the object to be heated.

Effects of the Invention As described above, the automatic heating device of the present invention includes a gas sensor, counts T1 time by the first counter means, t time by the second counter means, and counts t time by the calculation means.
/ T 1 , calculates the cooking variable K corresponding to this, and calculates the additional heat time KTl.The degree of warming of the object to be heated is determined by the t/T1 value, and the optimum value is selected. This allows automatic cooking, which previously had to be divided into multiple cooking keys, to be consolidated into a single key, making it possible to achieve optimal heating of a variety of foods, regardless of whether they are covered or not, and regardless of differences in quantity.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a chart showing a heating control method of an automatic heating device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same main body, Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the same configuration, and Fig. 4 is a t/TI value. A graph of experimental data showing the optimal value relationship between
(b) is a chart showing a conventional heating control method. 4...Cooking key, 5...Control unit, 6.
... Heating chamber, 7 ... Heated object, 9 ...
... High frequency generation means, 10 ... Gas sensor,
■...First counter means, H...Second counter means, K...Calculation means. Name of agent: Patent attorney Toshio Nakao and one other name
1 Diagram 1 --- Ohariya ■ Gwim K ("/rt) Tt ---1 Follow-up mouth fire tie A creation I value-
In No. 5y! J

Claims (1)

[Claims] A heating chamber in which an object to be heated is placed, a heating means coupled to the heating chamber, a control section for controlling power supply to the heating means, and a gas for detecting steam and various gases generated from the object to be heated. The controller is configured to control the time T until the value detected by the gas sensor reaches a certain threshold value.
a first counter means for counting _1, and detecting a point in time when the value detected by the gas sensor starts to change, or a certain point thereafter, and a time period from this point until the detected value reaches the threshold value; t or the time required to reach this point (T_1-t), and this is made into a variable that takes a different value depending on the ratio of (T_1-t) and T_1. and the time T_1 counted by the first counter means, and the automatic heating device is configured to generate additional heat by the product KT_1.