JP7108831B2 - heating cooker - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a heating cooker for heating food.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a heating cooker having an imaging unit for imaging the inside of a refrigerator. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a heating cooker having an imaging unit on the ceiling of a heating chamber. The cooking device has a shutter for protecting the photographing unit from flying objects such as steam and oil generated from the object to be heated.

JP-A-9-180876

However, in a configuration in which the shutter protects the photographing unit, the photographing unit becomes dirty with vapor, oil, and other flying substances when the shutter is opened.

In order to prevent this dirt, it is conceivable to provide a glass layer or the like instead of the shutter in front of the photographing section to protect the photographing section from dirt. However, such a method cannot prevent the glass layer from becoming dirty, so the accuracy of photographing the inside of the refrigerator decreases under continuous use conditions.

The heating cooker in the present disclosure includes a heating chamber in which an object to be heated is stored, a wall opening that is an opening provided in the wall of the heating chamber, and a support provided outside the heating chamber so as to cover the wall opening. The frame, the camera provided on the support frame so that the photographing surface faces the inside of the heating chamber through the wall opening, and the camera can be opened and closed so as to cover or open the photographing surface of the camera. It is equipped with a shutter provided in between and a blower fan that blows airflow toward the camera and the shutter.
The support frame takes in the airflow blown by the blower fan, guides it to the surface of the photographing surface of the camera, and then forms an air passage through the wall opening to exhaust it toward the heating chamber below. ing.

According to the present disclosure, the shutter is arranged in close contact with the photographing unit, and an air passage is formed through the surface of the shutter and the photographing unit to the inside of the refrigerator, so that the photographing unit can be protected from contamination. Thereby, the imaging accuracy of the heating cooker can be improved.

1 is a perspective view of a heating cooker according to one aspect of the present disclosure; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a heating cooker with a door opened according to one aspect of the present disclosure; FIG. Front view of a heating cooker with a door removed according to one aspect of the present disclosure 1 is a perspective view from below of a heating cooker with a door removed according to one aspect of the present disclosure; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a heating cooker with a portion of a housing removed according to one aspect of the present disclosure; FIG. FIG. 4 is a top view of a heating cooker with a portion of the housing removed according to one aspect of the present disclosure; Side cross-sectional view according to one aspect of the present disclosure Front cross-sectional view according to one aspect of the present disclosure Front cross-sectional view according to one aspect of the present disclosure 1 is a top view of main components according to one aspect of the present disclosure; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of main components according to one aspect of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an imaging unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure; FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view from below of an imaging unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is a perspective view from below of an imaging unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure; Side cross-sectional view of main components and surroundings according to one aspect of the present disclosure Front cross-sectional view of main components and surroundings according to one aspect of the present disclosure Explanatory diagram for explaining air passages according to one aspect of the present disclosure Explanatory diagram for explaining air passages according to one aspect of the present disclosure Explanatory diagram for explaining air passages according to one aspect of the present disclosure

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a heating cooker includes a heating chamber in which an object to be heated is stored, a wall opening that is an opening provided in a wall of the heating chamber, and an outside of the heating chamber so as to cover the wall opening. and the camera provided on the support frame so that the imaging surface faces the inside of the heating chamber through the wall opening, and the imaging surface of the camera can be opened and closed to cover or open. , a shutter provided between the wall opening and the camera, and a blower fan for blowing airflow toward the camera and the shutter. The support frame forms an air passage for sucking the airflow blown by the blower fan, guiding it to the surface of the photographing surface of the camera, and then exhausting it toward the heating chamber through the wall opening. As a result, the camera and shutter can be protected from flying objects such as steam and oil generated from the object to be heated.

Also, the wall of the heating chamber may be the upper wall of the heating chamber. As a result, the inside of the heating chamber can be photographed with high accuracy while protecting the camera and the shutter from flying objects such as steam and oil generated from the object to be heated.

In addition, the wall opening is provided on the front side of the center of the heating chamber in the front-rear direction, and the imaging surface is inclined so that the imaging direction perpendicular to the imaging surface is rearward from the vertical direction of the heating chamber. , may be provided on the support frame. As a result, the influence of external light entering from the front side of the heating chamber can be suppressed, and high-precision photography can be performed.

In addition, the blower fan blows air from the left and right toward the support frame, and the support frame takes in the airflow blown from the blower fan, guides it to the surface of the imaging surface of the camera, and then through the wall opening, An air passage may be formed to exhaust air toward the lower heating chamber. As a result, the camera and the blower fan can be arranged in a narrow space, avoiding the vicinity of the approximate center in the top view.

Further, the open position of the shutter may be located downstream of the shielding position, where the air current flows in the air passage. As a result, the shutter can be stably opened even in a state where an air current is generated.

Also, the rotation axis of the shutter may be positioned above the camera. This allows the shutter to rotate with little energy and with high reliability.

Also, a motor for driving the opening and closing of the shutter may be provided on the upper outer surface of the support frame. As a result, it is possible to suppress the heat generated by the motor from affecting the camera. Also, the motor can be arranged in a narrow space.

In addition to blowing air into the air passage, the blower fan may also blow air toward the upper outer surface of the support frame. As a result, the camera, the camera board, and the motor can be cooled, and the reliability of photographing can be improved.

In addition, from the peripheral edge of the wall opening, there is provided a recessed wall surface that is concave toward the camera side. A recessed bottom opening, which is an opening smaller than the cross-sectional area of the face, may be provided. This prevents microwaves from leaking out of the heating chamber and allows the interior of the heating chamber to be photographed at a wider angle.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, a heating cooker according to one aspect of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[overall structure]
1 to 19 show a cooking device according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , the heating cooker 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure includes a housing 100, a heating chamber 110 arranged in the housing 100, and a front frame 101 serving as the front surface of the housing 100. and a door 120 that openably and closably covers the front opening 102 located at the bottom.

In the description of the present disclosure, the front opening 102 side of the heating cooker 1 is the front side, and the opposite inner side is the rear side. When viewed from the front side, that is, when viewed from the front, the top side of the heating cooker 1 is the upper side, and the bottom side is the lower side. When viewed from the front, the right direction of the heating cooker 1 is defined as the right side, and the left direction is defined as the left side.

In addition, when viewing the heating cooker 1 from the front, the right direction is the X direction, and the left direction is the -X direction. The rearward direction of the heating cooker 1 is the Y direction, and the forward direction is the -Y direction. The upward direction of the heating cooker 1 is the Z direction, and the downward direction is the -Z direction.

The heating chamber 110 has an upper wall 111a, left and right side walls 111b and 111c, a rear wall 111d, and a bottom wall 111e. and a space is formed therein.

The door 120 is attached to the housing 100 on the left side of the front opening 102 so as to be openable and closable at the center of rotation in the vertical direction. The door 120 has a handle 121 on the right end of the front surface. When the handle 121 is pulled by the user, the door 120 is rotated and the front opening 102 is opened. Also, the front opening 102 is closed by the user pushing the handle 121 . The door 120 is provided with a glass window 122 so that the user can check the conditions inside the heating chamber 110 .

An operation unit 130 having a horizontally long shape when viewed from the front is provided on the upper front portion of the housing 100 and above the door 120 . The operation unit 130 has a plurality of operation switches 131 for the user to set cooking details, and a plurality of display units 132 for displaying the operation status to the user. Each operation switch 131 is a button for selecting various information, a start button for starting cooking, and the like. The display unit 132 displays the operating state of the heating cooker 1, the operation state of the operation switch 131, and the like. Each operation switch 131 and display section are controlled by the control section 105 . The control unit 105 may be configured by, for example, a CPU, microcomputer, or hardware logic.

Heating cooker 1 supplies at least one of microwaves (high frequency), radiant heat, hot air, and steam to heat an object placed on the bottom of heating chamber 110 . For this purpose, the heating cooker 1 includes a high-frequency generator having a magnetron 106 that generates microwaves, an upper heater unit (not shown) that heats the object to be heated with radiant heat, and a heating chamber 110 that circulates hot air. At least one of a convection heater unit (not shown) and a steam generating section (not shown) for generating steam in the heating chamber 110 is provided as a heating section as a heating means. In the present disclosure, as will be described later, two magnetrons 106 are provided as heating units.

As shown in FIG. 4, the upper wall 111a of the heating chamber 110 is provided with a wall opening 112 as an opening. A concave wall recess 113 is provided upward from the peripheral edge of the wall opening 112 . As will be described later, the wall surface recess 113 is formed in a concave shape that narrows obliquely upward from the periphery of the wall surface opening 112 provided in the upper wall 111 a of the heating chamber 110 .

A concave bottom opening 114 that is an opening for photographing is provided at the concave bottom of the wall surface concave portion 113, that is, on the upper side. A side wall of the recessed wall surface 113 has a tapered shape that narrows from the side of the heating chamber 110 toward the side of the wall surface opening 112 .

Below the upper wall 111a, a substantially flat plate-shaped top plate portion 140 is provided so as to provide a gap with the upper wall 111a and to be parallel to the upper wall 111a. A top plate opening 141 is provided as an opening on the front side of the top plate portion 140 .

5 to 11, the arrangement of the photographing unit 150, the air blowing unit 160, and the illumination unit 170 will be described below.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cooking device 1 with the top and side surfaces of the housing 100 removed, and FIG. 6 is a top view of the housing 100 with the top and side surfaces removed.

7 is a cross-sectional view along C1-C1 in FIG. 6, FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view along C2-C2 in FIG. 6, and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view along C3-C3.

FIG. 10 is a top view enlarging the periphery of the main parts, and FIG. 11 is a perspective view enlarging the periphery of the main parts.

As shown in FIGS. 5 to 9, the rear portion of the heating cooker 1 is provided with two magnetrons 106, one above the other. Each magnetron 106 is connected to a respective waveguide 107 that transmits microwaves. Each waveguide 107 is connected to each radiation opening 108 arranged substantially in the center in the heating chamber 110 when viewed from above.

Microwaves generated by the magnetron 106 are radiated into the heating chamber 110 from above and below via the respective waveguides 107 and radiation openings 108 . An object to be heated can be heated uniformly by radiating microwaves from above and below.

Further, since the radiation opening 108 is arranged substantially in the center of the heating chamber 110 when viewed from above, the microwaves can be uniformly radiated into the heating chamber 110 .

Furthermore, in the vicinity of the radiation opening 108, a stirrer 109, which is an antenna, is provided for stirring the microwaves radiated from the radiation opening 108 and heating the object to be heated more uniformly.

As shown in FIGS. 5 to 11, above the heating chamber 110, an imaging unit 150 and a blower unit 160 are provided.

A lighting unit 170 (illumination unit 17
0a, an illumination unit 170b) is provided.

The imaging unit 150 has a support frame 151 , a camera board 153 , a camera 154 , a shutter 155 and a drive motor 156 . The details of the configuration will be described later.

The photographing unit 150 is provided so as to cover the wall recess 113 on the upper surface of the heating chamber 110 with a support frame 151 . The photographing unit 150 is attached so as to face the inside of the heating chamber 110 from the front side of the upper wall 111a of the heating chamber 110 .

Since the photographing unit 150 is provided on the upper wall of the heating chamber 110, that is, on the ceiling side, the photographing unit 150 can photograph an image at an angle and position in which the heating chamber 110 is directed downward. As a result, the state of the upper side of the object to be heated can be photographed with higher accuracy, that is, with higher resolution and less trapezoidal distortion.

Such a configuration for photographing from the upper wall of the heating chamber 110 is used for applications such as recognizing characters and symbols written on the upper surface of the object to be heated with high accuracy, recognizing the type of ingredients of the object to be heated, and It is particularly effective in applications such as recognizing the shape and size of an object and recognizing the heating state of an object to be heated.

The heating cooker 1 according to the present disclosure can improve convenience for users in business use such as convenience stores and home use.

However, in the configuration in which the photographing unit 150 is provided on the upper wall surface, the photographing unit 150 may become dirty due to steam and scattered matter from the object to be heated, resulting in a problem of deterioration in photographing accuracy. The details of this countermeasure will be described later.

Also, the imaging unit 150 is provided on the front side of the upper wall 111 a of the heating chamber 110 . Further, the photographing surface of the camera 154 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane so that the photographing direction is directed toward the substantially central direction of the bottom wall 111 e of the heating chamber 110 . As a result, the photographing unit 150 can be arranged in a narrow space, avoiding the vicinity of the approximate center in the top view where the radiation opening 108 for emitting microwaves, which is an example of the heating unit, is arranged. In addition, the entire inside of the heating chamber 110 can be photographed with high accuracy while avoiding the vicinity of the center.

In addition, since the photographing unit 150 is provided so that the photographing direction is tilted toward the rear side from the vertical direction, it is possible to suppress the external light entering from the glass window 122 of the door 120 from affecting the photographing. . In other words, it is possible to prevent the external light entering through the glass window 122 from directly or indirectly appearing in the image captured by the camera 154 with high luminance, thereby avoiding deterioration of the capturing accuracy.

The air blower 160 has a fan case 161 , a fan 162 and an air outlet 163 . Details will be described later.

A fan 162 is provided inside the fan case 161 . The fan case has an exhaust port 163 for blowing air. The fan 162 is driven by a DC motor (not shown) to generate airflow for blowing air. Fan 162 is driven based on an instruction from control unit 105 .

The blower unit 160 is provided at a position in front of the upper wall 111a of the heating chamber 110 and at a position in the horizontal direction of the photographing unit 150 . Furthermore, as will be described later, the exhaust port 163 of the air blowing unit 160 and the intake port 151e of the photographing unit 150 are provided facing each other in the left-right direction. i.e.
The air is blown from the air blowing unit 160 to the photographing unit 150 substantially along the horizontal direction. As a result, the air blowing section 160 can be arranged in a narrow space, avoiding the vicinity of the approximate center in the top view where the radiation opening 108 for radiating microwaves, which is an example of the heating section, is arranged.

In addition, since the air outlet 163 of the air blower 160 and the air inlet 151e of the photographing unit 150 are provided facing each other, air can be blown from the air blower 160 to the photographing unit 150 more linearly. As a result, pressure loss due to bending of the air passage can be prevented, and strong air can be blown to the imaging unit 150 .

The fan 162 is provided inside the fan case 161 so as to rotate in the vertical direction. Thereby, the main surface of the fan case 161 can be arranged horizontally along the upper wall of the heating chamber 110 . Therefore, the air blower 160 can be arranged in a space-saving manner also in the vertical direction.

The lighting section 170 has an LED as a light emitting element.

The lighting unit 170 is arranged so that the light emission direction faces the interior of the heating chamber 110 so as to illuminate the object to be heated within the heating chamber 110 . Light emission of illumination unit 170 is controlled based on an instruction from control unit 105 .

The illumination unit 170 is arranged rearward from the approximate center of the upper wall 111a of the heating chamber 110 when viewed from above. The illumination unit 170 and the photographing unit 150 are arranged at positions sandwiching the waveguide 107 arranged obliquely with respect to the front-rear direction in a top view. The illumination unit 170 and the imaging unit 150 are arranged at positions sandwiching the radiation aperture 108 when viewed from above. As a result, the illumination section 170 can be arranged in a narrow space, avoiding the vicinity of the approximate center in top view where various parts are arranged.

[Main part configuration]
The photographing unit 150, the air blowing unit 160, and their surroundings will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 12 to 16. FIG.

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the photographing unit 150. As shown in FIG. 13 and 14 are perspective views of the imaging unit 150 from below. As will be described later, FIG. 13 shows a state in which the shutter 155 is positioned at the open position, and FIG. 14 shows a state in which the shutter 155 is positioned at the closed position. FIG. 15 is an enlarged view of the imaging unit 150 and its surroundings in FIG. FIG. 16 is an enlarged view of the imaging unit 150 and its surroundings in FIG.

The imaging unit 150 has a support frame 151 , a camera board 153 , a camera 154 , a shutter 155 and a drive motor 156 .

A support frame 151 forming a frame of the imaging unit 150 is made of resin. Therefore, in supporting the camera substrate 153, the camera substrate 153 can be sufficiently insulated, and the camera 154 can be installed with high accuracy in the photographing direction.

The support frame 151 supports the camera substrate 153, the shutter 155, and the drive motor 156, and constitutes a first air passage 200 through which the air from the air blower 160 is blown. Details of the first air passage 200 will be described later.

The support frame 151 has a top wall 151a, a front side wall 151b, a rear side wall 151c, and a left side wall 151d.

The upper wall 151 a has a substantially rectangular plate-like main portion and forms an upper wall of the support frame 151 . A photographing opening 152, which is an opening for photographing, is formed in a substantially central portion of the upper wall 151a.

The front side wall 151 b and the rear side wall 151 c are arranged to face each other and form front side and rear side walls of the support frame 151 . In the present disclosure, the height of the front wall 151b is formed to be lower than the height of the rear wall 151c.

As a result, the upper wall 151a of the support frame 151 is inclined with respect to the upper wall 111a of the heating chamber 110 .

The left side wall 151 d forms the left side wall of the support frame 151 . The side facing the left side wall 151d is open and forms an intake port 151e as will be described later.

The support frame 151 is fixed by contacting the upper surface of the upper wall 111a of the heating chamber 110 at the lower ends of the front wall 151b, the rear wall 151c, and the left wall 151d.

The upper wall 151a, the front wall 151b, the rear wall 151c of the support frame 151, and the upper wall 111a of the heating chamber 110 form an intake port 151e as an opening on the side facing the left wall 151d of the support frame 151. . The intake port 151 e is an intake port for drawing air into the support frame 151 . An intake port 151 e of the support frame 151 is arranged to face the exhaust port 163 of the fan 162 .

The camera substrate 153 has a substantially rectangular flat plate shape, and the camera 154 is attached substantially in the center of the surface that becomes the lower side when the support frame 151 is installed on the upper wall 111 a of the heating chamber 110 .

The camera 154 has a substantially circular imaging surface. As an imaging element (not shown) of the camera 154, for example, a CCD, a CMOS, or the like is used. A condensing lens (not shown) is provided on the imaging direction side of the imaging device. Camera 154 photographs the interior of heating chamber 110 based on an instruction from control unit 105 .

The camera board 153 is attached to the support frame 151 so that the photographing direction of the camera 154 faces the inside of the heating chamber 110 . The camera board 153 is attached to the support frame 151 so that the camera 154 is fitted into the photographing opening 152 of the support frame 151 .

The camera substrate 153 is attached to the support frame 151 so that the photographing opening 152, the concave bottom opening 114, and the wall surface opening 112 are aligned in the photographing direction of the camera 154, that is, in the optical axis direction.

As a result, the camera 154 can view the inside of the heating chamber 110 and take an image of the inside of the heating chamber 110 .

A shutter 155 and a drive motor 156 are provided on the upper wall 151 a of the support frame 151 .

The shutter 155 is a member that shields or opens the imaging surface of the camera 154 so that it can be opened and closed. The shutter 155 is rotatably attached to the lower surface of the upper wall 151a of the support frame 151. As shown in FIG. Further, the shutter 155 is provided in the imaging direction of the camera 154 and on the heating chamber 110 side so as to be able to cover the camera 154 .

The shutter 155 is a substantially rectangular flat plate, and both ends in the longitudinal direction are formed in an arc shape. The shutter 155 rotates along the surface of the upper wall 151a of the support frame 151 between the open position and the shielding position, with the rotating shaft located on the upper side in the longitudinal direction as the center of rotation. The shutter 155 is made of resin.

Here, the open position is a position where the shutter 155 does not cover the shooting opening 152 of the support frame 151, as shown in FIG.

The shielding position is a position where the shutter 155 covers the shooting opening 152 of the support frame 151 as shown in FIG.

In the present disclosure, the open position is a position closer to the left side wall 151d of the support frame 151 than the camera 154 is. That is, it is downstream of the camera 154 in the first air passage 200 . As a result, the shutter 155 can be stably opened even in a state in which an airflow is generated in the first air passage 200 . That is, the shutter 155 can protect the camera 154 by shielding the imaging aperture 152 at the shielding position. Further, by opening the photographing opening 152 at the open position of the shutter 155 , an image inside the heating chamber 110 can be photographed by the camera 154 .

Also, the shutter 155 is arranged on a plane that is substantially in close contact with the camera 154 in the shooting direction of the camera 154 . That is, the shutter 155 can more reliably protect the camera 154 from flying objects such as steam and oil at the shielding position.

The rotating shaft of the shutter 155 is arranged above the camera 154 on the upper wall 151 a of the support frame 151 . Thereby, the shutter 155 can be rotated with less energy and with high reliability.

The drive motor 156 is attached to the upper surface of the upper wall 151 a of the support frame 151 .

A rotating shaft of the drive motor 156 is connected to a rotating shaft of the shutter 155 . As a result, the drive motor 156 operates to rotate the shutter 155 . Drive motor 156 rotates to open and close shutter 155 based on an instruction from control unit 105 .

The drive motor 156 holds the closed position and the open/closed position by internal magnetic force. As a result, noise generation can be suppressed as compared with a holding method using an electric spring or the like, which requires current during holding. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the photographing accuracy due to noise in the photographed image.

The drive motor 156 is a heating element for driving the motor. The drive motor 156 and the camera 154 are arranged so as to face upside down with respect to the upper wall 151a of the support frame 151 . Therefore, it is possible to suppress the heat generated by the drive motor 156 from affecting the camera 154 .

Further, since the drive motor 156 is attached to the upper surface of the upper wall 151a of the support frame 151, the support frame 151 can be arranged in a narrow space when viewed from above.

In addition, the drive motor 156 is attached to the upper wall 151a that is inclined in the front-rear direction. As a result, the drive motor 156 can be arranged in a narrow space in the vertical direction as well.

Further, the drive motor 156 is arranged on the upper wall 151a where the camera 154 is arranged. That is, the rotating shaft of the drive motor 156 is arranged perpendicular to the camera 154 . As a result, the photographing surface of the camera 154 and the shutter 155 connected to the driving motor 156 can be arranged substantially parallel with high accuracy.

As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the upper wall 111a of the heating chamber 110 is provided with a wall surface opening 112 as an opening. Furthermore, a wall recess 113 is provided to cover the wall opening 112 . A concave bottom opening 114 that is an opening for photographing is provided at the concave bottom of the wall surface concave portion 113, that is, on the upper side.

The side wall of the recessed wall surface 113 has a tapered shape that narrows from the side of the heating chamber 110 toward the side of the recessed bottom opening 114 . The concave bottom opening 114 is arranged to face the vicinity of the camera 154 . In addition, the cross-sectional area of the opening surface of the recessed bottom opening 114 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the opening surface of the wall surface opening 112 . By making the opening smaller in this way, it is possible to further suppress the leakage of microwaves from inside the heating chamber 110 .

In addition, the peripheral edge of the recessed bottom opening 114 has a ring-shaped protrusion directed upward. Thereby, it is possible to further suppress the leakage of microwaves from the heating chamber 110 .

Since the recessed bottom opening 114 is arranged near the camera 154 and the cross-sectional area of the wall surface opening 112 is larger than the recessed bottom opening 114, the interior of the heating chamber 110 can be photographed at a wider angle.

[Action]
Hereinafter, the operation of the heating cooker 1 of the present disclosure will be described mainly using FIGS. 17 to 19. FIG.

FIG. 17 is a schematic top view for explaining the photographing unit 150 and the air blowing unit 160. As shown in FIG.

FIG. 18 is a schematic cross-sectional view from the front explaining the first air passage 200 and the second air passage 201. FIG.

FIG. 19 is a schematic cross-sectional view from the side explaining the first air passage 200 and the second air passage 201. FIG.

The first air passage 200 and the second air passage 201 will be described below.

The support frame 151, the upper wall 111a of the heating chamber 110, and the recessed wall surface 113 form a first air passage 200 as an air blowing passage.

The first air passage 200 uses the intake port 151e of the support frame 151 as an intake port, passes through the space formed by the inside of the support frame 151 and the upper wall 111a of the heating chamber 110, and further through the recessed bottom opening 114. It is an air passage that passes through the space in the wall surface recess 113 and uses the wall surface opening 112 as an exhaust port. That is, the first air passage 200 is an air passage through which the air sucked from the intake port 151 e is exhausted from the wall surface opening 112 into the heating chamber 110 through the vicinity of the camera 154 . Thus, the first air passage 200 bends the airflow from the left and right directions of the heating chamber 110 downward of the heating chamber 110 .

The second air passage 201 is an air passage outside the first air passage 200 and flowing along the top wall 151 a of the support frame 151 . That is, the second air passage 201 is an air passage that passes through the surface of the camera substrate 153 on which the camera 154 is not installed and the vicinity of the drive motor 156 .

The cross-sectional area of the opening surface of the intake port 151 e of the photographing unit 150 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the opening surface of the exhaust port 163 of the blower unit 160 . Thus, one air blower 160 can be used to blow air to two air passages, that is, the first air passage 200 and the second air passage 201 .

In addition, the cross-sectional area of the opening of the exhaust port 163 of the air blower 160, the cross-sectional area of the opening of the air inlet 151e of the support frame 151, and the cross-sectional area of the opening of the recessed bottom opening 114 are arranged so as to decrease in order. formed. That is, the three openings along the flow path direction of the first air passage 200 are formed such that the cross-sectional area decreases in order toward the downstream. As a result, the airflow blown from the blower unit 160 can be blown from the vicinity of the photographing unit 150 toward the inside of the heating chamber 110 at an increased flow velocity. Therefore, the imaging unit 150 can be better protected from steam and flying objects toward the imaging unit 150 .

Blower unit 160 rotates fan 162 based on an instruction from control unit 105 . The rotation of the fan 162 causes an airflow from the exhaust port 163 of the air blower 160 .

A part of the airflow discharged from the air outlet 163 flows into the air inlet 151 e that is the air inlet of the first air passage 200 . The rest of the airflow flows to the second air passage 201 side, which is the outside of the first air passage 200 .

The airflow that has flowed into the support frame 151 is guided by the upper wall 151 a , the front wall 151 b and the rear wall 151 c of the support frame 151 and flows toward the camera 154 and the shutter 155 .

When the shutter 155 is in the open position, part of the incoming airflow flows along the surface of the shutter 155 and the imaging surface of the camera 154 . When the shutter 155 is positioned at the shielding position, part of the incoming airflow flows along the surface of the shutter 155 . This airflow can protect the image pickup surface of the camera 154 and the surface of the shutter from flying objects such as steam and oil generated from the object to be heated.

The airflow that has flowed into the first air passage 200 is directed downward in the vicinity of the camera 154 and flows into the recessed wall surface 113 through the recessed bottom opening 114 . Furthermore, the airflow that has flowed into the wall surface recess 113 is exhausted into the heating chamber 110 via the wall surface opening 112 .

In this way, the airflow that has flowed into the support frame 151 from the intake port 151e of the first air passage 200 forms an airflow along the camera 154 and the shutter 155, and then flows downward toward the heating chamber 110, that is, in the photographing direction of the camera 154. It bends toward the side and flows into the heating chamber 110 .

In this way, the airflow from the camera 154 side to the heating chamber 110 side can suppress scattering objects such as steam and oil from flying toward the camera 154 and the shutter 155 . Additionally, the airflow along the camera 154 and shutter 155 surfaces may protect and clean the camera 154 and shutter 155 surfaces. Furthermore, the air flow from the camera 154 side to the heating chamber 110 side dissipates scattered matter such as steam in the photographing direction, and the field of view of the camera 154 can be made clearer. Also, the camera 154 can be cooled by the airflow along the imaging surface of the camera 154 . As a result, the photographing unit 150 can photograph the interior of the heating chamber 110 with higher accuracy.

Further, the shutter 155 is positioned in the first air passage 200 above the upper wall 111 a of the heating chamber 110 , and the airflow in the first air passage 200 flows on the heating chamber 110 side of the shutter 155 . That is, an air passage is formed between the upper wall 111 a of the heating chamber 110 and the shutter 155 . Therefore, in addition to the camera 154, the shutter 155 is also protected from flying objects such as steam and oil. As a result, it is possible to prevent the shutter 155, which is a movable member, from being soiled and reducing the reliability of its operation.

The airflow toward the second air passage 201 flows along the top wall 151 a of the support frame 151 toward the surface of the camera substrate 153 on which the camera 154 is not installed and toward the drive motor 156 . This makes it possible to cool the camera 154 and the camera substrate 153, which are made of semiconductors that are vulnerable to high temperatures. Therefore, highly reliable imaging can be performed. Further, since the driving motor 156, which is a heating element having a motor coil, can be cooled, malfunction of the motor due to high temperature can be suppressed. Therefore, the reliability of opening and closing the shutter 155 can be further enhanced.

The photographing operation of the photographing unit 150 will be described below.

During shooting, the blower unit 160 rotates the fan 162 based on an instruction from the control unit 105 . Note that the control unit 105 may rotate the fan 162 immediately before photographing, or may rotate the fan 162 continuously while photographing is not performed.

Furthermore, the imaging unit 150 rotates the drive motor 156 based on the instruction from the control unit 105 . This causes the shutter 155 to rotate to the open position as shown in FIGS. At this time, the photographing surface of the camera 154 is exposed toward the heating chamber 110 . However, the blower unit 160 and the first air passage 200 form an airflow from the camera 154 toward the heating chamber 110 . Therefore, it is possible to prevent the camera 154 from being soiled by steam or scattered matter from the object to be heated.

Further, the camera 154 photographs the heating chamber 110 based on an instruction from the control unit 105 . After photographing, the driving motor 156 is rotated to rotate the shutter 155 to the blocking position based on the instruction from the control unit 105 . As a result, the photographing surface of the camera 154 is shielded from the heating chamber 110 . Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent the imaging surface of the camera 154 from being soiled by steam or scattered matter from the object to be heated. In addition, even when the fan 162 is stopped and no airflow is generated in the first air passage 200, it is possible to reliably prevent the imaging surface of the camera 154 from being soiled.

The airflow in the first air passage 200 passes through not only the photographing plane of the camera 154 but also the upper and lower peripheral surfaces of the shutter 155 and the rotation axis. As a result, it is possible to prevent the shutter 155, which is a movable member, from being soiled. As a result, the reliability of the opening/closing operation of the shutter 155, which is an operating member, can be improved.

(Other embodiments)
As described above, the above embodiment has been described as an example of the technology disclosed in the present application. However, the technology in the present disclosure is not limited to this, and can also be applied to embodiments in which changes, replacements, additions, omissions, etc. are made as appropriate.

Therefore, other embodiments will be exemplified below.

In the above-described embodiment, blower section 160 is arranged on the right side of photographing section 150 . However, the blower unit 160 may be arranged on the left side with respect to the photographing unit 150 .

In the above embodiment, the height of the front side wall 151b of the support frame 151 is formed to be lower than the height of the rear side wall 151c. However, the height of the front side wall 151b and the height of the rear side wall 151c may be formed at the same height. Also, the height of the front side wall 151b may be formed to be higher than the height of the rear side wall 151c.

Further, the support frame 151 has the front wall 151b, and the lower end of the front wall 151b is fixed in contact with the upper wall 111a of the heating chamber 110. As shown in FIG. However, one end of the upper wall 111a of the support frame 151 may be fixed in contact with the upper wall 111a of the heating chamber 110 without the support frame 151 having the front side wall 151b.

Moreover, the form in which the support frame 151 is fixed in contact with the upper wall 111a of the heating chamber 110 is disclosed. However, the support frame 151 may be attached to the upper wall 111a of the heating chamber 110 via a support member such as a base.

In the above embodiment, the shutter 155 is of a rotating type along the photographing plane. However, the shutter may be configured to reciprocate along the photographing plane. Alternatively, a hinged door type or the like may be used in which the rotation axis is parallel to the photographing surface.

Further, as the driving motor 156 for opening and closing the shutter 155, a rotary DC motor is used. However, a linear motor or the like may be used as long as the moving member can open and close the shutter.

In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the second air passage 201 is provided on the downstream side of the air blower 160 is shown. However, the exhaust port 163 of the air blower 160 and the intake port 151e of the support frame 151 may be directly connected without providing a branch route of the air passage. That is, a configuration in which the second air passage 201 is not provided may be adopted.

Moreover, the structure having a gap between the exhaust port 163 of the air blower 160 and the intake port 151e of the support frame 151 is shown. However, the exhaust port 163 of the air blower 160 and the intake port 151e of the support frame 151 may be formed as an air passage that directly connects.

In the above-described embodiment, the air blown from the air blowing unit 160 toward the photographing unit 150 is configured to be in the horizontal direction when viewed from the top. However, in a configuration in which the heating unit is not arranged near the center of the upper wall 111a when viewed from the top, the air blown from the blower unit 160 toward the imaging unit 150 may be configured along a direction other than the horizontal direction when viewed from the top. .

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present disclosure is applicable to a heating cooker that captures an image of the inside of the refrigerator using an imaging unit.

1 heating cooker 100 housing 101 front frame 102 front opening 105 control section 106 magnetron (heating section)
107 waveguide (heating part)
108 radiation opening (heating part)
109 stirrer 110 heating chamber 111a top wall 111b left side wall 111c right side wall 111d back wall 111e bottom wall 112 wall surface opening 113 wall surface recess 114 recessed bottom opening 120 door 121 handle 122 glass window 130 operation unit 131 operation switch 132 display unit 140 top plate unit 141 top plate opening 150 photographing unit 151 support frame 151a upper wall 151b front wall 151c rear wall 151d left wall 151e intake port 152 photographing opening 153 camera board 154 camera 155 shutter 156 drive motor (motor)
160 blower (blower fan)
161 fan case 162 fan 163 exhaust port 170, 170a, 170b lighting unit 200 first air passage (air passage)
201 second air passage

Claims (8)

a heating chamber in which objects to be heated are stored;
a wall opening that is an opening provided in the upper wall of the heating chamber;
a support frame provided outside the heating chamber so as to cover the wall opening;
a camera provided on the support frame so that a photographing surface faces the inside of the heating chamber through the wall opening;
a shutter that can be opened and closed so as to cover or open an imaging surface of the camera and is provided between the wall opening and the camera;
a blower fan for blowing airflow toward the camera and the shutter, the blower fan blowing air toward the support frame from the left and right directions,
The support frame draws in the airflow blown from the blower fan, guides it to the surface of the photographing surface of the camera, and then forms an airflow path through the wall opening to exhaust the airflow toward the heating chamber located below . forming,
heating cooker. a heating chamber in which objects to be heated are stored;
a wall opening that is an opening provided in the upper wall of the heating chamber;
a support frame provided outside the heating chamber so as to cover the wall opening;
a camera provided on the support frame so that a photographing surface faces the inside of the heating chamber through the wall opening;
a shutter that can be opened and closed so as to cover or open an imaging surface of the camera and is provided between the wall opening and the camera;
and a blower fan for blowing an airflow toward the camera and the shutter, and the support frame sucks the airflow blown from the blower fan and guides it to the surface of the photographing surface of the camera. Forming an air passage for exhausting air in the direction of the heating chamber through the wall opening,
A recessed wall surface is provided that is recessed from the peripheral edge of the wall opening toward the camera side,
A recessed bottom opening that is parallel to the photographing surface of the camera and has a smaller cross-sectional area than the opening surface of the wall surface opening is provided at the bottom of the wall surface recess on the camera side,
heating cooker. The wall opening is provided on the front side of the center in the front-rear direction of the heating chamber,
The imaging plane is provided on the support frame so that the imaging direction orthogonal to the imaging plane is inclined toward the rear side with respect to the vertical direction of the heating chamber.
The heating cooker according to claim 1 or 2 . The open position of the shutter is located downstream of the shielding position where the airflow of the air passage flows,
The heating cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . the rotation axis of the shutter is positioned above the camera;
The heating cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 4 . A motor for driving opening and closing of the shutter is provided on the upper outer surface of the support frame,
The heating cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 5 . The blower fan blows air toward the upper outer surface of the support frame in addition to blowing air into the air passage.
The heating cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 6 . a housing;
a heating chamber that is arranged in the housing and stores an object to be heated;
a door provided with a translucent glass window that covers the front opening serving as the front surface of the housing;
a wall opening that is an opening provided in the upper wall of the heating chamber;
a support frame provided outside the heating chamber so as to cover the wall opening;
a camera provided on the support frame so that a photographing surface faces the inside of the heating chamber through the wall opening;
a shutter that can be opened and closed so as to cover or open an imaging surface of the camera and is provided between the wall opening and the camera;
and a blower fan for blowing an airflow toward the camera and the shutter, and the support frame sucks the airflow blown from the blower fan and guides it to the surface of the photographing surface of the camera. Forming an air passage for exhausting air in the direction of the heating chamber through the wall opening,
The wall opening is provided on the front side of the center in the front-rear direction of the heating chamber,
The camera is provided on the support frame so that an imaging direction orthogonal to an imaging plane of the camera is inclined rearward from a vertical direction of the heating chamber.
heating cooker.

Images