JP7445972B2 - Heater - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an auxiliary device that is used with a cooking container that is not heated by IH (electromagnetic induction heating) and that heats the cooking container.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-239298 discloses a technique that includes a plate into which food is put and a saucer installed below the plate, and indirectly heats the plate by heating the saucer by electromagnetic induction. Those described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2007-117101 (Patent Document 2), and WO2013/146794 are known. These plates have a flat circular bottom plate and a side wall rising upward from the entire circumference of the bottom plate, and are open at the top and used exclusively for grilling such as grilled meat.

JP2006-239298A Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-117101 WO2013/146794 publication

By the way, before electromagnetic induction heating devices, also called IH, became popular, it was customary to cook with a gas fire. For example, it is known that cooking white rice in an earthenware pot over a gas fire makes the rice shiny, gives it a nice texture when chewing, and makes it very delicious. It is also said that when cooking brown rice, it is most delicious to use a clay pot. Therefore, even though IH has become popular these days, there are still a certain number of users who prefer cooking in clay pots.

Unlike the above-mentioned grill cooking plate, the earthenware pot has a side wall that stands up higher than the radius of the bottom plate, and a circular lid member is placed on the upper edge of the side wall. The lid member is made of the same material as the main body of the clay pot, has a certain amount of weight, and does not easily shift or open when viewed from the main body.

Recently, some users who prefer to cook with heat-resistant ceramics such as earthenware pots have started to request that they use electromagnetic induction heating devices instead of gas fires, while still using conventional heat-resistant ceramics that are compatible with gas fires. Even with such so-called IH cooking, there is a desire to cook food deliciously at the same level as with a gas fire.

However, conventional heat-resistant ceramics cannot be heated by IH. Note that even when heat-resistant ceramics are heated using the saucers of Patent Documents 1 to 3, the heat is conducted only to the bottom surface of the earthenware pot and is difficult to conduct to the side walls of the earthenware pot. For this reason, for example, when attempting to cook white rice, the rice grains that come into contact with the bottom plate of the earthenware pot become charred, resulting in the rice not being cooked deliciously.

Furthermore, since the sensitivity of electromagnetic induction heating devices differs from one to another, heating by IH may not be possible even with the trays of Patent Documents 1 to 3. Therefore, it is possible to make the bottom wall of the saucer even thinner and heat the heat generating plate of the saucer by electromagnetic induction, but the amount of heat is insufficient and the food cannot be cooked as deliciously as in a traditional clay pot that is heated by fire. .

In view of the above-mentioned fact that cooking containers made of non-conductive insulating materials, such as earthenware pots and glass pots made of heat-resistant materials, cannot be heated with IH, the present invention has been developed for cooking containers made of heat-resistant pottery, heat-resistant glass pots, etc. that have deeper bottoms than usual. The first objective is to provide a technique that enables delicious IH cooking in a pot or a cooking container that cannot be heated using IH.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a heater capable of IH heating with all electromagnetic induction heating devices, regardless of the sensitivity of each electromagnetic induction heating device.

For this purpose, the heater according to the present invention has a bottom wall portion having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a central opening, a side wall portion rising from the outer edge of the bottom wall portion, and A heat-resistant main body having a protrusion protruding from the inner edge of the bottom wall toward the center opening, a heating plate made of a material that is heated by electromagnetic induction and placed on the top surface of the bottom wall so as to close the center opening, and a center opening. A support plate made of a non-combustible material is placed inside the center opening and supported by the protrusion from below, and an insulating material made of inorganic fiber is placed inside the central opening and supported by the support plate from below. A cooking container placed on the top surface of the plate and surrounded by the side wall is heated.

According to the present invention, since the side wall portion of the main body surrounds the side wall of the cooking container, the side wall of the cooking container is kept warm, the food in the cooking container is heated by the bottom wall and the side wall of the cooking container, and the food is heated. Cooked deliciously. In addition, inorganic fiber insulation materials have excellent insulation performance, so they can be made thinner. Therefore, regardless of the sensitivity of the electromagnetic induction heating device, the heating plate on the heat insulating material is heated by IH. Furthermore, the inorganic fiber insulation prevents heat transfer from the heated heat generating plate to the electromagnetic induction heating device below, so electromagnetic induction heating is protected. As a result, the heating plate is heated powerfully, and a sufficient amount of heat can be supplied to the cooking container above.

The heating plate is made of a material that is heated by electromagnetic induction. In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the heating plate has carbon as a main component. According to this aspect, the heat generating plate can be heated to a high temperature. Additionally, the heater is lighter and easier to handle. In other aspects, the heating plate may be made of other electromagnetically induced materials, such as ferrous metals.

The support plate supports the heat insulating material from below and prevents the heat insulating material from being deformed so as to sag. Preferably, the support plate is thin and has heat resistance and heat insulation performance. In a preferred aspect of the invention, the support plate has slits formed therein. According to this aspect, even if the support plate is made thin, deformation due to high heat can be prevented. In another aspect, the support plate may not have any slits. In a preferred aspect of the invention, the support plate is based on mica. According to this aspect, heat resistance performance and heat insulation performance are improved.

In one aspect of the invention, a leg is formed at the bottom of the protrusion, and the leg continues to the lower surface of the bottom wall. According to this aspect, the protrusions are formed thickly and durability is improved. In other aspects, the legs are located at different locations than the projections. In another aspect, the legs are spaced apart from the projections.

As described above, according to the present invention, even if the cooking container is a deep-bottomed cooking container such as an earthenware pot, the side walls and bottom wall of the earthenware pot can be appropriately heated, and the food inside the cooking container can be deliciously cooked. Moreover, the heating plate of the heater is heated regardless of the sensitivity of the electromagnetic induction heating device. According to this embodiment, it is possible to cook rice with a taste that would satisfy a professional chef using an earthenware pot that is not compatible with IH.

1 is a sectional view of a heater showing an embodiment of the present invention. It is an exploded perspective view showing the same embodiment. It is a bottom view which shows the main body taken out from the same embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a heater according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a cooking container heated by the heater is represented by a virtual line. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the same embodiment. The heater 10 of this embodiment includes a main body 11, a heat generating plate 21, a heat insulating material 31, and a support plate 41. The main body 11 has a bottom wall 15 having an upper surface 12, a lower surface 13, and a central opening 14, and a side wall 16 rising from an outer edge 15s of the bottom wall 15. Specifically, the side wall portion 16 stands up diagonally so as to expand outward as it goes upward. As a result, even if a commercially available general earthen pot 100 is placed inside the side wall portion 16 (FIG. 1), the side wall portion 16 does not interfere with the side wall 101 of the earthen pot 100. The height Hb from the lower surface 13 to the upper edge of the side wall 16 is 15% or more and 50% or less of the horizontal dimension of the upper edge of the side wall 16. The horizontal dimension of the upper edge of the side wall portion 16 in this embodiment is the diameter of the main body 11.

The main body 11 is a one-piece piece made of heat-resistant ceramic, and is made of a material with excellent heat retention and heat resistance. As shown in FIG. 2, the main body 11 is a circular frame, and the bottom wall 15 and side walls 16 surround the central opening 14. In addition, as a modification not shown, the main body may be an elliptical frame, a square frame, or a polygonal frame. For this reason, the main body 11 is also referred to as a ring main body.

A protrusion 17 that protrudes toward the central opening 14 is provided on the inner edge 15t of the bottom wall portion 15. As shown in FIG. 2, the projections 17 of this embodiment are horizontal tongue-shaped projections, and are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, they are arranged at equal intervals of 120 degrees.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view showing the main body 11 taken out. The lower surface of the tongue-shaped projection 17 projects downward from the lower surface 13 of the bottom wall portion 15 . This protrusion continues from the protrusion 17 toward the outer diameter side and reaches the outer edge 15s. Such a protrusion constitutes a leg 18. The leg portion 18 is placed on a top plate (not shown) and forms a gap between the lower surface 13 and the top plate. This gap is represented by the dimension He shown in FIG.

The distance (Hc+Hd) from the heat generating plate 21 to the top plate is the sum of the vertical dimension Hc of the central opening 14 and the vertical dimension Hd of the leg portions 18. Hc is a predetermined value within the range of 3.0 mm to 5.0 mm. Hd is a predetermined value within the range of 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm.

The height position of the protrusion 17 overlaps with the height position of the lower surface 13 and is arranged unevenly at the lower part of the central opening 14 so that it is separated from the height position of the upper surface 12. For this reason, the protrusion 17 is directed toward the center of the central opening 14 and is thickened by the leg portions 18 .

The heating plate 21 is made of a material having conductivity and electrical resistance, and is heated by electromagnetic induction. The heat generating plate 21 of this embodiment has carbon (element symbol C) as a main component. The heat generating plate 21 made of carbon is larger than the central opening 14 but smaller than the circular inner space defined by the side wall 16, and is arranged inside the side wall 16 so as to close the central opening 14. The outer edge of the heat generating plate 21 is placed and supported on the upper surface 12 of the bottom wall portion 15. On the other hand, inside the central opening 14, a heat insulating material 31 and a support plate 41 are arranged. The heat generating plate 21, the heat insulating material 31, and the support plate 41 have shapes corresponding to the central opening 14. In this embodiment, the central opening 14, heat generating plate 21, heat insulating material 31, and support plate 41 are circular. As a modification (not shown), these shapes may be ellipses, quadrangles, or polygons.

The support plate 41 is the thinnest plate material among the components (main body 11, heat generating plate 21, heat insulating material 31, and support plate 41) that constitute the heater 10. The edge of the support plate 41 is engaged with the tongue-shaped protrusion 17 to prevent it from falling. The support plate is made of a noncombustible material, for example, the main component is mica. Furthermore, the support plate is rigid enough not to bend under its own weight. A slit 42 is formed in the support plate 41 of this embodiment. The slits 42 are arranged radially, for example, and extend in the radial direction from the edge of the support plate 41 toward the center, and the radially inner end of the slit 42 is formed into a round hole shape. The slit 42 prevents the support plate 41 from deforming due to high heat. The slits 42 are, for example, arranged radially into six equal parts in the circumferential direction. As a result, the slits 42 are arranged in an integral multiple of the protrusions 17, which are arranged in three equal parts in the circumferential direction. That is, the protrusion 17 avoids the slit 42 and the support plate 41 suitably engages with the protrusion 17. As a modification (not shown), the slits 42 are arranged radially, for example, into eight to three equal parts in the circumferential direction.

A heat insulating material 31 having substantially the same size and shape as the support plate 41 and a thickness larger than that of the support plate 41 is placed on the upper surface of the support plate 41 . The heat insulating material 31 contains inorganic fibers as a main component, heat-resistant high molecular chemical fibers as a subcomponent, and is formed into a felt shape. For this reason, it is soft, has excellent insulation properties, and bends under its own weight. However, since the felt-like heat insulating material 31 is supported on the upper surface of the support plate 41, it does not bend when set in the central opening 14 as shown in FIG. The heat insulating material 31 and the support plate 41 are supported by the protrusion 17 and separated from the top plate (not shown).

As shown in exploded view in FIG. 2, each component constituting the heater 10 has heat resistance. Therefore, the heater 10 does not melt or emit smoke even if it comes into contact with the high temperature heat generating plate 21 under normal usage conditions, for example in a range where the temperature of the heat generating plate does not exceed 500°C.

The method of using the heater 10 will be explained.

The heater 10 is assembled as shown in FIG. 1 and placed on a top plate (not shown) of an electromagnetic induction heating device. An earthenware pot 100 made of heat-resistant ceramics is placed on the upper surface of the heat generating plate 21 of the heater 10, and a side wall 101 of the earthenware pot 100 is surrounded by a side wall portion 16. The clay pot 100 is a cooking container, and is used to cook food such as rice. The weight of the clay pot 100 is received by the heat generating plate 21. Therefore, the support plate 41 itself does not support the clay pot 100. The support plate 41 does not bend under its own weight and supports the heat insulating material 31 from below. However, if the thickness of the heat insulating material 31 is particularly large, the center of the support plate 41 will receive a downward pressing force from the heat insulating material 31 and will elastically deform slightly downward, giving the heat insulating material 31 a reaction force pushing it upward. , the heat insulating material 31 is elastically sandwiched between the heat generating plate 21 and the support plate 41.

The support plate 41 is a thin plate that is the thinnest among the component parts and can be slightly elastically deformed. As a result, even if the vertical thickness of the protrusion 17 is slightly increased, the step between the top surface of the protrusion 17 and the top surface 12 of the bottom wall portion 15 is made slightly smaller, and the step is made smaller than the thickness of the heat insulating material 31, the insulation The material 31 can be sandwiched and housed between the heat generating plate 21 and the support plate 41.

Heat is supplied to the bottom wall of the clay pot 100 from a heat generating plate 21 that is heated to a high temperature by IH heating. Referring to FIG. 1, a side space S is defined between the lower edge 103 of the clay pot 100 and the side wall portion 16 of the heater 10. The air in the side space S is heated to a high temperature by the heat generating plate 21, and keeps the side wall 101 warm from the outside of the earthenware pot 100. As a result, the earthenware pot 100 enjoys a heat receiving effect similar to that of being roasted over a gas fire. The earthenware pot 100 is covered with a lid 104, and the food inside the earthenware pot 100 is deliciously cooked.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments. Various modifications and variations can be made to the illustrated embodiment within the same scope as the present invention or within an equivalent scope.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is advantageously utilized in the field of cooking.

10 heater, 11 main body, 12 upper surface, 13 lower surface,
14 central opening, 15 bottom wall, 15s outer edge,
15t inner edge, 16 side wall, 17 protrusion, 18 leg,
21 heat generating plate, 31 heat insulating material, 41 support plate, 42 slit,
100 Earthen pot, S lateral space.

Claims (5)

a heat-resistant main body having a bottom wall portion having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a central opening; a side wall portion rising from the outer edge of the bottom wall portion; and a protrusion protruding from the inner edge of the bottom wall portion toward the central opening;
a heat generating plate made of a material that is heated by electromagnetic induction and placed on the upper surface of the bottom wall so as to close the central opening;
a support plate made of a noncombustible material that is disposed in the central opening and supported by the protrusion from below;
and a heat insulating material made of inorganic fiber that is placed in the central opening and supported by a support plate from below,
A heater that heats a cooking container placed on the upper surface of the heat generating plate and surrounded by the side wall portion. The heater according to claim 1, wherein the heat generating plate has carbon as a main component. The heater according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a slit is formed in the support plate. The heater according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the support plate contains mica as a main component. The heater according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a leg portion is formed at a lower portion of the protrusion, and the leg portion continues to the lower surface of the bottom wall portion.

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