JP7565503B2 - Cooking equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cooking device.

Conventionally, cooking appliances of various structures are known. For example, a conventional cooking appliance is known that includes a cooking appliance main body, a cooking chamber disposed within the cooking appliance main body, a cooking tray disposed within the cooking chamber on which food is placed, and a heating element that heats the food (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2014-113189 A

However, conventional cooking devices still have room for improvement in terms of shortening the cooking time of frozen food without compromising the taste of the food .

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENTS Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to provide a heating cooker capable of shortening the cooking time of frozen food without deteriorating the taste, etc., of the food .

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a heating cooker of one embodiment of the present invention comprises a cooking plate on which the food to be cooked is placed, a cooking chamber for storing the cooking plate, a heating element for heating the food to be cooked, and a control unit for controlling the output of the heating element, wherein the control unit has a heating mode in which, when a food to be cooked that is below 0°C is placed on the cooking plate, the output of the heating element is increased for a predetermined period from the start of heating compared to when a food to be cooked that is 0°C or higher is placed on the cooking plate , the predetermined period being at least 5 seconds and not more than 120 seconds .

According to the cooking device of the present invention, the cooking time of frozen food can be shortened without compromising the taste of the food .

1 is a schematic diagram of a cooking device according to an embodiment of the present invention; Flowchart of the heating cooker according to the embodiment of the present invention FIG. 1 is a diagram showing changes in temperature inside a cooking chamber, surface temperature and internal temperature of a food to be cooked, and output of a heating element in a first heating mode according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a sequence diagram of a first heating mode according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 11 is a diagram showing changes in temperature in the cooking chamber, surface temperature and internal temperature of food, and output of a heating element when food is cooked at a temperature lower than 0° C. in the second heating mode according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing changes in temperature inside the cooking chamber, surface temperature and internal temperature of the food being cooked, and output of the heating element in the second heating mode of the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a sequence diagram of a second heating mode according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an operation unit when a first heating mode is selected according to the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 9 is a plan view showing the operation unit when a cooking course is selected after FIG. 8 . FIG. 11 is a plan view showing an operation unit when a second heating mode is selected according to an embodiment of the present invention;

(Findings on which the present invention is based)
The present inventors have conducted extensive research into ways to shorten the cooking time of frozen food and have come to the following findings.

When cooking frozen food in a conventional cooking device, the food is usually thawed in advance, for example by natural thawing or thawing with a microwave heating device, before being placed in the cooking device and then cooked in the cooking device.

However, conventional cooking devices require the food to be thawed before it is placed in the cooking device, which can prevent the food from being cooked in a shorter time (time saving) when it is frozen.

In addition, when cooking food in a conventional cooking device without first thawing it, the internal temperature of the food may rise in the same way as the surface temperature. Therefore, after the internal temperature reaches the temperature at which the umami components in the food start to flow out, the surface temperature reaches the temperature at which the surface of the food hardens. This can cause the umami components to flow out to the unhardened surface, resulting in a loss of flavor.

In response to this, the inventors have discovered that when a food item below 0°C is heated using a cooking device, the cooking device can be controlled by increasing the output of the heating element for a predetermined period from the start of heating, compared to when a food item at 0°C or higher is cooked. This allows the surface temperature of the food item to be raised in a shorter time than the internal temperature. Therefore, the internal temperature of the food item can be raised and cooked after the surface of the food item has been baked and hardened, and the outflow of umami components within the food item can be suppressed. As a result, it has been discovered that food items below 0°C can be cooked without prior thawing without compromising the taste of the food item, and the cooking time for frozen food items can be shortened.

Based on these new findings, the inventors have arrived at the following invention.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a cooking device is provided that includes a cooking plate on which an item to be cooked is placed, a cooking chamber for storing the cooking plate, a heating element for heating the item to be cooked, and a control unit for controlling the output of the heating element, and the control unit has a heating mode in which, when an item to be cooked that is below 0°C is placed on the cooking plate, the output of the heating element is increased for a predetermined period of time from the start of heating compared to when an item to be cooked that is 0°C or higher is placed on the cooking plate.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the heating cooker according to the first aspect is provided, in which the heating elements include an upper heating element arranged in the cooking chamber above the cooking dish and heating the food from above, and a lower heating element arranged in the cooking chamber below the cooking dish and heating the food from below, and the control unit increases the total output of the upper heating element and the lower heating element for a predetermined period from the start of heating when a food with a temperature of less than 0°C is placed on the cooking dish compared to when a food with a temperature of 0°C or higher is placed on the cooking dish in the heating mode.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cooking device according to the second aspect, in which the lower heating element has a heating coil that heats the cooking dish by induction heating.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heating cooker according to any one of the first to third aspects, in which the control unit has a first heating mode when an object to be cooked that is below 0°C is placed on the cooking tray, and a second heating mode when an object to be cooked that is 0°C or higher is placed on the cooking tray, and the first heating mode includes a high-heating step in which the output of the heating element is increased for a predetermined period from the start of the mode to a level higher than that in the second heating mode to heat the object to be cooked.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heating cooker according to the fourth aspect, further comprising a timer unit that measures time, and the high heat step of the first heating mode is performed during a period from the start of the mode until the time measured by the timer unit reaches a time that is predetermined according to the type of food being cooked.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heating cooker according to the fifth aspect, in which the first heating mode has a plurality of cooking courses including a high heat step determined according to the type of food to be cooked, and the high heat step of each cooking course is performed during a period from the start of the mode until the time measured by the timing unit reaches a time that is predetermined according to the type of food to be cooked.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heating cooker according to any one of the fourth to sixth aspects, further comprising a thermistor for detecting the temperature inside the cooking chamber, the first heating mode being performed after the high heat step, and further including a determination step for calculating the amount of food to be cooked based on the time it takes for the thermistor to detect a predetermined temperature, and determining the remaining time until the cooking is completed.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heating cooker according to any one of the fourth to seventh aspects, further comprising a selection unit for selecting either the first heating mode or the second heating mode, and the control unit controls the output of the heating element according to the heating mode selected by the user in the selection unit.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heating cooker according to any one of the fourth to eighth aspects, in which the output of the heating element is maximized to heat the food in the high heat step.

(Embodiment)
Hereinafter, a cooking device D1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

In the following, for the sake of convenience, terms indicating directions such as "up," "down," "front," and "rear" are used assuming a normal use state. However, these terms are not intended to limit the use state, etc., of the cooking device D1 of this embodiment.

The overall configuration of the cooking device D1 will be described using Figure 1. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the cooking device D1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cooking device D1 includes a cooking device main body 1, a cooking chamber 4 provided within the cooking device main body 1, a cooking tray 8 on which the food 7 is placed, a heating body H1 for heating the food 7, an operation unit 14, and a control unit 15. The food 7 in this embodiment is a food ingredient that contains protein. The food ingredient 7 is, for example, fish, chicken, or other food ingredients.

In this embodiment, a top plate 2 is provided on the top surface of the cooking device main body 1. A cooking utensil to be heated, such as a pot P1, is placed on the top plate 2. The cooking utensil to be heated is heated, for example, by an induction heating method using a heating coil 3 provided below the top plate 2. The heating coil 3 is controlled by the control unit 15 to induction heat the cooking utensil to be heated.

The cooking chamber 4 is formed in a generally box-like shape with an open front. An exhaust pipe 6 is connected to the rear of the cooking chamber 4, which exhausts smoke and the like generated within the cooking chamber 4. In this embodiment, the exhaust pipe 6 is provided with a temperature detection unit 17 that detects the temperature within the cooking chamber 4. The temperature detection unit 17 is, for example, a thermistor. By using a thermistor for the temperature detection unit 17, costs can be reduced as described below compared to using an infrared sensor, but the temperature detection unit 17 is not limited to a thermistor. In other words, the temperature detection unit 17 may be another temperature detection means, such as an infrared sensor.

The cooking dish 8 is attached to the door 5 and moves back and forth together with the door 5. When the cooking dish 8 is stored in the cooking chamber 4, the door 5 covers the opening on the front of the cooking chamber 4. The cooking dish 8 in this embodiment contains a magnetic material that can be inductively heated.

The heating element H1 heats the food 7 on the cooking dish 8. In this embodiment, the heating element H1 heats the food 7 from multiple directions. The heating element H1 has, for example, an upper heating element 9 and a lower heating element 13. The heating cooker D1 heats the food 7 on the cooking dish 8 stored in the cooking chamber 4 from both the top and bottom sides using the upper heating element 9 and the lower heating element 13.

The upper heating element 9 is disposed above the cooking dish 8 in the cooking chamber 4 and heats the food 7 from above. The upper heating element 9 heats the food 7 by radiant heat. The upper heating element 9 is, for example, a sheath heater, a Miracron heater, a Coltier heater, etc. The output of the upper heating element 9 when it is turned on is, for example, 1150 W.

The lower heating element 13 is disposed below the cooking dish 8 in the cooking chamber 4 and heats the food 7 from below. In this embodiment, the lower heating element 13 is a heating coil that heats the food 7 by directly heating the cooking dish 8 with induction heating. The output of the lower heating element 13 when on is, for example, 1000 to 1500 W and switches depending on the process.

The operation unit 14 is a component for performing various settings of the cooking device D1. The operation unit 14 is configured to allow the user to select a heating mode and cooking course, which will be described later. The specific configuration of the operation unit 14 will be described later.

The control unit 15 includes a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or MPU that realizes a predetermined function by executing a program stored in a storage unit 19 such as a memory. The control unit 15 is, for example, configured by a microcomputer.

The control unit 15 controls the output of the upper heating element 9 and the lower heating element 13. In this embodiment, the control unit 15 controls the output of each of the upper heating element 9 and the lower heating element 13 individually. The control unit 15 controls the on/off of the heating element H1, for example, by a relay connected between the commercial power source and the heating element H1. Specifically, the control unit 15 controls the output of the heating element H1 by changing the duty ratio (on/off ratio) within a certain period (for example, a 16-second period). At this time, the control unit 15 controls the output of the heating element H1 using the period measured by the timing unit 21. Here, the duty ratio is expressed as 8/16 when the heating element H1 is on for 8 seconds, for example.

The memory unit 19 stores a first heating mode and a second heating mode. The first heating mode is a heating mode when an item 7 (frozen ingredients, etc.) with a temperature below 0°C is placed on the cooking dish 8. The second heating mode is a heating mode when an item 7 (refrigerated ingredients, room temperature ingredients, etc.) with a temperature above 0°C is placed on the cooking dish 8. In this embodiment, the user selects whether to use the first heating mode or the second heating mode for cooking using the operation unit 14.

Here, a food item 7 below 0°C refers to a food item (frozen food item) that has been stored in a storage chamber with an indoor temperature below 0°C, and a food item 7 above 0°C refers to a food item (refrigerated food item) that has been stored in a storage chamber with an indoor temperature of 0°C or higher. Storage chambers below 0°C include, for example, storage chambers (freezer chambers) with indoor temperatures of about -20°C to about -18°C, and storage chambers (partial freezing chambers) with indoor temperatures of about -3°C to about -1°C, etc. Storage chambers above 0°C include, for example, storage chambers (refrigerated chambers) with indoor temperatures of about 3°C to about 6°C, and storage chambers (chilled chambers) with indoor temperatures of about 0°C to about 2°C, etc.

Next, the first heating mode and the second heating mode will be described with reference to Figs. 2 to 7. Fig. 2 is an example of a flow chart for the cooking device D1. Fig. 3 is an example of a change diagram of the temperature in the cooking chamber 4, the surface temperature and internal temperature of the food 7, and the output of the heating element H1 (the total output of the upper heating element 9 and the lower heating element 13) in the first heating mode. Fig. 4 is an example of a sequence diagram in the first heating mode. Fig. 5 is an example of a change diagram of the temperature in the cooking chamber 4, the surface temperature and internal temperature of the food 7, and the output of the heating element H1 when the food 7, which is less than 0°C, is cooked in the second heating mode. Fig. 6 is an example of a change diagram of the temperature in the cooking chamber 4, the surface temperature and internal temperature of the food 7, and the output of the heating element H1 in the second heating mode. Fig. 7 is an example of a sequence diagram in the second heating mode.

Figures 3 to 7 show the results of heating four fillets of salted salmon as the food 7. In Figures 3, 5, and 6, the solid line indicates the time change in the total output of the upper heating element 9 and the lower heating element 13, the dashed line indicates the time change in the internal temperature of the food 7, the dashed line indicates the time change in the surface temperature of the food 7, and the dashed line indicates the time change in the temperature inside the cooking chamber 4. The temperature inside the cooking chamber 4 indicates the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 17. The internal and surface temperatures of the food 7 indicate the temperatures detected by thermocouples previously attached to the outside and inside of the food 7. Furthermore, the internal temperature of the food 7 after cooking is completed indicates the temperature measured by inserting a cooking thermometer into the food 7.

In Figures 4 and 7, the solid line shows the time change of the combined average output of the upper heater 9 and the lower heater 13, the dashed line shows the time change of the average output of the upper heater 9, and the dashed line shows the time change of the average output of the lower heater 13. Here, the average output is the output obtained by multiplying the duty ratio by the output when continuously on.

First, the first heating mode will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 2 to 5. As shown in Fig. 2, when the first heating mode is selected, the first heating mode including a high heat step ST10, a first determination step ST20, a first heating step ST30, and a first grilling step ST40 is performed. The first heating mode is a mode (automatic cooking mode) in which heat adjustment is automatically performed from the start to the end of cooking for food 7 below 0°C. In this embodiment, the first heating mode is called the "frozen induction grill mode."

The first heating mode of this embodiment has multiple cooking courses that are determined according to the type of food 7. Each cooking course includes a high heat process ST10, a first determination process ST20, a first heating process ST30, and a first grilling process ST40. The cooking course is selected by the user through the operation unit 14. Examples of cooking courses include a "fillet course" for cooking fillets of fish, etc., a "dried fish course" for cooking dried fish, etc., and a "grilling course" for cooking fillets of fish marinated in seasoning.

As shown in FIG. 3, the high heat step ST10 is a step of heating the food 7 for a predetermined period t1 from the start of the first heating mode (cooking course). In the second heating mode described below, the high heat step ST10 is not performed. The total average output W1 (FIG. 4) of the upper heating element 9 and the lower heating element 13 in the high heat step ST10 is set to be greater than the total average output W2 of the upper heating element 9 and the lower heating element 13 in the step following the high heat step ST10 (first determination step ST20 described below). In addition, the average output W1 is set to be greater than the total average output W2' (FIG. 7) of the upper heating element 9 and the lower heating element 13 for a predetermined period t1 from the start of the mode in the case of the second heating mode.

The predetermined period t1 is determined, for example, according to the type of food 7 and cooking course. The high heat process ST10 is performed from the start of the mode until the time measured by the timer 21 reaches the predetermined period t1. The predetermined period t1 is arbitrary depending on the characteristics of the food, such as the type and amount of the food 7, but in this embodiment, for at least one of the fillet, dried fish, and broiled courses, it is a period of approximately 5% to 10% of the entire period from the start of heating to the end of heating. The predetermined period t1 is constant regardless of the temperature inside the cooking chamber 4. In this embodiment, the predetermined period t1 is set according to the characteristics of the food 7, and is 5 seconds to 120 seconds. When the cooking course is the fillet course, the predetermined period t1 is set, for example, to 2 minutes.

The average output WU1 of the upper heater 9 in the high heat step ST10 is set to, for example, the same output as the average output WU2 of the upper heater 9 in the first determination step ST20. The average output WL1 of the lower heater 13 in the high heat step ST10 is set to be greater than the average output WL2 of the lower heater 13 in the first determination step ST20.

The high heat step ST10 in this embodiment includes a detection period of several seconds during which only the upper heater 9 is energized to detect the commercial power supply voltage. During this detection period, for example, the duty ratio of the upper heater 9 is set to 16/16, and the duty ratio of the lower heater 13 is set to 0/16. At this time, the total average output of the upper heater 9 and the lower heater 13 is 1150 W.

In the high heat step ST10 following the detection period, the upper heating element 9 and the lower heating element 13 are set to maximum output to heat the food 7. Here, the maximum output of the upper heating element 9 and the lower heating element 13 is the output when the upper heating element 9 and the lower heating element 13 are continuously on. The output of the upper heating element 9 and the lower heating element 13 is an output with a duty ratio set to, for example, 16/16, and the total average output W1 of the upper heating element 9 and the lower heating element 13 is 2650 W.

As shown in FIG. 3, by performing the high heat step ST10, the surface temperature of the food 7 can be raised in a shorter time than the internal temperature. Specifically, the internal temperature of the food 7 rises slowly and does not exceed 0°C at the end of the high heat step ST10, whereas the surface temperature of the food 7 rises more rapidly than the internal temperature and exceeds 0°C at the end of the high heat step ST10 (6°C in FIG. 3).

As a result, even after the high heat step ST10, the food 7 can be cooked while maintaining a temperature difference between the surface temperature and the internal temperature of the food 7, i.e., the surface temperature is higher than the internal temperature. After about 7 minutes have passed since the start of heating, the surface temperature of the food 7 reaches a temperature (about 60°C or higher) at which umami components such as amino acids begin to harden. The internal temperature of the food 7 is a temperature (about 16°C in the example of FIG. 3) lower than the temperature (about 40°C or higher) at which the umami components begin to move due to thermal denaturation. As a result, after the surface of the food 7 is hardened, the food 7 can be cooked while the umami components are trapped inside the food 7, and the outflow of the umami components can be suppressed.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, when cooking food 7 at a temperature below 0°C in the second heating mode, the surface temperature and internal temperature of food 7 rise at roughly the same rate. After about 7 minutes have passed since the start of heating (time Q1), both the surface temperature and internal temperature of food 7 reach the temperature (about 40°C or higher) at which the umami components begin to move due to thermal denaturation. For this reason, the umami components in food 7 may flow out to the surface before the surface of food 7 hardens. As a result, when food 7 at a temperature below 0°C is cooked in the second heating mode that does not include the high heat step ST10, the taste of food 7 may deteriorate.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the first heating mode, the first determination step ST20 is performed after the high heat step ST10. The first determination step ST20 is a step of calculating the load amount (the amount of food 7 placed on the cooking tray 8) and determining the remaining time rt1 until the end of cooking (the total time of the first heating step ST30 and the first baking step ST40).

The load amount in the first determination step ST20 is calculated based on, for example, the elapsed time t2 until the temperature detection unit 17 detects a predetermined temperature (for example, 100°C). The temperature is set, for example, according to the cooking course. The relationship between the elapsed time and the load amount is stored in advance, for example, in the memory unit 19. The relationship between the elapsed time and the load amount is, for example, a linear relationship, in which the load amount increases as the elapsed time increases. The determination unit 22 of the control unit 15 uses this relationship to calculate the load amount from the elapsed time t2 measured by the timer unit 21. In this embodiment, the load amount is calculated in the first determination step ST20, not in the high heat step ST10. This makes it possible to omit the step of determining the load amount in the high heat step ST10, and further shorten the cooking time.

Furthermore, the judgment unit 22 judges the remaining time rt1 based on the calculated load amount. The relationship between the load amount and the remaining time rt1 is stored in advance, for example, in the memory unit 19. The relationship between the load amount and the remaining time rt1 is, for example, a linear relationship, in which the remaining time rt1 is longer as the load amount increases. The judgment unit 22 of the control unit 15 judges the remaining time rt1 from the calculated load amount using this relationship. Furthermore, the judgment unit 22 of this embodiment judges the output of the heating element H1 in the next process (first heating process ST30 and first baking process ST40).

The output of the heating element H1 in the first determination step ST20 is set, for example, according to the cooking course. In the first determination step ST20 of this embodiment, cooking is performed by maximizing the output of the upper heating element 9 and adjusting the output of the lower heating element 13. This allows the load to be calculated while heating the entire outer surface of the food 7, rather than partial heating through the cooking dish 8, so that the surface temperature of the food 7 can be raised in a shorter time than the internal temperature. Therefore, the surface of the food 7 can be baked and hardened while preventing the internal temperature of the food 7 from reaching a temperature at which the umami components in the food 7 will flow out.

In the first determination step ST20, the average output WU2 of the upper heating element 9 is greater than the average output WU2' of the upper heating element 9 in the second determination step ST50 of the second heating mode. The average output WU2 is, for example, the same as the average output WU1 of the upper heating element 9 in the high heating step ST10. The average output WL2 of the lower heating element 13 is less than the average output WL1 of the lower heating element 13 in the high heating step ST10.

In the first judgment step ST20, for example, the output of the upper heater 9 when it is on is set to 1150 W, and the output of the lower heater 13 when it is on is set to 1300 W. The duty ratio of the upper heater 9 is set to 16/16, and the average output WU2 is set to 1150 W, and the duty ratio of the lower heater 13 is set to 2/16, and the average output WL2 is set to 163 W.

After the first determination step ST20, the first heating step ST30 is performed. In the first heating step ST30, the output of the upper heating element 9 and the lower heating element 13 is controlled based on the load amount calculated in the first determination step ST20. The first heating step ST30 is performed until the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 17 reaches a predetermined temperature that is determined in advance according to, for example, the cooking course, etc.

In the first heating step ST30, the output of the upper heater 9 and the lower heater 13 is adjusted, for example, according to the temperature rise per unit time. In this embodiment, the output of the upper heater 9 is constant, and the output of the lower heater 13 is changed. In the first heating step ST30, for example, the output of the upper heater 9 when on is set to 1150 W, and the output of the lower heater 13 when on is set to 1000 W to 1300 W. The duty ratio of the upper heater 9 is 11/16, with an average output of 790 W, and the duty ratio of the lower heater 13 is 4/16, with an average output of 250 W to 325 W.

After the first heating step ST30, the first baking step ST40 is performed. The first baking step ST40 is a finishing step for the heating and cooking of the food 7. The first baking step ST40 is performed for a time obtained by subtracting the time t3 of the first heating step ST30 from the remaining cooking time rt1 calculated in the first determination step ST20.

In the first baking process ST40 of this embodiment, the output of the upper heating element 9 and the lower heating element 13 is kept constant. For example, the output of the upper heating element 9 when on is set to 1150 W, and the output of the lower heating element 13 when on is set to 1000 W. The duty ratio of the upper heating element 9 is set to 12.5/16 with an average output of 898 W, and the duty ratio of the lower heating element 13 is set to 6/16 with an average output of 375 W. For example, when the time t3 of the first heating process ST30 is longer than the remaining cooking time rt1, the first baking process ST40 is performed until the temperature inside the cooking chamber 4 reaches a predetermined temperature.

After the first baking process ST40 is completed, the control unit 15 stops heating by the heater H1, and cooking in the first heating mode is completed. At this time, for example, a notification means may be used to notify the user that cooking is complete.

Next, the second heating mode will be described in detail with reference to Figures 2, 6, and 7. When the second heating mode is selected by the user, the second heating mode including the second determination process ST50, the second heating process ST60, and the second baking process ST70 is performed. Regarding the second heating mode, the differences from the first heating mode will be mainly described, and similar descriptions will be omitted as appropriate.

The second heating mode does not have a process equivalent to the high heat process ST10 of the first heating mode. That is, the second heating mode does not include a process of setting the upper heating element 9 and the lower heating element 13 to maximum output for a predetermined period t1 from the start of the mode. Specifically, at least one of the upper heating element 9 and the lower heating element 13 does not output continuously on during a predetermined period t1 from the start of the mode in the second heating mode. That is, during a predetermined period from the start of the mode, the duty ratio of at least one of the upper heating element 9 and the lower heating element 13 is set so that the on time is less than 16 seconds out of 16 seconds. The second heating mode is a mode (automatic cooking mode) in which heat adjustment is automatically performed from the start of cooking to the end of cooking for food 7 at 0°C or higher.

After a detection period of several seconds in which only the upper heater 9 is energized to detect the commercial power supply voltage, the second determination process ST50 is performed. In this embodiment, the second determination process ST50 includes a preheating process ST52 and a load calculation process ST54.

The preheating step ST52 is a step of preheating the temperature inside the cooking chamber 4 to a predetermined preheating temperature (e.g., 60°C) before the load calculation step ST54. The preheating temperature is determined in advance, for example, according to the cooking course.

In the preheating step ST52 of this embodiment, the average output of the upper heater 9 and the lower heater 13 is set to be smaller than that in the high heat step ST10 of the first heating mode. For example, the output of the upper heater 9 when on is set to 1150 W, and the output of the lower heater 13 when on is set to 1300 W. The duty ratio of the upper heater 9 is set to 14.5/16 with an average output of 1042 W, and the duty ratio of the lower heater 13 is set to 8/16 with an average output of 650 W.

After the preheating step ST52, a load calculation step ST54 is performed. In the load calculation step ST54, the judgment unit 22 calculates the load based on the elapsed time until the temperature inside the cooking chamber 4 reaches a predetermined temperature (e.g., 100°C). Furthermore, the judgment unit 22 judges the remaining time rt2 until the end of cooking (the total time of the second heating step ST60 and the second baking step ST70) based on the calculated load. In this embodiment, the judgment unit 22 judges the output of the heating element H1 for the next step (the second heating step ST60 and the second baking step ST70).

In the load amount calculation step ST54 of this embodiment, the average output of the upper heater 9 is set to the same as in the preheating step ST52, and the average output of the lower heater 13 is set to be smaller than in the preheating step ST52. In the load amount calculation step ST54, for example, the output of the upper heater 9 when on is set to 1150 W, and the output of the lower heater 13 when on is set to 1000 W. The duty ratio of the upper heater 9 is set to 14.5/16 with an average output of 1042 W, and the duty ratio of the lower heater 13 is set to 3/16 with an average output of 188 W.

After the second determination step ST50, the second heating step ST60 is performed. In the second heating step ST60, the output of the upper heating element 9 and the lower heating element 13 is controlled based on the load amount calculated in the second determination step ST50. The second heating step ST60 is performed until the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 17 reaches a predetermined temperature that is determined in advance according to, for example, the cooking course.

In the second heating step ST60, the output of the upper heater 9 and the lower heater 13 is adjusted, for example, according to the temperature rise per unit time. In this embodiment, the output of the upper heater 9 is constant, and the output of the lower heater 13 is changed. In the second heating step ST60, for example, the output of the upper heater 9 when on is set to 1150 W, and the output of the lower heater 13 when on is set to 1000 W. The duty ratio of the upper heater 9 is set to 14.5/16 with an average output of 1042 W, and the duty ratio of the lower heater 13 is set to 6/16 with an average output of 375 W.

After the second heating step ST60, the second baking step ST70 is performed. The second baking step ST70 is a finishing step for the heating and cooking of the food 7. The second baking step ST70 is performed for a time obtained by subtracting the time t6 of the second heating step ST60 from the remaining cooking time rt2 calculated in the second determination step ST50.

In the second baking process ST70 of this embodiment, the output of the upper heating element 9 and the lower heating element 13 is kept constant. For example, the output of the upper heating element 9 when on is set to 1150 W, and the output of the lower heating element 13 when on is set to 1000 W. The duty ratio of the upper heating element 9 is set to 14.3/16 with an average output of 1028 W, and the duty ratio of the lower heating element 13 is set to 1.9/16 with an average output of 119 W. For example, when the time t6 of the second heating process ST60 is longer than the remaining cooking time rt2, the second baking process ST70 is performed until the temperature inside the cooking chamber 4 reaches a predetermined temperature.

After the second baking process ST70 is completed, the control unit 15 stops heating by the heating element H1, and cooking in the second heating mode is completed. At this time, for example, a notification means may be used to notify the user that cooking is complete.

Next, the operation unit 14 will be described with reference to Figs. 8 to 10. Fig. 8 is a plan view showing the operation unit 14 when the first heating mode is selected. Fig. 9 is a plan view showing the operation unit 14 when a cooking course is selected after Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a plan view showing the operation unit 14 when the second heating mode is selected.

As shown in Figures 8 to 10, the operation unit 14 includes a selection unit 14a that allows the selection of various settings, and a display unit 14b that displays various information, such as information selected by the selection unit 14a.

The selection unit 14a includes a power switch (not shown), a mode (menu) selection switch 23, a cooking course selection switch 25, and a start switch 27. The power switch is a switch that turns the power of the heating cooker D1 on and off. The mode selection switch 23 is a switch that selects a mode such as the first heating mode ("frozen induction grill mode") or the second heating mode ("automatic mode"). The cooking course selection switch 25 is a switch that selects a cooking course in each heating mode. The start switch 27 is a switch that starts (or stops) cooking of a cooking course.

When the power switch is used to turn on the cooking device D1, each mode is selected by pressing the mode selection switch 23. At this time, each time the mode selection switch 23 is pressed, the pointer 30 shown in FIG. 8 moves on the display unit 14b to indicate the selected mode.

As shown in FIG. 8, when the first heating mode ("frozen induction grill mode") is selected by the mode selection switch 23, the names of the cooking courses in the first heating mode (in this embodiment, "fillet course," "dried fish course," and "grilling course") are lit up. At this time, the cooking course being selected is displayed, for example, by flashing.

By pressing the start switch 27 while the cooking course you want to cook is flashing, cooking using that cooking course (fillet course in Figure 8) will start. As shown in Figure 9, after the start switch 27 is pressed, the display unit 14b displays the standard remaining cooking time as a guide for each cooking course. Until the first determination process ST20 is completed, the remaining cooking time is displayed flashing, and after the remaining cooking time rt1 is determined by the first determination process ST20, the remaining cooking time rt1 is displayed lit up. When the remaining cooking time rt1 becomes 0 minutes, cooking using the first heating mode ends.

As shown in FIG. 10, when the second heating mode ("automatic mode") is selected by the mode selection switch 23, multiple cooking courses such as "fillet course," "dried fish course," and "grilled course" are displayed on the display unit 14b. Heating and cooking starts by performing the same operations as in the first heating mode.

The remaining cooking time displayed on the display unit 14b flashes until the second determination process ST50 is completed, and after the remaining cooking time rt2 is determined by the second determination process ST50, the remaining cooking time rt2 is displayed as a lit light. When the remaining cooking time rt2 becomes 0 minutes, heating and cooking in the second heating mode ends.

The cooking device D1 according to this embodiment has the following advantages:

The heating cooker D1 according to this embodiment includes a cooking dish 8 on which the food 7 is placed, a cooking chamber 4 that stores the cooking dish 8, a heating element H1 that heats the food 7, and a control unit 15 that controls the output of the heating element H1. The control unit 15 has a heating mode that increases the output of the heating element H1 for a predetermined period of time from the start of heating when a food 7 with a temperature below 0°C is placed on the cooking dish 8 compared to when a food 7 with a temperature of 0°C or higher is placed on the cooking dish 8.

According to this configuration, by increasing the output of the heating element H1 when the food 7 is below 0°C compared to when the food 7 is at 0°C or higher, the surface temperature can be raised in a shorter time than the internal temperature when cooking food 7 below 0°C. This makes it possible to prevent the internal temperature of the food 7 from reaching the outflow temperature of the umami components in the food 7 before the surface of the food 7 is baked and hardened, thereby suppressing the outflow of the umami components to the surface of the food 7.

This allows food 7 below 0°C to be deliciously cooked. Furthermore, by suppressing the outflow of umami components to the surface of food 7, the quality of food 7 can be improved. As a result, food 7 below 0°C can be cooked without prior thawing without compromising the taste of food 7. This makes it possible to omit the prior thawing step and shorten the cooking time for frozen food 7.

In addition, in the heating cooker D1 according to this embodiment, the heating element H1 has an upper heating element 9 and a lower heating element 13. The upper heating element 9 is disposed above the cooking dish 8 in the cooking chamber 4 and heats the food 7 from above. The lower heating element 13 is disposed below the cooking dish 8 in the cooking chamber 4 and heats the food 7 from below. In the heating mode, when a food 7 below 0°C is placed on the cooking dish 8, the control unit 15 increases the total output (average output W1) of the upper heating element 9 and the lower heating element 13 during a predetermined period t1 from the start of heating when the food 7 is below 0°C and is placed on the cooking dish 8, compared to when a food 7 above 0°C is placed on the cooking dish 8.

This allows the food 7 to be heated more efficiently by heating it from above and below.

In addition, in the cooking device D1 according to this embodiment, the lower heating element 13 has a heating coil that heats the cooking dish 8 by induction heating.

By directly heating the cooking dish 8 with induction heating, temperature control can be performed more easily than when the cooking dish 8 is heated with radiant heat from a sheath heater or the like.

In addition, in the heating cooker D1 according to this embodiment, the control unit 15 has a first heating mode when an object to be cooked that is less than 0°C is placed on the cooking dish 8, and a second heating mode when an object to be cooked that is 0°C or higher is placed on the cooking dish 8. The first heating mode includes a high heat step ST10 in which the output of the heating element H1 is increased from the start of the mode for a predetermined period t1 to heat the object to be cooked 7 more than in the second heating mode.

As a result, in the first heating mode, by making the output of the heating element H1 greater than in the second heating mode for a predetermined period t1 from the start of the mode, the surface temperature of the food 7 can be raised in a shorter time than the internal temperature, compared to the second heating mode.

The cooking device D1 according to this embodiment further includes a timer 21 that measures time. The high heat step ST10 of the first heating mode is performed during the period from the start of the mode until the time measured by the timer 21 reaches a predetermined time according to the type of food 7.

By performing the high heat step ST10 until a time period that is predetermined according to the type of food 7 has elapsed, the algorithm can be simplified rather than performing the high heat step ST10 until the temperature of the food 7 rises to a specified temperature.

In addition, in the cooking device D1 according to this embodiment, the first heating mode has a plurality of cooking courses that are determined according to the type of food 7 and that include a high heat step ST10. The high heat step ST10 of each cooking course is performed during a period from the start of the mode until the time counted by the timing unit 21 reaches a time that is predetermined according to the type of food 7.

By performing the high heat step ST10 of each cooking course until a time predetermined according to the type of food 7 has elapsed, the step of determining the type of food 7 can be omitted, thereby further shortening the cooking time.

The cooking device D1 according to this embodiment further includes a thermistor 17 that detects the temperature inside the cooking chamber 4. The first heating mode is performed after the high heat step ST10, and further includes a determination step ST20 that calculates the amount of food 7 to be cooked based on the time it takes for the thermistor 17 to detect a predetermined temperature, and determines the remaining time rt1 until the cooking is completed.

As a result, by using the thermistor 17 to determine the remaining time rt1, the cost of the cooking device D1 can be reduced compared to when an infrared sensor or the like is used. In addition, when the high heat process ST10 ends after a predetermined period t1 has elapsed and not based on temperature, there is no need to detect the temperature in real time, and therefore there is no need to use an infrared sensor or the like, which can reduce costs.

The cooking device D1 according to this embodiment further includes a selection unit 14a that selects between the first heating mode and the second heating mode. The control unit 15 controls the output of the heating element H1 according to the heating mode selected by the user using the selection unit 14a.

By controlling the output of the heating element H1 according to the heating mode selected by the user, the heating mode determination process can be omitted, and the cooking time for the frozen food 7 can be further shortened.

In addition, in the heating cooker D1 according to this embodiment, in the high heat step ST10, the output of the heating element H1 is maximized to heat the food 7.

This allows the surface temperature of the frozen food item 7 to be raised in a shorter time than the internal temperature.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment, and can be embodied in various other forms. For example, the control unit 15 has a first heating mode when an object to be cooked that is less than 0°C is placed on the cooking dish, and a second heating mode when an object to be cooked that is 0°C or higher is placed on the cooking dish, but is not limited to this. The control unit 15 may not have, for example, the second heating mode, and the heating cooker D1 may be a cooker dedicated to heating and cooking objects 7 that are less than 0°C.

Whether the first heating mode or the second heating mode is to be used for cooking is selected by the user through the operation unit 14, but the heating mode may be selected automatically. The heating mode to be used for cooking, i.e., whether an item 7 with a temperature below 0°C has been placed on the cooking dish 8, may be detected by, for example, an infrared sensor or a temperature detection unit 17 (thermistor).

When detecting the temperature of the food 7 using a thermistor, a time lag occurs in detecting the temperature of the food 7, so before entering the high heat step ST10, a determination step is performed in which the heater H1 is driven intermittently to determine the temperature of the food 7 based on the temperature rise inside the cooking chamber 4. In this determination step, for example, if the temperature inside the cooking chamber 4 after a specified period of time has elapsed is lower than a specified threshold, the food 7 is determined to be a frozen food, and if it is higher than the specified threshold, the food 7 is determined to be a refrigerated food.

When an infrared sensor is used for detection, the temperature of the food 7 can be detected in real time, so the high heat step ST10 is performed immediately after the start of heating. This allows the surface temperature of the food 7 to be raised in a shorter period of time than the internal temperature.

In addition, in the high heat step ST10, the upper heating element 9 and the lower heating element 13 are set to maximum output to heat the food 7, but this is not limited to this, as long as the output of the heating element H1 is set to be greater than when the food 7 is placed on the cooking tray 8 and is at 0°C or higher.

In addition, although the heating element H1 has been described as having an upper heating element 9 and a lower heating element 13, other configurations are possible as long as the heating element H1 can heat the food 7. For example, the heating element H1 may be either the upper heating element 9 or the lower heating element 13. For example, the heating element H1 may have a heating element disposed to the side of the cooking dish 8.

In addition, although the lower heating body 13 is described as a heating coil that heats the food 7 by directly heating the cooking dish 8 with induction heating, the lower heating body 13 may be a heating body that heats the food 7 with radiant heat.

The load amount is calculated based on the time elapsed until the temperature inside the cooking chamber 4 reaches a predetermined temperature, but this is not limited to this. The load amount may be calculated based on the temperature difference between the heating start temperature and the heating end temperature after heating for a predetermined time, for example.

Although the heating coil 3 provided below the top plate 2 heats the cooking utensil to be heated by induction heating, the heating cooker D1 may be configured without the heating coil 3. In other words, the heating cooker D1 may be a grill device that only performs cooking within the cooking chamber 4. The heating cooker D1 may be configured as either a freestanding type or a built-in type.

In addition, although the first heating mode and the second heating mode are described as including a detection period in which voltage is detected, this detection period does not have to be included.

Although the present invention has been fully described in connection with the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are to be understood as being included within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims, unless they deviate therefrom. Also, changes in the combination and order of elements in the embodiments may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

The cooking device of the present invention is useful for cooking frozen foods.

D1 Cooking device P1 Pot H1 Heating element 1 Cooking device body 2 Top plate 3 Heating coil 4 Cooking chamber 7 Food to be cooked 8 Cooking dish 9 Upper heating element 13 Lower heating element 14 Operation section 14a Selection section 14b Display section 15 Control section 17 Temperature detection section 19 Memory section 21 Timer section 22 Determination section 23 Mode selection switch 25 Cooking course selection switch 27 Start switch 30 Pointer

Claims (7)

A cooking tray on which food is placed;
A cooking chamber for storing the cooking dishes;
A heating body for heating the food to be cooked;
A control unit for controlling the output of the heating element;
Equipped with
The heating body includes an upper heating body arranged in the cooking chamber above the cooking dish and heating the food from above, and a lower heating body arranged in the cooking chamber below the cooking dish and heating the food from below and having a heating coil that heats the cooking dish by induction heating,
the control unit has a heating mode in which, when the food to be cooked is below 0° C. and the cooking dish is placed on the cooking dish, the total average output of the upper heating body and the lower heating body is made larger during a predetermined period from the start of heating than when the food to be cooked is 0° C. or higher and the cooking dish is placed on the cooking dish,
A cooking device, wherein the predetermined period is 5 seconds or more and 120 seconds or less. The control unit has a first heating mode when the food to be cooked is below 0° C. and a second heating mode when the food to be cooked is above 0° C. and placed on the cooking tray,
2. The cooking device according to claim 1 , wherein the first heating mode includes a high heat step of heating the food by increasing the output of the heating element for a predetermined period from a mode start time to a higher output than in the second heating mode. Further comprising a timing unit for measuring time,
3. The cooking device according to claim 2, wherein the high heat step of the first heating mode is performed during a period from a mode start time until a time measured by the timing unit reaches a time period that is predetermined depending on a type of the food to be cooked. the first heating mode has a plurality of cooking courses including the high heat process, the cooking courses being determined according to the type of the food to be cooked;
4. The cooking device according to claim 3, wherein the high heat step of each of the cooking courses is performed during a period from a mode start time until a time measured by the timing unit reaches a predetermined time depending on the type of food to be cooked. Further comprising a temperature detection unit for detecting the temperature inside the cooking chamber,
5. The cooking device according to claim 2, wherein the first heating mode is performed after the high heat step , and further includes a determination step of calculating an amount of the food to be cooked based on a time until the temperature detection unit detects a predetermined temperature, and determining a remaining time until the cooking is completed. A selection unit that selects the first heating mode or the second heating mode is further provided,
The cooking device according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit controls an output of the heating element in accordance with a heating mode selected by a user through the selection unit. The cooking device according to claim 2 , wherein in the high heat step, the output of the heating element is maximized to heat the food to be cooked.

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