JP7681963B2 - heating cooker - Google Patents

Description

The technology disclosed herein relates to a cooking device.

Cooking devices that heat and cook ingredients are known. Cooking devices that are equipped with sensors that detect the temperature and condition of ingredients and control the heating of ingredients based on changes in the temperature and condition of the ingredients have been proposed.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a cooking device that is equipped with a temperature sensor that detects the surface temperature of ingredients, estimates the internal temperature of the ingredients from the surface temperature of the ingredients detected by the temperature sensor, and performs cooking based on the internal temperature of the ingredients to effectively increase the umami components of the ingredients. This cooking device controls the heating of ingredients so that the rate at which the temperature of the ingredients increases during the time when the umami components of the ingredients decrease due to their decomposition is faster than the rate at which the temperature of the ingredients increases during the time when the umami components of the ingredients increase due to their generation.

JP 2007-218545 A

However, with conventional cooking devices, the user must adjust the heating level of the ingredients to give them the desired texture and flavor, which is time-consuming. Furthermore, with conventional cooking devices, when attempting to cook two or more types of ingredients at the same time, the position and cooking conditions of each ingredient must be set manually, making the user's work complicated and difficult.

The objective of the technology disclosed herein is to provide a cooking device that can automatically prepare ingredients to have the desired texture and flavor without requiring the user to perform complicated tasks.

The inventors of the present application have found that when vegetables are cooked, the softness of the vegetables can be adjusted by the rate at which the internal temperature of the vegetables rises when the internal temperature of the vegetables is in the range of 50°C or higher and 60°C or lower. When the internal temperature of the vegetables is in the range of 50°C or higher and 60°C or lower, the destruction of the cell walls contained in the vegetables is promoted. When the cell walls of the vegetables are destroyed, moisture is easily released, and specific enzymes such as pectinase are active in that temperature range, causing the vegetable tissue to harden.

In the above temperature range where the cell walls of vegetables are destroyed, when the rate of increase in the internal temperature of the vegetables is 2.0°C/min or more, the faster the rate is up to a certain rate, the softer the vegetables will be. The texture and deliciousness of vegetables depend on the softness of the food ingredient. Therefore, in the technology disclosed herein, the rate of increase in the internal temperature of the food ingredient is set to 2.0°C/min or more when the internal temperature of the food ingredient is in the range of 50°C or more and 60°C or less.

The first aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a cooking device. The cooking device of the first aspect includes a heating chamber in which food is placed, a heating unit that heats the inside of the heating chamber, a temperature detection unit that detects the internal temperature of the food, and a control unit that controls the heating unit based on the internal temperature of the food detected by the temperature detection unit. The control unit controls the heating unit so that the internal temperature of the food is in the range of 50°C or more and 60°C or less, and the rate of increase of the internal temperature of the food is 2.0°C/min or more.

In the first aspect, the food is heated so that the rate of increase in the internal temperature of the food is 2.0°C/min or more within the range of 50°C to 60°C. If the food is a vegetable, the rate of increase in the internal temperature of the food is set to 2.0°C/min or more within the range of 50°C to 60°C, thereby adjusting the degree of softening of the food's tissue and the softness of the food. This allows the food to be automatically finished to have a suitable texture and flavor without requiring the user to perform complicated tasks.

A second aspect of the present disclosure is a cooking device according to the first aspect, in which the control unit terminates the heating of the food by the heating unit when the internal temperature of the food detected by the temperature detection unit reaches a predetermined temperature set to 60°C or higher.

In the second aspect, heating of the food material ends when the internal temperature of the food material reaches a predetermined temperature set to 60°C or higher. If the food material is a vegetable, the higher the internal temperature of the food material is, the more the pectin contained in the cell walls breaks down, and the softer the food material becomes. Therefore, the softness of the food material can be adjusted by controlling the temperature that the internal temperature of the food material reaches through heating.

A third aspect of the present disclosure is a cooking device according to the second aspect, further comprising an ingredient information detection unit that detects information about the ingredients placed in the heating chamber. In the cooking device according to the third aspect, the control unit recognizes the type of the ingredients based on the information about the ingredients detected by the ingredient information detection unit, and sets the predetermined temperature according to the type of the ingredients.

The appropriate softness of an ingredient varies depending on the type of ingredient. If the ingredient is a vegetable, it also varies depending on whether it is a root vegetable, a leafy vegetable, or a fruit vegetable, and on the specific type of root vegetable, leafy vegetable, or fruit vegetable. Furthermore, the specified temperature that the internal temperature of the ingredient should reach to correspond to the appropriate softness of the ingredient also varies depending on the type of vegetable.

In the third aspect, the predetermined temperature that the internal temperature of the food material reaches when the food material is heated is set based on the type of food material. This allows the food material to be softened to the desired level depending on its type, if the food material is a vegetable.

A fourth aspect of the present disclosure is a cooking device according to the second or third aspect, in which the control unit heats the food ingredients using residual heat in the heating chamber after the heating unit has finished heating the food ingredients.

In the fourth aspect, after the heating unit has finished heating the ingredients, the ingredients are heated using the residual heat in the heating chamber. Depending on the type of ingredients, such as leafy vegetables or fruit vegetables, the residual heat in the heating chamber can make the internal temperature reach a predetermined temperature. This allows the ingredients to be cooked to the desired softness while saving energy in the cooking device.

A fifth aspect of the present disclosure is a cooking device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, further comprising a surface condition detection unit that detects the surface condition of the food. In the cooking device of the fifth aspect, the control unit terminates the heating of the food by the heating unit based on the surface condition of the food detected by the surface condition detection unit.

In the fifth aspect, the heating of the ingredients by the heating unit is terminated based on the surface condition of the ingredients. The surface condition of the ingredients changes depending on the progress of the cooking of the ingredients. Therefore, when the surface condition of the ingredients reaches a predetermined state where the ingredients are cooked to the right degree, the heating of the ingredients by the heating unit is terminated, thereby allowing the ingredients to be cooked appropriately.

A sixth aspect of the present disclosure is a cooking device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, further comprising an operation unit that accepts user operations. The operation unit is configured to allow input of setting information related to a target temperature that is a target for the internal temperature of the food to be reached by heating in the heating chamber. The control unit controls the heating unit based on the setting information input by the operation unit so that the internal temperature of the food reaches the target temperature at the end of cooking the food.

In the sixth aspect, the user inputs setting information related to the target temperature of the ingredients into the operation unit. When the setting information related to the target temperature of the ingredients is input into the operation unit, the heating unit is controlled based on the setting information, and the internal temperature of the ingredients reaches a predetermined target temperature at the end of cooking the ingredients. If the ingredients are vegetables, the higher the internal temperature of the ingredients at the end of cooking, the softer they become. Therefore, by inputting setting information related to the target temperature of the ingredients, the user can finish cooking the ingredients to the desired softness.

A seventh aspect of the present disclosure is a cooking device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, further comprising an ingredient information detection unit that detects information about the ingredients in the heating chamber. In the cooking device of the sixth aspect, the heating unit has a plurality of partial heating units that partially heat the heating chamber. Each of the plurality of partial heating units is configured to change the area that is heated in the heating chamber. When a plurality of ingredients are placed in the heating chamber, the ingredient information detection unit detects information about each of the plurality of ingredients.

In the seventh aspect of the cooking device, the control unit recognizes the food area in which the food is placed based on the information of each of the multiple food ingredients detected by the food ingredient information detection unit, and controls the partial heating unit to heat the food ingredients for each food ingredient area. When the multiple food ingredients include a first food ingredient and a second food ingredient that are different from each other, the control unit adjusts the heating time of one of the first food ingredient and the second food ingredient when the internal temperature of the first food ingredient and the second food ingredient is at least one of lower than 50°C and higher than 60°C to match the heating time of the other food ingredient so that the cooking of the first food ingredient and the second food ingredient is completed simultaneously. Note that "completed simultaneously" here includes not only cases where the cooking is completed strictly at the same time, but also cases where the timing of completion is slightly different.

In the seventh aspect, when a first ingredient and a second ingredient of different types are placed in the heating chamber, information about the first ingredient and the second ingredient is detected, and when the internal temperature of one of the first ingredient and the second ingredient is at least one of below 50°C and above 60°C, the heating time is adjusted to match the heating time of the other ingredient, and the cooking of the first ingredient and the second ingredient is completed simultaneously. This allows the first ingredient and the second ingredient to be cooked simultaneously, while giving both ingredients a suitable texture and flavor.

The technology disclosed herein can provide a cooking device that can automatically prepare ingredients to have the desired texture and flavor without requiring the user to perform complicated tasks.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a cooking device according to a first embodiment. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a cooking device according to a first embodiment. 1 is a front view of the inside of a heating chamber of a cooking device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a control unit and its main associated devices according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a graph showing the relationship between the rate of rise in internal temperature of food material in the range of 50° C. or higher and 60° C. or lower and the softness of the food material. 1 is a graph showing the relationship between the internal temperature of food material and the softness of the food material. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of control of the cooking device of the first embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of control of the cooking device of the first embodiment. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a photographed image of leafy vegetables in a heating chamber obtained by an imaging unit of the cooking device of embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a timing chart illustrating the operation of the cooking device of the first embodiment on leafy vegetables. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a photographed image of root vegetables in a heating chamber obtained by an imaging unit of the cooking device of embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a timing chart illustrating the operation of the cooking device of the first embodiment on root vegetables. 13 is a timing chart showing the operation of the cooking device of the first modified example on leafy vegetables. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a control panel of a cooking device according to a third modified example. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a control panel of a cooking device according to a third modified example. FIG. 11 is a front view of the inside of a heating chamber of a cooking device according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating an upper heater according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an upper heater according to a second embodiment. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the arrangement of an upper heater in a heating chamber according to a second embodiment. FIG. FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a control unit and its main associated devices according to a second embodiment. 13A to 13C are diagrams illustrating examples of images of a plurality of ingredients captured by a photographing unit of a cooking device according to a second embodiment. 10 is a timing chart illustrating the operation of the cooking device of the second embodiment. 13 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a temperature detection unit in a cooking device according to another embodiment. FIG.

Below, an exemplary embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the upper side of the cooking device in the vertical direction will be referred to as "upper", the lower side as "lower", the opening and closing door side will be referred to as "front", the side opposite the opening and closing door will be referred to as "rear", and when looking from the front side where the opening and closing door is provided to the rear side, the left side will be referred to as "left" and the right side will be referred to as "right".

First Embodiment
In this embodiment 1, a cooking device that basically automatically heats and cooks a single ingredient will be described.

- Configuration of cooking device -
1 and 2 are perspective views illustrating a cooking device 1 of the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a front view of the inside of a heating chamber 12 of the cooking device 1 of the first embodiment. The cooking device 1 is a so-called convection oven. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the cooking device 1 includes a housing 10, a heating unit 20, a temperature detection unit 30, a three-dimensional measurement unit 40, an image capture unit 50, an inside-chamber temperature detection unit 60, a display unit 70, an operation unit 72, a storage unit 80, and a control unit 90.

<Case>
The housing 10 is a rectangular parallelepiped box with an opening at the front. The internal space of the housing 10 constitutes a heating chamber 12. Food ingredients F are placed in the heating chamber 12. Examples of the food ingredients F include meat, fish, vegetables, and those in the process of being cooked. An opening/closing door 14 for opening and closing the heating chamber 12 is provided on the front (opening surface) of the housing 10. A placement shelf 16 is provided in the heating chamber 12.

The loading shelf 16 is constructed by combining a rectangular frame-shaped member made of wire material with a number of rod-shaped members that extend in the front-rear direction inside the frame-shaped member and are aligned in the left-right direction. Both ends of the loading shelf 16 in the left-right direction are supported by the side walls of the housing 10, i.e., the side portions that define the heating chamber 12. A tray 18 is placed on the loading shelf 16. The tray 18 is a plate-shaped object made of metal (e.g., iron). Food material F is placed on the tray 18.

<Heating section>
The heating unit 20 heats the inside of the heating chamber 12. The heating unit 20 has a plurality of heaters. In this example, the plurality of heaters are an upper heater 22, a lower heater 24, and a convection heater 26. The upper heater 22, the lower heater 24, and the convection heater 26 are configured to be capable of individually and independently adjusting their outputs.

The upper heater 22 is provided on the top wall of the housing 10, i.e., on the top surface that defines the heating chamber 12. The lower heater 24 is provided on the bottom wall of the housing 10, i.e., on the bottom surface that defines the heating chamber 12. For example, the upper heater 22 and the lower heater 24 are each composed of an electric heating wire that generates heat when electricity is applied. The upper heater 22 and the lower heater 24 may each be composed of an infrared heater that emits infrared rays, or may be composed of a combination of an electric heating wire and an infrared heater. The convection heater 26 is provided in two, one on the top and one on the bottom, in the central part in the left-right direction on the rear wall of the housing 10, i.e., on the rear surface that defines the heating chamber 12.

The convection heater 26 is a so-called convection heater. The convection heater 26 has a centrifugal fan 27 and a heat generating unit 28. The centrifugal fan 27 is disposed behind an air outlet 29 formed in the rear part of the heating chamber 12. The centrifugal fan 27 sends air heated by the heat generating unit 28 into the heating chamber 12. The heat generating unit 28 is composed of an electric heating wire that generates heat when electricity is applied. The heat generating unit 28 is disposed so as to surround the periphery of the centrifugal fan 27. The convection heater 26 circulates the air in the heating chamber 12 by rotating the centrifugal fan 27.

The output of the heating unit 20 is adjustable. The output of the heating unit 20 depends on the number of heaters that are in an activated state among the multiple heaters, in this example the upper heater 22, the lower heater 24, and the convection heater 26, and the output of the heaters that are in an activated state. When the output of the multiple heaters is the same, the output of the heating unit 20 increases as the number of heaters that are in an activated state among the multiple heaters increases. Also, the output of the heating unit 20 increases as the output of the heaters that are in an activated state among the multiple heaters increases.

Furthermore, the multiple heaters included in the heating unit 20, in this example the upper heater 22, the lower heater 24 and the convection heater 26, can each be switched between a continuous drive state in which they are driven continuously and an intermittent drive state in which they are driven intermittently. In the intermittent drive state, the upper heater 22, the lower heater 24 and the convection heater 26 are driven for a predetermined drive time at a predetermined drive cycle. The upper heater 22, the lower heater 24 and the convection heater 26 can each change the ratio of the drive cycle and drive time in the intermittent drive state.

<Temperature detection unit>
The temperature detection unit 30 is a component for detecting the internal temperature of the food ingredient F. In this example, the temperature detection unit 30 detects the surface temperature of the food ingredient F in a non-contact manner. For example, the temperature detection unit 30 is composed of multiple infrared sensors. The temperature detection unit 30 is installed on the upper surface of the heating chamber 12. The temperature detection unit 30 scans substantially the entire upper surface of the tray 18 and detects the heat distribution of the target area including the food ingredient F. The detection result of the temperature detection unit 30 (information indicating the surface temperature of the target area including the food ingredient F) is output to the control unit 90.

<3D Measurement Division>
The three-dimensional measuring unit 40 measures the three-dimensional shape of the food ingredient F placed in the heating chamber 12 to obtain three-dimensional information indicating the three-dimensional shape of the food ingredient F. Specifically, the three-dimensional information includes three-dimensional coordinates indicating the three-dimensional shape of the food ingredient F. The three-dimensional measuring unit 40 is an example of a food ingredient information detection unit. For example, the three-dimensional measuring unit 40 is configured with a known three-dimensional measuring device such as a TOF (Time of Flight) camera or a stereo camera. The measurement results of the three-dimensional measuring unit 40 (three-dimensional information of the food ingredient) are output to the control unit 90.

<Photography Department>
The photographing unit 50 photographs the food F placed in the heating chamber 12 to obtain a photographed image of the food F. The photographing unit 50 is an example of a food information detection unit. For example, the photographing unit 50 is configured with a known photographing device such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) camera or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) camera. The photographing unit 50 is disposed at a central position in the front-to-rear direction on the upper left side of the housing 10 so that the food F in the heating chamber 12 can be photographed. The photographed image obtained by the photographing unit 50 is output to the control unit 90.

<Interior temperature detection unit>
The internal temperature detection unit 60 detects the temperature inside the heating chamber 12. The internal temperature detection unit 60 is installed inside the heating chamber 12. Strictly speaking, the internal temperature detection unit 60 detects the air temperature at the installation location inside the heating chamber 12. For example, the internal temperature detection unit 60 is configured with a known temperature sensor such as a thermistor. The detection result of the internal temperature detection unit 60 (information indicating the temperature inside the heating chamber 12) is output to the control unit 90.

<Display section, operation section>
The display unit 70 displays information related to cooking. The operation unit 72 accepts user operations related to cooking. The display unit 70 and operation unit 72 are provided above the opening of the heating chamber 12 as a control panel 74. For example, the control panel 74 is configured by a display device with a touch panel. The operation unit 72 in this example is configured by a touch panel. The operation unit 72 may be configured by a physical operation button or a dial switch.

The control panel 74 displays cooking setting information as information related to cooking. For example, cooking setting information may include the output level of the heating unit 20, the time required for cooking, and cooking operation modes such as manual cooking operation and automatic cooking operation. In addition, the control panel 74 allows the user to input cooking setting information and start and stop cooking by touch operation. The information inputted on the control panel 74 is outputted to the control unit 90.

<Storage part>
The storage unit 80 stores various types of information. For example, the storage unit 80 is configured with a well-known storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD). The storage unit 80 is built into the cooking appliance 1. The storage unit 80 may be configured with an external storage device provided outside the housing 10. The storage unit 80 stores food image prepared for each type of food F. The food image is an image of the food F.

The memory unit 80 further stores cooking conditions prepared for each combination of the type and size of the food ingredient F. For example, the size of the food ingredient F is one of the thickness of the food ingredient F, the volume of the food ingredient F, the surface area of the food ingredient F, and the weight of the food ingredient F, or a combination of at least two of these. The size of the food ingredient F may be obtained by calculation based on an image of the food ingredient. The cooking conditions are conditions for giving the food ingredient F a suitable texture and flavor when cooking the food ingredient F.

The cooking conditions include a temperature profile that indicates the target values for the temperature transition when heating food F. The temperature profile includes a target heating rate and a target temperature to be reached. The target heating rate is the target rate of increase in the internal temperature of food F when the internal temperature of food F is in the range of 50°C or higher and 60°C or lower. The target temperature to be reached is the target temperature that the internal temperature of food F is to reach when cooking is completed.

<Control Unit>
The control unit 90 comprehensively controls the operation of the cooking device 1. As shown in Fig. 4, the control unit 90 is electrically connected to the heating unit 20, the temperature detection unit 30, the three-dimensional measurement unit 40, the photographing unit 50, the inside temperature detection unit 60, the display unit 70, the operation unit 72, and the storage unit 80 so as to be able to communicate with them. The control unit 90 is a controller based on a known microcomputer. The control unit 90 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 92 that executes a program, and a memory 94 that stores various programs and data executed on the CPU 92.

The control unit 90 executes a program stored in the memory 94 to control the heating unit 20 based on information input through the control panel 74 and information input from the temperature detection unit 30, the three-dimensional measurement unit 40, the photography unit 50, and the internal temperature detection unit 60. Specifically, the control unit 90 controls the upper heater 22, the lower heater 24, and the convection heater 26 so that at least two heating operations are performed sequentially according to heating and cooking conditions that correspond to the type of food F placed in the heating chamber 12.

The control unit 90 recognizes the type of food ingredient F placed in the heating chamber 12 based on the three-dimensional information of the food ingredient F input from the three-dimensional measurement unit 40 and the captured image of the food ingredient F input from the photographing unit 50. Specifically, the control unit 90 compares the food ingredient F included in the captured image with the food ingredient F included in each of the multiple food ingredient images stored in the memory unit 80, and determines the similarity between the two. The control unit 90 then recognizes the type of food ingredient F included in the food ingredient image that is recognized to have the highest similarity as the type of food ingredient F placed in the heating chamber 12.

The control unit 90 further determines whether the type of food ingredient F is appropriate based on the three-dimensional information of food ingredient F input from the three-dimensional measuring unit 40. The control unit 90 also estimates the size of food ingredient F based on the three-dimensional information of food ingredient F input from the three-dimensional measuring unit 40 and the captured image of food ingredient F input from the photographing unit 50. Specifically, the control unit 90 estimates the two-dimensional size of food ingredient F from the captured image, and estimates the thickness of food ingredient F, etc. from the three-dimensional information of food ingredient F. The control unit 90 then sets the heating and cooking conditions according to the estimated type and size of food ingredient F.

Figure 5 is a graph showing the relationship between the rate of rise in the internal temperature of food material F in the range of 50°C or more and 60°C or less and the softness of food material F. Note that this Figure 5 shows data obtained by measuring the hardness of multiple potato samples heated at different rates of rise in internal temperature in the said temperature range using a texture evaluation device (Model: TEX-100N, manufactured by Nippon Keisoku Systems Co., Ltd.). Vegetables, which are one type of food material F, undergo a phenomenon in which they become hard (hardening phenomenon) when cooked with heat at an internal temperature in the range of 50°C or more and 60°C or less. This is thought to be because the cell walls of the vegetables are destroyed, making it easier for moisture to escape, and certain enzymes such as pectinase are active in the said temperature range. The softness of the vegetables changes depending on the rate of rise in the internal temperature of the vegetables in the temperature range of 50°C or more and 60°C or less.

Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the softness of vegetables is determined by the rate of increase in the internal temperature of the vegetables, which is approximately 2.0°C/min. If the rate is less than this, the vegetables become relatively hard, but if the rate is greater than this, the vegetables become softer the faster the rate of increase in internal temperature. For this reason, the target heating rate in this example is set to 2.0°C/min or greater so that the softness of the vegetables can be adjusted according to their type. Note that Figure 5 shows data for potatoes, but similar trends can be seen for other root vegetables Ro and leafy vegetables Le.

The target heating rate differs depending on at least whether the food ingredient F is a root vegetable Ro or a leafy vegetable Le or a fruit vegetable. The target heating rate may differ depending on the type of root vegetable Ro, such as whether the food ingredient F is a root vegetable Ro, potato, carrot, lotus root, etc. The target heating rate may also differ depending on the type of leafy vegetable Le, such as whether the food ingredient F is a leafy vegetable Le, spinach, onion, or broccoli. The target heating rate may also differ depending on the type of fruit vegetable, such as whether the food ingredient F is a fruit vegetable, tomato, eggplant, cucumber, etc.

Figure 6 is a graph showing the relationship between the internal temperature of food ingredient F and the softness of food ingredient F. Note that Figure 6 shows data obtained by measuring the hardness of multiple potato samples with different internal temperatures reached by heating using the texture evaluation device. When vegetables are cooked, they become soft (softening phenomenon) primarily at temperatures above 60°C. This is thought to be because the specific enzymes mentioned above stop working and the pectin contained in the cell walls is broken down by heat. The softness of vegetables changes depending on the temperature reached when the internal temperature of the vegetables is higher than 60°C.

Specifically, as shown in Figure 6, when the internal temperature of the vegetables is higher than 60°C, the higher the internal temperature the vegetables reach, the softer they become. For this reason, the target temperature in this example is set to 60°C or higher so that the softness of the vegetables can be adjusted according to their type. Note that Figure 6 also shows data for potatoes, but similar trends can be seen for other root vegetables (Ro), leafy vegetables (Le), and fruit vegetables.

The control unit 90 adjusts the output of the heating unit 20 based on the cooking conditions. When the food ingredient F is a vegetable (root vegetable, leafy vegetable, or fruit vegetable), the control unit 90 executes a first temperature zone heating operation and a second temperature zone heating operation according to the cooking conditions. The control unit 90 further executes a third temperature zone heating operation as necessary.

The first temperature zone heating operation is a heating operation performed when the internal temperature of food ingredient F is below 50°C. The second temperature zone heating operation is a heating operation performed when the internal temperature of food ingredient F is between 50°C and 60°C. In the second temperature zone heating operation, a target temperature rise rate is used as the target rate of increase of the internal temperature of food ingredient F. The third temperature zone heating operation is a heating operation performed when the internal temperature of food ingredient F is higher than 60°C. Whether or not to perform the third temperature zone heating operation is determined by the target temperature to be reached, which is included in the heating and cooking conditions.

The control unit 90 recognizes the food area FA in which the food F is placed within the heating chamber 12, based on the photographed image of the food F input from the photographing unit 50. The control unit 90 further obtains the surface temperature of the food area FA as the surface temperature of the food F, based on the surface temperature of the target area input from the temperature detection unit 30. The control unit 90 then estimates the internal temperature of the food F based on the surface temperature of the food F. The control unit 90 switches from the first temperature zone heating operation to the second temperature zone heating operation, and from the second temperature zone heating operation to the third temperature zone heating operation, based on the estimated internal temperature of the food F.

Specifically, when the estimated internal temperature of food F reaches 50°C during the first temperature zone heating operation, the control unit 90 ends the first temperature zone heating operation and starts the second temperature zone heating operation. Furthermore, when the estimated internal temperature of food F reaches 60°C during the second temperature zone heating operation, the control unit 90 ends the second temperature zone heating operation. Then, in this example, the control unit 90 starts the third temperature zone heating operation if the target temperature is higher than 60°C. When the estimated internal temperature of food F reaches the target temperature during the third temperature zone heating operation, the control unit 90 ends the third temperature zone heating operation.

- Operation of cooking appliance -
7 and 8 are flow charts showing an example of control of the cooking device 1 of the first embodiment.

To cook food F using the cooking device 1, the user first places the food F in the heating chamber 12. Next, the user operates the control panel 74 to set the cooking method for the food F. The user further operates the control panel 74 to instruct the start of cooking. In this way, the cooking device 1 automatically cooks the food F placed in the heating chamber 12.

As shown in FIG. 7, first, the control unit 90 determines whether or not an operation to instruct the user to start cooking has been input (step ST1). Whether or not an operation to instruct the user to start cooking has been input is determined based on an operation on the control panel 74. If the control unit 90 determines that an operation to instruct the user to start cooking has not been input (if NO), it ends the process without starting cooking.

If the control unit 90 determines that an operation has been input to instruct the start of cooking (YES), it reads the information input from the temperature detection unit 30, the three-dimensional measurement unit 40, the photography unit 50, and the internal temperature detection unit 60 (step ST2). When information is input from the temperature detection unit 30, the three-dimensional measurement unit 40, the photography unit 50, and the internal temperature detection unit 60, the control unit 90 recognizes the type and size of the food ingredient F based on the three-dimensional information of the food ingredient F input from the three-dimensional measurement unit 40 and the photographed image of the food ingredient F input from the photography unit 50 (step ST3).

When the control unit 90 recognizes the type and size of the ingredient F, it sets cooking conditions for the ingredient F based on the type and size of the ingredient F (step ST4). The cooking conditions for the ingredient F are selected from a plurality of cooking conditions stored in the memory unit 80, and are suitable for the type and size of the ingredient F. If the doneness of the ingredient F is input via the control panel 74, the cooking conditions are selected taking the doneness into consideration.

The control unit 90 then performs cooking of the food ingredient F according to the set cooking conditions (step ST5). When cooking the food ingredient F, the control unit 90 estimates and monitors the internal temperature of the food ingredient F based on the surface temperature of the food ingredient F input from the temperature detection unit 30. The control unit 90 drives at least one of the upper heater 22, the lower heater 24, and the convection heater 26 to heat the food ingredient F so that the internal temperature of the food ingredient F changes in accordance with the temperature profile included in the cooking conditions.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, when the food ingredient F is a vegetable (root vegetable, leafy vegetable, or fruit vegetable), the control unit 90 first starts the first temperature zone heating operation (step ST5-1). In the first temperature zone heating operation, the heating unit 20 is driven at a predetermined output in accordance with the heating cooking conditions to heat the food ingredient F in the heating chamber 12. During the first temperature zone heating operation, the control unit 90 determines whether the internal temperature of the food ingredient F has reached or exceeded 50°C (step ST5-2). Here, if the control unit 90 determines that the internal temperature of the food ingredient F is below 50°C (NO), it continues to perform the first temperature zone heating operation.

Furthermore, if the control unit 90 determines that the internal temperature of the food ingredient F has reached 50°C or higher (YES), it ends the first temperature zone heating operation and starts the second temperature zone heating operation (step ST5-3). In the second temperature zone destruction operation, the heating unit 20 is driven at a predetermined output to achieve the target heating rate in accordance with the heating cooking conditions, and the food ingredient F in the heating chamber 12 is heated. As a result, the internal temperature of the food ingredient F in the heating chamber 12 rises at a rate of 2.0°C/min or higher. The rate at which the internal temperature of the food ingredient F rises at this time differs depending on the type of food ingredient F.

The second temperature zone heating operation promotes the destruction of the cell walls of the food ingredient F (vegetables). During the second temperature zone heating operation, the control unit 90 determines whether the internal temperature of the food ingredient F has exceeded 60°C (step ST5-4). Here, if the internal temperature of the food ingredient F is below 60°C (if NO), the control unit 90 continues to perform the second temperature zone heating operation. Furthermore, if the control unit 90 determines that the internal temperature of the food ingredient F has exceeded 60°C (if YES), the control unit 90 ends the second temperature zone heating operation (step ST5-5).

The control unit 90 then determines whether the target temperature included in the cooking conditions is 60°C (step ST5-6). If the target temperature is 60°C (if NO), the control unit 90 ends cooking. If the target temperature is higher than 60°C (if YES), the control unit 90 starts a third temperature zone heating operation (step ST5-7). In the third temperature zone heating operation, the heating unit 20 is driven at a predetermined output in accordance with the cooking conditions to heat the food F in the heating chamber 12 so that the internal temperature of the food F reaches the target temperature.

In the third temperature zone heating operation, the pectin contained in the cell walls of the vegetables is decomposed by heat. During the third temperature zone heating operation, the control unit 90 determines whether or not the internal temperature of the food ingredient F has reached the target temperature (step ST5-8). Here, if the control unit 90 determines that the internal temperature of the food ingredient F has not reached the target temperature (if NO), it continues to perform the third temperature zone heating operation. Also, if the control unit 90 determines that the internal temperature of the food ingredient F has reached the target temperature (if YES), it ends the third temperature zone heating operation (step ST5-9).

In this way, when the internal temperature of the food ingredient F reaches the target temperature, the heating unit 20 stops heating the food ingredient F. Then, the cooking of the food ingredient F is completed. When the cooking of the food ingredient F is completed, the control unit 90 notifies the user that the cooking is complete by turning on a lamp provided as the display unit 70 on the control panel 74 or by sounding a sound emitter provided in the cooking appliance 1.

-Examples of cooking using a cooking device-
Below, cooking examples using the cooking appliance 1 will be described, including cooking leafy vegetables Le and cooking root vegetables Ro.

<Cooking leafy vegetables>
Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating a photographed image of leafy vegetables Le in the heating chamber 12 acquired by the photographing unit 50 of the cooking device 1 of this embodiment 1. Fig. 10 is a timing chart illustrating the operation of the cooking device 1 of this embodiment 1 on the leafy vegetables Le.

When leafy vegetables Le are placed in the heating chamber 12 and a user operates the control panel 74 to instruct the start of cooking, the control unit 90 recognizes the type (that it is leafy vegetables Le, or the specific type of leafy vegetables Le) and size of the food ingredient F in the heating chamber 12 based on the three-dimensional information input from the three-dimensional measurement unit 40 and the captured image of the food ingredient F input from the capture unit 50, and also recognizes the food ingredient area FA in which the food ingredient F is placed as shown in Figure 9, and obtains the surface temperature of the food ingredient F.

As shown in FIG. 10, when cooking leafy vegetables Le using the cooking device 1, the cooking device 1 performs a first temperature zone heating operation, a second temperature zone heating operation, and a third temperature zone heating operation. The leafy vegetables Le to be cooked are, for example, spinach and Japanese mustard spinach. In this case, for example, the cooking conditions are set to a target heating rate of 2.1°C/min and a target temperature of 70°C.

The first temperature zone heating operation starts at time _t0 when an instruction to start cooking is input, and ends at time _t1 when the internal temperature of the food material F reaches 50°C. In the first temperature zone heating operation, the heating unit 20 is driven to heat the leafy vegetables Le. For example, in the first temperature zone heating operation, the upper heater 22 and the convection heater 26 are each driven in a continuous driving state, and the lower heater 24 is not driven. The driving state of the heating unit 20 in the first temperature zone heating operation is not limited to this, and it is sufficient that at least one of the upper heater 22, the lower heater 24, and the convection heater 26 is driven in a continuous driving state or an intermittent driving state so that the internal temperature of the food material F rises toward 50°C.

The second temperature zone heating operation starts at time _t1 when the internal temperature of the food ingredient F reaches 50°C, and ends at time _t2 when the internal temperature of the food ingredient F reaches 60°C. In the second temperature zone heating operation, the heating unit 20 is driven to heat the leafy vegetables Le. For example, in the second temperature zone heating operation, the upper heater 22 and the convection heater 26 are each driven in an intermittent drive state, and the lower heater 24 is not driven. The drive state of the heating unit 20 in the second temperature zone heating operation is not limited to this, and at least one of the upper heater 22, the lower heater 24, and the convection heater 26 may be driven in a continuous drive state or an intermittent drive state so that the internal temperature of the food ingredient F rises toward 60°C and the rate of increase in the internal temperature of the leafy vegetables Le reaches the target temperature rise rate.

The third temperature zone heating operation starts at time _t2 when the internal temperature of the food material F reaches 60°C, and ends at time _t3 when the internal temperature of the food material reaches the target temperature (70°C in this example). In the third temperature zone heating operation, the heating unit 20 is driven to heat the leafy vegetables Le. For example, in the third temperature zone heating operation, the upper heater 22 and the convection heater 26 are driven in a continuous driving state, and the lower heater 24 is not driven. The driving state of the heating unit 20 in the third temperature zone heating operation is not limited to this, and at least one of the upper heater 22, the lower heater 24, and the convection heater 26 may be driven in a continuous driving state or an intermittent driving state so that the internal temperature of the food material F reaches the target temperature.

In this manner, cooking is performed in the cooking device 1, resulting in leafy vegetables Le that are just the right amount of soft, with a pleasant texture and delicious taste.

<Cooking root vegetables>
Fig. 11 is a diagram illustrating a photographed image of root vegetables Ro in the heating chamber 12 acquired by the photographing unit 50 of the cooking device 1 of this embodiment 1. Fig. 12 is a timing chart illustrating the operation of the cooking device 1 of this embodiment 1 on the root vegetables Ro.

When root vegetables Rp are placed in the heating chamber 12 and a user operates the control panel 74 to instruct the start of cooking, the control unit 90 recognizes the type (that it is a root vegetable Ro, or the specific type of root vegetable Ro) and size of the food ingredient F in the heating chamber 12 based on the three-dimensional information input from the three-dimensional measurement unit 40 and the captured image of the food ingredient F input from the imaging unit 50, and also recognizes the food ingredient area FA in which the food ingredient F is placed as shown in FIG. 11, and obtains the surface temperature of the food ingredient F.

As shown in FIG. 12, when cooking root vegetables Ro using the cooking device 1, the cooking device 1 performs a first temperature zone heating operation, a second temperature zone heating operation, and a third temperature zone heating operation. The root vegetables Ro to be cooked are, for example, potatoes and carrots. In this case, for example, the cooking conditions are set to a target heating rate of 2.2°C/min and a target temperature of 95°C.

The first temperature zone heating operation starts at time _t0 when an instruction to start cooking is input, and ends at time _t1 when the internal temperature of the root vegetables Ro reaches 50°C. In the first temperature zone heating operation, the heating unit 20 is driven to heat the root vegetables Ro. For example, in the first temperature zone heating operation, the upper heater 22, the lower heater 24, and the convection heater 26 are driven in a continuous driving state. The driving state of the heating unit 20 is not limited to this, and at least one of the upper heater 22, the lower heater 24, and the convection heater 26 may be driven in a continuous driving state or an intermittent driving state.

The second temperature zone heating operation starts at time _t1 when the internal temperature of the root vegetables Ro reaches 50°C, and ends at time _t2 when the internal temperature of the root vegetables Ro reaches 60°C. In the second temperature zone heating operation, the heating unit 20 is driven to heat the root vegetables Ro. For example, in the second temperature zone heating operation, the upper heater 22 and the lower heater 24 are driven in a continuous driving state, and the convection heater 26 is driven in an intermittent driving state. The driving state of the heating unit 20 in the second temperature zone heating operation is not limited to this, and at least one of the upper heater 22, the lower heater 24, and the convection heater 26 may be driven in a continuous driving state or an intermittent driving state so that the internal temperature of the root vegetables Ro increases at a target temperature increase rate.

The third temperature zone heating operation is started at time _t2 when the internal temperature of the root vegetables Ro reaches 60°C, and ends at time _t3 when the internal temperature of the root vegetables Ro reaches the target temperature (90°C in this example). In the third temperature zone heating operation, the heating unit 20 is driven to heat the root vegetables Ro. For example, in the third temperature zone heating operation, the upper heater 22 and the convection heater 26 are driven in a continuous driving state, and the lower heater 24 is not driven. The driving state of the heating unit 20 in the third temperature zone heating operation is not limited to this, and at least one of the upper heater 22, the lower heater 24, and the convection heater 26 may be driven in a continuous driving state or an intermittent driving state so that the internal temperature of the root vegetables Ro reaches the target temperature.

In the above example, the case of cooking leafy vegetables Le and root vegetables Ro was described, but in the cooking device 1 of this embodiment 1, fruit vegetables can also be cooked by controlling the heating unit 20 so that the internal temperature of the food ingredient F is in the range of 50°C or more and 60°C or less, and the rate of increase in the internal temperature of the food ingredient F is 2.0°C/min or more.

By cooking the root vegetables Ro in the cooking device 1 in the above manner, they become just the right amount of soft, with a pleasant texture and delicious taste.

-Features of the first embodiment-
In the cooking device 1 of the first embodiment, the food material F is heated so that the rate of increase in the internal temperature of the food material F is 2.0° C./min or more within the range of 50° C. to 60° C. If the food material F is a vegetable, the rate of increase in the internal temperature of the food material F within the range of 50° C. to 60° C. is set to 2.0° C./min or more to adjust the degree of softening of the tissue of the food material F, thereby adjusting the softness of the food material F. This allows the food material F to be automatically finished with a suitable texture and flavor without requiring the user to perform complicated operations.

In the cooking device 1 of this embodiment 1, heating of the food ingredient F ends when the internal temperature of the food ingredient F reaches a target temperature set to 60°C or higher. If the food ingredient F is a vegetable, the higher the internal temperature of the food ingredient F becomes, the more the pectin contained in the cell walls breaks down, and the softer the food ingredient F becomes. Therefore, the softness of the food ingredient F can be adjusted by controlling the temperature reached by the internal temperature of the food ingredient F.

In the cooking device 1 of this embodiment 1, the target temperature, which is the temperature that the internal temperature of the food ingredient F reaches as a result of heating the food ingredient F, is set based on the type of food ingredient F. As a result, if the food ingredient F is a vegetable, the food ingredient F can be cooked to the desired softness depending on its type.

--Modification 1--
In the cooking device 1 of the first embodiment, in the third temperature zone heating operation, the heating unit 20 heats the food material F until the internal temperature of the food material F reaches the target temperature. In contrast, in the cooking device 1 of the first modification, when the target temperature is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature (e.g., 70°C), the control unit 90 in the cooking device 1 of the first modification ends the heating of the food material F by the heating unit 20 before the internal temperature of the food material F reaches the target temperature in the third temperature zone heating operation. For example, the heating of the food material F by the heating unit 20 ends when the second temperature zone heating operation ends.

Figure 13 is a timing chart showing the operation of the cooking device 1 of this modified example 1 for leafy vegetables Le. As shown in Figure 13, when cooking leafy vegetables Le using the cooking device 1 of this modified example, the cooking device 1 performs a first temperature zone heating operation, a second temperature zone heating operation, and a third temperature zone heating operation. In this example, the target temperature is set to 70°C.

In this example, when the control unit 90 ends the second temperature zone heating operation, it causes the heating unit 20 to end the heating of the leafy vegetables Le. In the subsequent third temperature zone heating operation, the leafy vegetables Le are heated to the target temperature using residual heat in the heating chamber 12. Then, when the internal temperature of the leafy vegetables Le reaches the target temperature, the cooking of the food ingredient F is completed. When the cooking of the food ingredient F is completed, the control unit 90 notifies the user that the cooking is complete by turning on a lamp or sounding a sound emitter.

The control unit 90 may determine whether or not to end the heating of the leafy vegetables Le by the heating unit 20 at the end of the second temperature zone heating operation based on information about the temperature inside the heating chamber 12 input from the chamber temperature detection unit 60.

When the temperature inside the heating chamber 12 is high enough to allow the internal temperature of the food ingredient F to reach the target temperature with residual heat, the control unit 90 ends the heating of the food ingredient F by the heating unit 20 at the end of the second temperature zone heating operation. When the temperature inside the heating chamber 12 is low enough to prevent the internal temperature of the food ingredient F from reaching the target temperature with residual heat, the control unit 90 continues to heat the food ingredient F by the heating unit 20 in the third temperature zone heating operation even after the second temperature zone heating operation ends. The control unit 90 may end the heating of the food ingredient F by the heating unit 20 in the middle of the third temperature zone heating operation.

In the above example, the case of cooking leafy vegetables Le was described, but in the cooking device 1 of this modified example 1, root vegetables Ro and fruit vegetables may also be heated using residual heat in the heating chamber 12.

-Features of Modification 1-
In the cooking device 1 of the first modified example, after the heating of the food material F by the heating unit 20 is completed, the food material F is heated by the residual heat in the heating chamber 12. Depending on the type of food material F, such as leafy vegetables Le or fruit vegetables, the internal temperature can be made to reach the target temperature by the residual heat in the heating chamber 12. This allows the food material F to be softened to the desired degree while saving energy in the cooking device 1.

--Modification 2--
In the cooking device 1 of the above-mentioned embodiment 1, when the internal temperature of the food ingredient F reaches the target temperature during the third temperature zone heating operation, the heating unit 20 ends the heating of the food ingredient F. In contrast, the control unit 90 in the cooking device 1 of this modified example 2 ends the heating of the food ingredient F by the heating unit 20 based on the surface condition of the food ingredient F. The surface condition of the food ingredient F is, for example, the browning and degree of shrinkage of the surface of the food ingredient F. The control unit 90 recognizes the surface condition of the food ingredient F based on the captured image of the food ingredient F input from the photographing unit 50. In this example, the photographing unit 50 is an example of a surface condition detection unit.

-Features of Modification 2-
In the cooking device 1 of the second modified example, the heating of the food material F by the heating unit 20 is terminated based on the surface condition of the food material F. The surface condition of the food material F changes depending on the progress of the cooking of the food material F. Therefore, when the surface condition of the food material F reaches a predetermined state where the food material F is adequately cooked, the heating of the food material F by the heating unit 20 is terminated, thereby allowing the food material F to be properly cooked.

--Modification 3--
In the cooking device 1 of the above-mentioned embodiment 1, the type and size of the food ingredient F placed in the heating chamber 12 are recognized, and cooking conditions for the food ingredient F are set based on the type and size of the food ingredient F. In contrast, in the cooking device 1 of this modification 3, the user inputs cooking setting information on the control panel 74, and the cooking conditions for the food ingredient F are set according to the input cooking setting information.

The operation unit 72 of the control panel 74 is configured to allow input of cooking setting information related to the target temperature for the internal temperature of the food ingredient F. For example, the cooking setting information includes information on the type of food ingredient F and information on the doneness of the food ingredient F. The information on the doneness of the food ingredient F is information related to the softness of the food ingredient F when cooked by cooking. In this example, cooking conditions are stored in the memory unit 80 for the number of combinations of the type of food ingredient F and the doneness of the food ingredient F. The control unit 90 then sets cooking conditions based on the cooking setting information set by the operation unit 72, and controls the heating unit 20 so that the internal temperature of the food ingredient F reaches the target temperature at the end of cooking the food ingredient F.

Fig. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of the control panel 74 of the cooking device 1 of this modified example 3. For example, as shown in Fig. 14, the control panel 74 displays a type item 75 for setting the type of food ingredient F, and a finish item 76 for setting the finish level of the food ingredient F. The type item 75 selectively displays a number indicating a pre-classified type of food ingredient F. The finish item 76 displays three indicators of the softness of the food ingredient F: "soft," "normal," and "hard." The control panel 74 is provided with a direction key 77 and a decision key 78 as the operation unit 72 for setting the number of the type item 75 and the indicator of the finish item 76.

Fig. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of the control panel 74 of the cooking device 1 of this modified example 3. For example, as shown in Fig. 15, the control panel 74 may display a type item 75 for setting the type of food ingredient F, and a temperature item 79 for setting the finishing temperature of the food ingredient F. The temperature item 79 displays the target value of the internal temperature when finishing cooking the food ingredient F by heating. For example, the operation unit 72 is capable of adjusting the temperature of the temperature item 79 in increments of 5°C.

The information on the type of food ingredient F inputted through the control panel 74 may be information on more detailed classifications of leafy vegetables Le, fruit vegetables, and root vegetables Ro. The information on the type of food ingredient F inputted through the control panel 74 may also be information on a broad classification, such as whether the food ingredient F is a vegetable, meat, or fish.

-Features of Modification 3-
In the cooking device 1 of the third modified example, cooking setting information is input by the user through the operation unit 72. When the cooking setting information is input through the operation unit 72, the heating unit 20 is controlled based on the cooking setting information, and the internal temperature of the food ingredient F reaches the target temperature at the end of cooking the food ingredient F. If the food ingredient F is a vegetable, the higher the internal temperature of the food ingredient F at the end of cooking, the softer the food ingredient F becomes. Thus, by inputting the cooking setting information, the user can finish cooking the food ingredient F to the desired softness.

Second Embodiment
In this second embodiment, a cooking device 1 capable of automatically cooking a plurality of ingredients F will be described.

The cooking device 1 of this embodiment 2 differs from the above embodiment 1 in the configuration of the heating unit 20 and the control related to cooking. In this embodiment 2, the cooking device 1 is configured similarly to the above embodiment 1 except for the configuration of the heating unit 20 and the control related to cooking that differ from the above embodiment 1. Therefore, only the heating unit 20 and the control related to cooking, which have different configurations, will be described, and the same components will be described in the above embodiment 1, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

Figure 16 is a front view of the inside of the heating chamber 12 of the cooking device 1 of this embodiment 2. Figure 17 is a perspective view illustrating the upper heater 100 of this embodiment 2. Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the upper heater 100 of this embodiment 2. Figure 19 is a schematic diagram illustrating the arrangement of the upper heater 100 of this embodiment 2 in the heating chamber 12. Figure 20 is a block diagram illustrating the control unit 90 of this embodiment 2 and its main associated devices.

As shown in Figs. 16 and 20, in the cooking device 1 of this embodiment 2, the heating section 20 has a plurality of heaters, namely a first upper heater 100a, a second upper heater 100b, and a convection heater 26. The first upper heater 100a, the second upper heater 100b, and the convection heater 26 are configured so that the output can be adjusted individually and independently. Two convection heaters 26 are provided, for example, in the same arrangement as in embodiment 1 above.

The first upper heater 100a and the second upper heater 100b are arranged spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. The first upper heater 100a is arranged on the left side of the top surface of the heating chamber 12. The second upper heater 100b is arranged on the right side of the top surface of the heating chamber 12. The first upper heater 100a and the second upper heater 100b are each arranged to extend in the front-rear direction.

The first upper heater 100a and the second upper heater 100b both heat a portion of the heating chamber 12. The first upper heater 100a and the second upper heater 100b are examples of partial heating units. The first upper heater 100a and the second upper heater 100b are configured with an upper heater 100 of the same configuration. The upper heater 100 is, for example, an infrared heater. The upper heater 100 is configured to change the heating area HA, which is the area to be heated within the heating chamber 12.

As shown in Figures 17 and 18, specifically, the upper heater 100 has a heater body 102 and a cover 104.

The heater body 102 is a heat source that emits infrared rays. The heater body 102 is disposed within a cover 104. The cover 104 has an upper cover member 106 that covers the heater body 102 from above, and a lower cover member 108 that covers the heater body 102 from below. Although not shown, the lower cover member 108 has multiple through holes and multiple slits formed therein so that the heater body 102 can be seen through.

A rotating shaft 110 supporting the upper heater 100 is provided at both ends of the cover 104 in the longitudinal direction. Each rotating shaft 110 is supported rotatably on the front and rear walls of the housing 10. As shown in FIG. 19, a rotating mechanism 112 for rotating the rotating shaft 110 is attached to the rotating shaft 110 provided on the rear side of the cover 104. The rotating mechanism 112 is configured to include, for example, a motor and gears.

In this example, three heater bodies 102 are provided. The three heater bodies 102 are aligned along the longitudinal direction of the upper heater 100 so as to be coaxial with the axis of the rotation shaft 110. In this way, the position of each heater body 102 does not change even when the upper heater 100 rotates around the rotation shaft 110.

The inner surface of the upper cover member 106 constitutes a reflecting portion 107 that reflects infrared rays emitted by the heater body 102. The cross-sectional shape of the reflecting portion 107 is a parabola with the heater body 102 as a focal point. By providing the parabolic reflecting portion 107 in this manner, the infrared rays emitted from each heater body 102 are radiated downward with relatively high directivity.

As shown in FIG. 16, when the upper heater 100 rotates around the rotation axis 110, the reflecting portion 107 rotates, changing the infrared irradiation area, i.e., the heating area HA. This allows the food area FA in which the food F is placed in the heating chamber 12 to be included in the heating area HA. The rotation of the upper heater 100 is controlled by the control unit 90. The control unit 90 individually and independently controls the rotation of the first upper heater 100a and the second upper heater 100b, i.e., the drive of each rotation mechanism 112.

<3D measurement section, photography section>
When multiple ingredients F are placed in the heating chamber 12, the three-dimensional measuring unit 40 measures the three-dimensional shapes of the multiple ingredients F to obtain three-dimensional information indicating the three-dimensional shape of each ingredient F. When multiple ingredients F are placed in the heating chamber 12, the photographing unit 50 obtains photographed images of the multiple ingredients F. In this manner, the three-dimensional measuring unit 40 and the photographing unit 50 detect information on each of the multiple ingredients F.

<Control Unit>
When multiple ingredients F are placed inside heating chamber 12, control unit 90 recognizes the type and size of each ingredient F as information about each of the multiple ingredients F, based on the three-dimensional information input from three-dimensional measurement unit 40 and the photographed images of ingredients F input from photographing unit 50. Control unit 90 further recognizes the ingredient area FA in which each ingredient F is placed inside heating chamber 12, based on the three-dimensional information and the photographed images.

The control unit 90 controls the first upper heater 100a and the second upper heater 100b to heat the food F for each food area FA. The control unit 90 drives the corresponding rotation mechanism 112, so that the first upper heater 100a and the second upper heater 100b are rotated to include different food areas FA or the same food area FA in the heating area HA. The control unit 90 sets the heating and cooking conditions for each food F based on the type and size of each food F.

When the multiple ingredients F placed in the heating chamber 12 include first ingredients Fa and second ingredients Fb of different types, the control unit 90 adjusts the heating time of one of the first ingredients Fa and second ingredients Fb when the internal temperature of the one of the ingredients F is at least one of lower than 50°C and higher than 60°C to match the heating time of the other ingredient F so that the cooking of the first ingredients Fa and the second ingredients Fb is completed simultaneously.

The control flow for cooking in the cooking device 1 of this embodiment 2 is basically the same as the control flow in the cooking device 1 of the above embodiment 1 shown in Figures 7 and 8.

That is, in the cooking device 1, when multiple ingredients F are placed in the heating chamber 12 and an operation to start cooking is performed on the control panel 74 (YES in step ST1), the control unit 90 reads the information input from the temperature detection unit 30, the three-dimensional measurement unit 40, the photography unit 50, and the chamber temperature detection unit 60 (step ST2), and recognizes the type and size of each of the multiple ingredients F (step ST3).

Then, when the control unit 90 recognizes the type and size of each of the multiple ingredients F, it sets cooking conditions for each of the ingredients F based on the type and size of each ingredient F (step ST4), and heats and cooks each ingredient F according to the set cooking conditions (step ST5). When cooking each ingredient F, the control unit 90 estimates and monitors the internal temperature of each ingredient F based on the surface temperature of each ingredient F input from the temperature detection unit 30.

When cooking of multiple ingredients F begins, the control unit 90 rotates the first upper heater 100a and the second upper heater 100b as necessary so that different ingredient areas FA are included in at least one of the heating areas HA. If the multiple ingredients F include vegetables, the control unit 90 performs a first temperature zone heating operation and a second temperature zone heating operation on the vegetables, and further performs a third temperature zone heating operation as necessary.

When two or more types of vegetables are placed in the heating chamber 12, the control unit 90 executes the first temperature zone heating operation and the second temperature zone heating operation individually and independently for each type of vegetable, and further executes the third temperature zone heating operation as necessary. When the first temperature zone heating operation is started (step ST5-1), the control unit 90 controls the drive state and output of the first upper heater 100a, the second upper heater 100b, and the convection heater 26 so that the cooking of the multiple ingredients F is completed simultaneously, and adjusts the execution time of the first temperature zone heating operation for the target ingredient F, that is, the time from the start of the first temperature zone heating operation until the internal temperature of the ingredient F reaches 50°C.

When the control unit 90 determines that the internal temperature of the target food F is 50°C or higher during the first temperature zone heating operation (YES in step ST5-2), it ends the first temperature zone heating operation and starts the second temperature zone heating operation (step ST5-3). In the second temperature zone destruction operation, the upper heater 100 corresponding to the target food F, out of the first upper heater 100a and the second upper heater 100b, and the convection heater 26 are driven at a predetermined output in accordance with the heating cooking conditions to achieve the target temperature rise rate, thereby heating the target food F in the heating chamber 12. As a result, the internal temperature of the target food F in the heating chamber 12 rises at a rate of 2.0°C/min or more according to the type of food F.

When the control unit 90 determines that the internal temperature of the food ingredient F is higher than 60°C during the second temperature zone heating operation (step ST5-4), it ends the second temperature zone heating operation (step ST5-5). Then, if the target temperature of the target food ingredient F is 60°C (NO in step ST5-6), it completes the cooking, and if the target temperature of the target food ingredient F is higher than 60°C (YES in step ST5-6), it starts the third temperature zone heating operation (step ST5-7).

When the third temperature zone heating operation is started, the control unit 90 controls the drive state and output of the first upper heater 100a, the second upper heater 100b and the convection heater 26 so that cooking of multiple ingredients F is completed simultaneously, and adjusts the execution time of the third temperature zone heating operation for the target ingredients F, that is, the time from when the third temperature zone heating operation is started until the internal temperature of the ingredients F reaches the target temperature. During execution of the third temperature zone heating operation, if the control unit 90 determines that the internal temperature of the target ingredients F has reached the target temperature (YES in step 5-8), it ends the third temperature zone heating operation (step ST5-9).

-Examples of cooking using a cooking device-
Below, a cooking example using the cooking device 1 will be described in which meat Me and leafy vegetables Le are cooked simultaneously. The meat Me is an example of the first food ingredient Fa. The leafy vegetables Le is an example of the second food ingredient Fb.

Figure 21 is a diagram illustrating images of multiple ingredients F captured by the image capture unit 50 of the cooking device 1 of this embodiment 2. Figure 22 is a timing chart illustrating the operation of the cooking device 1 of this embodiment 2.

When meat Me and leafy vegetables Le are placed in the heating chamber 12 and a user operates the control panel 74 to instruct the start of cooking, the control unit 90 recognizes the type (meat Me and leafy vegetables Le, or the specific type of meat Me and leafy vegetables Le) and size of each ingredient F in the heating chamber 12 based on the three-dimensional information input from the three-dimensional measurement unit 40 and the captured image of the ingredient F input from the capture unit 50, and recognizes the ingredient area FA in which each ingredient F is placed as shown in Figure 21, and obtains the surface temperature of each ingredient F.

As shown in FIG. 22, when meat Me and leafy vegetables Le are cooked simultaneously using the cooking device 1, for example, the first upper heater 100a is rotated appropriately so that the food area FA of the meat Me is included in the heating area HA, and the second upper heater 100b is rotated appropriately so that the food area FA of the leafy vegetables Le is included in the heating area HA. For example, the meat Me to be cooked is beef or pork, and the leafy vegetables Le are spinach or Japanese mustard spinach. In this case, the cooking conditions for the leafy vegetables Le are set to a target temperature rise rate of 2.3°C/min and a target temperature of 70°C.

In the cooking device 1, a predetermined heating operation is performed for meat Me. For example, in the heating operation for meat Me, the first upper heater 100a is driven in a continuous driving state from the start to the end of cooking (from time _t0 to time _t3 ) based on the estimated internal temperature of the meat Me. The driving state of the first upper heater 100a in this heating operation is not limited to this, and it may be driven in a continuous driving state or an intermittent driving state in combination with heating by the convection heater 26 so that the meat Me is finished juicy.

The cooking device 1 performs a first temperature zone heating operation, a second temperature zone heating operation, and a third temperature zone heating operation for the leafy vegetables Le so that cooking is completed simultaneously with cooking of the meat Me. To achieve this, when cooking is started in the cooking device 1, the control unit 90 sequentially calculates and obtains the time until cooking of the meat Me is completed.

In the first temperature zone heating operation, the second upper heater 100b is driven to heat the leafy vegetables Le. For example, in the first temperature zone heating operation, the second upper heater 100b is driven in an intermittent drive state, and the convection heater 26 is not driven. The drive state of the heating unit 20 in the first temperature zone heating operation is not limited to this, and at least one of the second upper heater 100b and the convection heater 26 may be driven in a continuous drive state or an intermittent drive state so that the internal temperature of the food material F rises toward 50°C. The output of the first upper heater 100b at this time is adjusted so that the completion time of cooking the leafy vegetables Le coincides with the completion time of cooking the meat Me.

In the second temperature zone heating operation, the second upper heater 100b is driven to heat the leafy vegetables Le. For example, in the second temperature zone heating operation, the second upper heater 100b is driven in an intermittent drive state, and the convection heater 26 is not driven. The drive state of the heating unit 20 in the second temperature zone heating operation is not limited to this, and at least one of the second upper heater 100b and the convection heater 26 may be driven in a continuous drive state or an intermittent drive state so that the internal temperature of the food material F rises toward 60°C and the rate of increase in the internal temperature of the leafy vegetables Le reaches the target heating rate.

In the third temperature zone heating operation, the leafy vegetables Le are heated by residual heat in the heating chamber (more precisely, heat from the first upper heater 100a). For example, in the third temperature zone heating operation, neither the upper heater 22 nor the convection heater 26 are driven. The driving state of the heating unit 20 in the third temperature zone heating operation is not limited to this, and at least one of the second upper heater 100b and the convection heater 26 may be driven in a continuous driving state or an intermittent driving state so that the internal temperature of the food material F reaches the target temperature. In this case, the output of the first upper heater 100a is adjusted so that the completion time of cooking the leafy vegetables Le coincides with the completion time of cooking the meat Me.

By cooking in the cooking device 1 in the above manner, the meat Me and the leafy vegetables Le are cooked simultaneously, while the leafy vegetables Le are soft enough to have a suitable texture and delicious taste.

In the above example, meat Me and leafy vegetables Le are cooked simultaneously. However, the cooking device 1 of this embodiment 2 can also cook root vegetables Ro or fruit vegetables and meat Me simultaneously, and can also cook two or more different types of vegetables selected from root vegetables Ro, leafy vegetables Le, and fruit vegetables simultaneously.

-Features of the second embodiment-
In the cooking device 1 of the second embodiment, when different types of first food ingredient Fa and second food ingredient Fb are placed in the heating chamber 12, information on each of the first food ingredient Fa and second food ingredient Fb is detected, and when the internal temperature of one of the first food ingredient Fa and second food ingredient Fb is at least one of below 50°C and above 60°C, the heating time is adjusted to match the heating time of the other food ingredient F, and cooking of the first food ingredient Fa and second food ingredient Fb is completed simultaneously. This makes it possible to simultaneously cook the first food ingredient Fa and the second food ingredient Fb, while giving both the food ingredients Fa and Fb a suitable texture and flavor.

Other Embodiments
In the above-mentioned first embodiment, the temperature detection unit 30 measures the surface temperature of the food ingredient F in a non-contact manner, and the control unit 90 estimates the internal temperature of the food ingredient F from the surface temperature of the food ingredient F. However, this is not limited to the above. The temperature detection unit 30 may be configured to directly measure the internal temperature of the food ingredient F. For example, the temperature detection unit 30 may have a temperature probe 120 as shown in Fig. 23 that is inserted into the food ingredient F to detect the internal temperature of the food ingredient. This is the same in the above-mentioned first and second modifications and the above-mentioned second embodiment.

In the above embodiment 1, the heating unit 20 has multiple heaters, specifically the upper heater 22, the lower heater 24, and the convection heater 26, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the heating unit 20 may be composed of only the upper heater 22 and the convection heater 26, or may be composed of only the upper heater 22 and the lower heater 24. The heating unit 20 may also be composed of a single heater. This is the same in the above modifications 1 and 2.

In the above embodiment 2, the heating section 20 has two upper heaters 100 and a convection heater 26, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the heating section 20 may have three or more upper heaters 100. The heating section 20 may also be composed of only a plurality of upper heaters 100. The arrangement of the upper heaters 100 is not limited to the above arrangement and can be changed. The upper heater 100 is composed of an infrared heater, but is not limited to this and may be composed of, for example, an electric heating wire.

In the above embodiment 1, the control unit 90 recognizes the type and size of the food ingredient F placed in the heating chamber 12 based on the three-dimensional information input from the three-dimensional measuring unit 40 and the captured image input from the photographing unit 50, but this is not limited to the above. The heating cooker 1 may be configured to accept an operation to specify the type of food ingredient F to be cooked on the control panel 74. The heating cooker 1 may also be configured to accept an operation to specify the size of the food ingredient F to be cooked on the control panel 74. This is the same in the above modified examples 1 and 2 and embodiment 2.

In the above embodiment 1, the food image and cooking conditions are stored in the memory unit 80 built into the cooking device 1, but this is not limited to the above. The food image and cooking conditions may be stored in a cloud server on the Internet, and the control unit 90 may access the Internet and appropriately acquire the food image and cooking conditions from the cloud server. This is the same in the above modifications 1 and 2 and embodiment 2.

In the above embodiment 1, the cooking device 1 according to the technology of the present disclosure is described as an oven, but an oven is merely one example of the cooking device 1, and the technology of the present disclosure can also be applied to other cooking devices, such as a grill attached to a stove or a microwave oven.

As described above, a preferred embodiment has been described as an example of the technology of the present disclosure. However, the technology of the present disclosure is not limited to this, and can be applied to embodiments in which modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. are made as appropriate. It is also possible to combine the components described in the above embodiments to create new embodiments. Furthermore, some of the components described in the attached drawings and detailed description may not be essential for solving the problem. Therefore, the fact that these non-essential components are described in the attached drawings or detailed description should not be used to immediately conclude that these non-essential components are essential.

As explained above, the technology disclosed herein is useful for cooking appliances.

F Food ingredients Le Leafy vegetables Ro Root vegetables 1 Cooking device 10 Housing 12 Heating chamber 14 Openable door 16 Placement shelf 18 Tray 20 Heating section 22 Upper heater 24 Lower heater 26 Convection heater 27 Centrifugal fan 28 Heating section 29 Air outlet 30 Temperature detection section 40 Three-dimensional measurement section 50 Photography section 60 Internal temperature detection section 70 Display section 72 Operation section 74 Control panel 75 Type item 76 Finished item 77 Directional keys (operation section)
78 Decision key (operation part)
79 Temperature item 80 Storage unit 90 Control unit 92 CPU
Reference Signs List 94 Memory 100 Upper heater 100a First upper heater 100b Second upper heater 102 Heater body 104 Cover 106 Upper cover member 107 Reflector 108 Lower cover member 110 Rotating shaft 112 Rotating mechanism 120 Temperature probe

Claims (7)

a heating chamber in which food ingredients are placed;
A heating unit that heats the inside of the heating chamber;
A temperature detection unit for detecting an internal temperature of the food material;
A control unit that controls the heating unit based on the internal temperature of the food material;
An operation unit that accepts an operation by a user ,
The operation unit is configured to be able to input setting information regarding the finishing state of the ingredients,
The control unit controls the heating unit so that the internal temperature of the food material is in the range of 50° C. or more and 60° C. or less and the rate of increase in the internal temperature of the food material is 2.0° C./min or more, and controls the heating unit based on the setting information inputted by the operation unit so that the internal temperature of the food material reaches a target temperature according to the setting information at the end of cooking the food material.
A heating cooker characterized by the above. a heating chamber in which food ingredients are placed;
A heating unit that heats the inside of the heating chamber;
A temperature detection unit for detecting an internal temperature of the food material;
A food information detection unit that detects information about the food in the heating chamber ;
A control unit that controls the heating unit based on the internal temperature of the food material,
The heating unit has a plurality of partial heating units that partially heat the inside of the heating chamber,
Each of the plurality of partial heating units is configured to change the heating area in the heating chamber,
The food ingredient information detection unit detects information of each of the plurality of food ingredients when the plurality of food ingredients are placed in the heating chamber,
The control unit is
The heating unit is controlled so that the internal temperature of the food material is in the range of 50° C. or more and 60° C. or less and the rate of increase in the internal temperature of the food material is 2.0° C./min or more;
Based on the information of each of the plurality of ingredients detected by the ingredient information detection unit, the ingredient area in which the ingredient is arranged is recognized, and the partial heating unit is controlled so as to heat the ingredient for each ingredient area;
When the multiple ingredients include a first ingredient and a second ingredient of different types, the heating time of one of the first ingredient and the second ingredient when the internal temperature of the one of the first ingredient and the second ingredient is at least one of lower than 50°C and higher than 60°C is adjusted to match the heating time of the other ingredient so that the cooking of the first ingredient and the second ingredient is completed simultaneously. In the cooking device according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The control unit terminates heating of the food by the heating unit when the internal temperature of the food detected by the temperature detection unit reaches a predetermined temperature set to 60°C or higher. The cooking device according to claim 3 ,
Further comprising a food information detection unit that detects information of the food placed in the heating chamber,
The control unit recognizes the type of ingredient based on the information of the ingredient detected by the ingredient information detection unit, and sets the predetermined temperature according to the type of ingredient. The cooking device according to claim 3 or 4 ,
The cooking device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit heats the food material using residual heat in the heating chamber after the heating unit has finished heating the food material. The cooking device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
Further comprising a surface condition detection unit for detecting the surface condition of the food material,
The control unit terminates heating of the food material by the heating unit based on the surface condition of the food material detected by the surface condition detection unit. The cooking device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
The setting information is information related to the softness of the food material when cooked by heating.
A heating cooker characterized by the above.

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