JP7737285B2 - heating cooker - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cooking device.

A cooking device that accurately detects the state of an object to be heated and identifies its contours is known. The cooking device described in Patent Document 1 includes an imaging unit that captures images of the heating chamber, multiple lights that illuminate the interior of the heating chamber, and an illumination control unit. The imaging unit is located on the ceiling of the heating chamber and captures images of the object to be heated from above. The multiple lights are located on the ceiling of two opposing side walls of the heating chamber and illuminate the object to be heated from above. The illumination control unit can change the illumination intensity of the lights. The imaging unit captures multiple images with the illumination intensity changed by the illumination control unit. As a result, the object to be heated can be separated from the background surrounding the object to be heated and the image of the object to be heated can be identified.

International Publication No. 2017/170318

However, the cooking device in Patent Document 1 adjusts the illumination intensity and position of the lighting as needed to capture an image of the heated object from above. Therefore, even if the heated object is illuminated by the lighting, it may be difficult for the user to see the heated object.

The object of the present invention is to provide a cooking appliance that allows the user to easily see the heated item in the heating chamber.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a cooking appliance includes a heating chamber, an opening/closing door, a first light source unit, and a second light source unit. The heating chamber has a top surface, a bottom surface, and side surfaces, and heats an object to be heated. The opening/closing door opens and closes the heating chamber. The first light source unit is provided on the top surface of the heating chamber and illuminates the interior of the heating chamber. The second light source unit is provided on at least one of the side surfaces of the heating chamber and the surface of the opening/closing door, closer to the bottom surface than the top surface, and illuminates the bottom area of the heating chamber.

The cooking device of the present invention illuminates the heated object in the heating chamber from multiple directions, including from the bottom side of the heating chamber, making it easier for the user to see the heated object.

1 is a front view of a cooking device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the cooking device of FIG. 1 with the opening and closing door removed. FIG. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the cooking device of FIG. 1 , with the housing removed. 3 is a schematic exploded view showing the configuration of the left side of the cooking device of FIG. 2. [0023]FIG. FIG. 3 is a front view showing a state in which a tray is attached to the cooking device of FIG. 2 . FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a part of a cross section taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 3. 3 is a front view showing a state in which the cooking device of FIG. 2 further includes a fourth light source unit. FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a cooking device according to a second embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Note that identical or equivalent parts in the drawings will be designated by the same reference numerals and detailed descriptions will not be repeated.

First Embodiment
A cooking device 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. FIG. 1 is a front view of the cooking device 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the cooking device 100 of FIG. 1 with the opening/closing door 30 removed. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the cooking device 100 of FIG. 1 with the housing 10 removed. FIG. 4 is a schematic exploded view showing the configuration of the left side of the cooking device 100 of FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a front view showing the cooking device 100 of FIG. 2 with a tray 61 attached. FIG. 6 is a view showing a portion of a cross section taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 3. FIG. 7 is a front view showing the cooking device 100 of FIG. 2 further equipped with a fourth light source unit 54.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the cooking appliance 100 includes a housing 10, a heating chamber 20, an opening/closing door 30, an infrared sensor assembly 40, a first light source unit 51, and a second light source unit 52. The cooking appliance 100 of the first embodiment reduces the occurrence of shadows on the object to be heated H by adjusting the positions and number of the multiple light source units. Furthermore, the light source units evenly illuminate the interior of the heating chamber 20 from both the top and bottom sides of the heating chamber 20, making it easier for the user to see the object to be heated H inside the heating chamber 20.

The housing 10 has, for example, a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape with an open front. The heating chamber 20 is provided inside the housing 10.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the heating chamber 20 has, for example, a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. Specifically, the heating chamber 20 has a top surface 21, a bottom surface 22, and side surfaces 23. The side surfaces 23 include a right side surface 23a, a left side surface 23b, and a back surface 23c. The heating chamber 20 also has an opening 24 on the front surface. The user places the object to be heated H in and removes it from the heating chamber 20 through the opening 24.

The cooking device 100 may further include a magnetron (not shown). The magnetron supplies microwaves to the heating chamber 20 in which the object to be heated H is accommodated. The magnetron is an example of a microwave generator. The cooking device 100 according to the first embodiment may also have the functions of either a microwave oven or an oven, or both.

Here, in the cooking device 100 of the first embodiment, the space inside the heating chamber 20 on the top surface 21 side is referred to as the top surface region 21R, and the space on the bottom surface 22 side is referred to as the bottom surface region 22R. Note that the top surface region 21R and the bottom surface region 22R not only refer to the region on the top surface 21 side and the region on the bottom surface 22 side, respectively, when the interior of the heating chamber 20 is divided into two equal parts, but also refer to the region generally closer to the top surface 21 and the region generally closer to the bottom surface 22, respectively.

The opening/closing door 30 shown in Figures 1 and 3 is attached so that it can rotate around the lower edge of the housing 10, which serves as a horizontal axis. When viewed from inside the heating chamber 20 with the heating chamber 20 closed, the opening/closing door 30 comprises a glass plate 33 and a metal plate 31. The metal plate 31 is, for example, a door panel that is larger than the glass plate 33. The metal plate 31 has a recess on its main surface that accommodates the glass plate 33.

The door 30 also has a handle 34 and an operation panel 35. The handle 34 is located at the top of the door 30. The operation panel 35 is located on one side of the door 30 (the right side in Figure 1).

The operation panel 35 has, for example, a color LCD display 35a and a group of buttons 35b. The group of buttons 35b has, for example, a cancel key 35c and a warming start key 35d. The user presses the cancel key 35c to stop heating midway, and also presses the warming start key 35d to start heating. The operation panel 35 may further have an infrared receiver 35e that receives infrared rays from a smartphone or the like.

The infrared sensor assembly 40 detects the temperature inside the heating chamber 20 and the temperature of the object to be heated H. As illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, the infrared sensor assembly 40 is provided on the left side of the top surface 21 of the heating chamber 20. The infrared sensor assembly 40 has an infrared sensor 41 and a sensor case 42 that houses the infrared sensor 41. The infrared sensor 41 may be an area sensor, a line sensor, or the like.

The cooking appliance 100 may also include an air intake fan 60. The air intake fan 60 is provided, for example, behind the rear surface 23c of the heating chamber 20. As shown by the arrow in Figure 4, the air from the air intake fan 60 cools the infrared sensor assembly 40. As a result, the infrared sensor assembly 40 is prevented from becoming excessively hot, allowing for accurate temperature detection.

The first light source unit 51 is a ceiling light source unit provided on the ceiling 21 of the heating chamber 20. The first light source unit 51 is provided, for example, on the left side of the ceiling 21 and illuminates the interior of the heating chamber 20 from above. The first light source unit 51 uses, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode).

As shown in FIG. 4, the first light source unit 51 may be attached to the ceiling surface 21 of the heating chamber 20 using an infrared sensor assembly 40. Specifically, the LED 51a is placed on the ceiling surface 21 via glass 51b and gasket 51c, pressed down by a part of the sensor case 42, and fixed with a fixing member 43. By using the sensor case 42 as a mounting fixture for the first light source unit 51, the number of parts can be reduced and the configuration of the cooking appliance 100 can be simplified. Furthermore, the air from the air supply fan 60 also cools the first light source unit 51, preventing it from becoming excessively hot.

The second light source unit 52 is a side light source unit provided on either the left or right side surface 23 of the heating chamber 20. For example, the second light source unit 52 is provided on the side surface 23 opposite the side surface 23 closer to the first light source unit 51. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the second light source unit 52 is provided on the right side surface 23a opposite the left side surface 23b closer to the first light source unit 51. The second light source unit 52 is also provided in a portion closer to the bottom surface 22 than the top surface 21. In other words, the second light source unit 52 illuminates the bottom surface region 22R of the heating chamber 20. The second light source unit 52 may, for example, be an LED.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first light source unit 51 illuminates the object to be heated H from above, and the second light source unit 52 illuminates it from the right side surface 23a near the bottom surface 22. In other words, the object to be heated H is illuminated from different directions, thereby reducing the occurrence of shadows. Furthermore, unlike conventional cooking appliances in which lighting units are located only above the heating chamber 20, the second light source unit 52 illuminates the bottom surface area 22R of the heating chamber 20. In other words, the entire heating chamber 20 is illuminated evenly, making it easier for the user to see the object to be heated H inside the heating chamber 20.

As shown in FIG. 5, the cooking appliance 100 may also include a tray 61 on which the object to be heated H is placed. The tray 61 can be detachably attached to the inside of the heating chamber 20 so as to divide the heating chamber 20 into a top area 21R and a bottom area 22R. One way to attach the tray 61 is to provide tray supports 25, 25 that support the tray 61 on the inner surfaces of the right side surface 23a and left side surface 23b of the heating chamber 20, respectively.

When the tray 61 is attached to the heating chamber 20 and two-tier cooking is performed, the cooking appliance 100 has the first light source unit 51 illuminate the top area 21R and the second light source unit 52 illuminate the bottom area 22R. In other words, even when the heating chamber 20 is divided by the tray 61, the first light source unit 51 and the second light source unit 52 can illuminate the entire heating chamber 20 evenly. As a result, the user's visibility within the heating chamber 20 can be improved.

The cooking appliance 100 may further include a third light source unit 53. As shown in FIG. 3 , the third light source unit 53 is a door light source unit provided on the surface of the opening and closing door 30, closer to the bottom surface 22 of the heating chamber 20 than the top surface 21. In other words, the third light source unit 53 illuminates the bottom surface area 22R of the heating chamber 20, similar to the second light source unit 52. The third light source unit 53 may be, for example, an LED.

By providing the cooking appliance 100 with the third light source unit 53 in addition to the second light source unit 52, the object to be heated H can be illuminated from more directions. This further reduces the occurrence of shadows on the object to be heated H. Even during two-tier cooking using the tray 61, the second light source unit 52 and the third light source unit 53 illuminate the object to be heated H in the bottom side region 22R from different directions. In other words, even in the bottom side region 22R when using the tray 61, the occurrence of shadows on the object to be heated H can be more effectively reduced. Furthermore, because the number of light source units is increased, the interior of the heating chamber 20 can be illuminated even more brightly. As a result, the object to be heated H can be more easily seen by the user.

Here, as shown in FIG. 6 , the opening/closing door 30 has a resin plate 32 located further back than the metal plate 31. The resin plate 32 may be, for example, a PWB plate. The third light source unit 53 is located further back than the resin plate 32. In other words, when the heating chamber 20 is closed and viewed from inside the heating chamber 20, the opening/closing door 30 has a glass plate 33, a metal plate 31, and a resin plate 32. The third light source unit 53 is located further back than the resin plate 32 when viewed from inside the heating chamber 20.

The metal plate 31 has a first opening 31a in a portion facing the third light source unit 53. The periphery of the first opening 31a may also be provided with a ring-shaped first protrusion 31b having a through-hole that communicates with the first opening 31a.

Similarly, the resin plate 32 has a second opening 32a in a portion facing the third light source unit 53. The periphery of the second opening 32a may be provided with a second annular protrusion 32b having a through hole communicating with the second opening 32a.

The first protrusion 31b protrudes toward the second protrusion 32b, and the second protrusion 32b protrudes toward the first protrusion 31b. Furthermore, the hole diameter d2 of the second opening 32a is larger than the hole diameter d1 of the first opening 31a. The first protrusion 31b and the second protrusion 32b can be formed, for example, by burring.

Light from the third light source unit 53 is irradiated onto the object to be heated H through the second opening 32a and the first opening 31a. Here, by increasing the hole diameter d2 of the second opening 32a in the resin plate 32, light from the third light source unit 53 is more likely to be emitted toward the heating chamber 20. On the other hand, by decreasing the hole diameter d1 of the first opening 31a in the metal plate 31, microwaves from the heating chamber 20 are prevented from entering the interior of the opening and closing door 30.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, the first protrusions 31b and second protrusions 32b form a so-called labyrinth structure. As a result, even if microwaves enter through the first opening 31a, they are blocked by the second protrusions 32b of the second opening 32a, preventing them from leaking to the outside.

The opening and closing door 30 may further include a metal mesh 36. The metal mesh 36 is arranged to cover the first opening 31a and the second opening 32a. The metal mesh 36 functions as an additional barrier against microwaves from the heating chamber 20. Note that the first opening 31a and the second opening 32a, in which the metal mesh 36 is arranged, may or may not be burred.

Here, as shown in FIG. 1, an operation panel 35 is normally disposed on the opening/closing door 30. The operation panel 35 has electronic components such as a circuit board and a microcomputer. Microwaves from the heating chamber 20 may adversely affect the circuit board and electronic components such as the microcomputer. Therefore, as described above, the opening/closing door 30 may be provided with first protrusions 31b and second protrusions 32b, or metal mesh 36 may be disposed in the first opening 31a and second opening 32a. Alternatively, in addition to the first protrusions 31b and second protrusions 32b, metal mesh 36 may be disposed in the first opening 31a and second opening 32a. As a result, the possibility of microwaves leaking from the heating chamber 20 and adversely affecting the operation of the electronic components on the operation panel 35 is reduced.

The cooking appliance 100 of the first embodiment is not limited to a configuration in which only the second light source unit 52 is provided on the right side surface 23a. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, a fourth light source unit 54 may be provided above the second light source unit 52. By providing the fourth light source unit 54, the top surface area 21R in the heating chamber 20 can be illuminated even more brightly. Furthermore, the top surface area 21R can be illuminated from different directions by the first light source unit 51 and the fourth light source unit 54. Therefore, the shadow of the object to be heated H can be more effectively suppressed in the top surface area 21R when the tray 61 is in use.

Furthermore, the cooking appliance 100 of the first embodiment is not limited to a configuration in which only the third light source unit 53 is provided on the surface of the opening and closing door 30. For example, as shown by the imaginary line in Figure 3, a fifth light source unit 55 may be provided above the third light source unit 53. By providing the fifth light source unit 55, the object to be heated H can be illuminated from even more directions, reducing the occurrence of shadows and making it easier for the user to view the object to be heated H.

Second Embodiment
Next, a cooking device 100A according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a cooking device 100A according to the second embodiment.

In the first embodiment, the cooking appliance 100 was described in which the second light source unit 52 was a side light source unit. However, the second light source unit 52 is not limited to a side light source unit. In the cooking appliance 100A according to the second embodiment, the second light source unit 52A is a door light source unit. Because the second light source unit 52A is located on the surface of the opening and closing door 30, the object to be heated H can be illuminated from the front. When the object to be heated H is illuminated from the front, a shadow is cast behind the object to be heated H as seen by the user. In other words, this does not hinder the user from viewing the object to be heated H. As a result, the user can view the object to be heated H more clearly.

The cooking appliance 100A may also include a side light source unit as the third light source unit 53A. Furthermore, as in the first embodiment, it may also include a fourth light source unit 54 and a fifth light source unit 55.

Embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The drawings mainly show each component in a schematic manner to facilitate understanding, and the thickness, length, number, spacing, etc. of each component shown may differ from the actual components due to the convenience of creating the drawings. Furthermore, the materials, shapes, dimensions, etc. of each component shown in the above embodiments are merely examples and are not particularly limited, and various modifications are possible without substantially departing from the configuration of the present invention.

The present invention provides a cooking device and has industrial applicability.

20 Heating chamber 21 Top surface 21R Top surface side region 22 Bottom surface 22R Bottom surface side region 23 Side surface 23a Right side surface 23b Left side surface 23c Back surface 30 Opening and closing door 31 Metal plate 31a First opening 31b First protrusion 32 Resin plate 32a Second opening 32b Second protrusion 33 Glass plate 36 Metal mesh 40 Infrared sensor assembly 41 Infrared sensor 42 Sensor case 51 First light source unit 52, 52A Second light source unit 53, 53A Third light source unit 54 Fourth light source unit 55 Fifth light source unit 61 Tray 100, 100A Cooking appliance H Object to be heated d1 Hole diameter of first opening d2 Hole diameter of second opening

Claims (8)

a heating chamber having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a side surface for heating an object to be heated;
an opening and closing door for opening and closing the heating chamber;
a first light source unit provided on the ceiling surface of the heating chamber and illuminating the inside of the heating chamber;
a door light source unit provided on a surface of the door closer to the bottom surface than the top surface and illuminating a bottom surface area of the heating chamber ;
the opening/closing door has a metal plate and a resin plate disposed deeper than the metal plate when viewed from inside the heating chamber in a state in which the heating chamber is closed,
the metal plate has a first opening in a portion facing the door light source unit,
the resin plate has a second opening in a portion facing the door light source unit,
The diameter of the second opening is larger than the diameter of the first opening.
Heating cooker. The cooking device according to claim 1 , further comprising a second light source unit provided on the side surface of the heating chamber closer to the bottom surface than the top surface, and illuminating a bottom surface side area of the heating chamber . The cooking device according to claim 2 , further comprising a fourth light source unit above the second light source unit that illuminates a top surface side area of the heating chamber. The cooking device according to claim 1 , further comprising a fifth light source unit above the third light source unit as the door light source unit , the fifth light source unit illuminating a top surface side area of the heating chamber. The cooking device according to claim 1 , wherein the door includes a metal mesh disposed so as to cover the first opening and the second opening. The cooking device according to claim 1 , further comprising a tray removably attached to the inside of the heating chamber so as to divide the heating chamber into a top surface area and a bottom surface area of the heating chamber. further comprising an infrared sensor assembly disposed on the top surface;
The cooking device according to claim 1 , wherein the first light source unit is attached to the infrared sensor assembly. The cooking device according to claim 2 , wherein the second light source unit is provided on a side surface opposite to a side surface close to the first light source unit.