JP7796497B2 - heating cooker - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cooking appliance such as a gas stove.

Conventionally, cooking appliances are known that store cooking information according to the menu and allow the cook to proceed with cooking in accordance with that information, allowing for efficient cooking regardless of the individual's skill level.

For example, in the cooking menu creation device described in Patent Document 1 below, when an IC card is inserted into the display, a recipe chart is displayed showing the numerical distribution of ingredients and seasonings per serving according to the menu. It also displays the control process for seasoning addition timing, heating temperature, and stirring temperature, allowing the user to check how far the cooking has progressed (see Figure 4).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 02-130320

On the other hand, there is a growing demand for users to be able to cook and complete dishes themselves, without relying on automatic cooking functions. However, it is difficult for users who are not accustomed to cooking to perform all the tasks by themselves. When using the device described in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to say that the user has done the work themselves, and they do not get a sense of satisfaction from cooking.

The present invention was made in light of this background, and aims to provide a cooking appliance that allows users to perform the cooking themselves and complete the dish.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides
A cooking device comprising a heating unit that heats an object to be cooked, a heat power adjusting unit that adjusts the heat power of the heating unit, a temperature detecting unit that detects the temperature of the object to be cooked, a display unit that displays information related to cooking, and a memory unit that stores temperature transition information of the object to be heated associated with cooking of a specific menu as sample data,
When the specific menu is specified, the display unit displays a graph of the temperature transition information and a graph of the temperature change detected by the temperature detection unit during actual cooking.

The cooking device of the present invention stores temperature transition information for specific menu items as sample data in the memory unit. When that specific menu item is selected, the user can refer to the sample data. The temperature transition information is displayed as a graph on the display unit as a sample of the temperature transition that affects the cooking result.

In addition, the temperature changes actually detected by the temperature detection unit are displayed as a graph on the display unit, and the user can adjust the heat by operating the heat adjustment unit to match the cooking temperature with the temperature change information. This allows the user to perform the cooking work themselves and complete the dish easily and efficiently. This cooking appliance also has the advantage of allowing the user to always know where they are in the cooking process, thereby improving their cooking skills.

In addition, in the cooking device of the present invention,
The temperature transition information of the sample data is preferably created from temperature transition information during past cooking.

The memory unit stores temperature transition information from when specific menu items were cooked in the past. This temperature transition information includes cases where the user cooked the food themselves as well as cases where other people cooked the food. The temperature transition information displayed on the display unit is created from past cases (temperature transition information), allowing users to recreate cooking recipes based on various samples.

In addition, in the cooking device of the present invention,
a determination unit that determines whether or not a user has performed a predetermined cooking task;
the display unit displays the content of the work to be performed by the user and the timing of the work;
When the determining unit determines that the task has been performed, it is preferable that the display mode of the task content be changed.

With this configuration, the display unit displays the tasks the user will perform while cooking (adding seasonings, putting a lid on the pot, etc.) and the timing of these tasks. The judgment unit also determines whether the user has performed the task, and if so, changes the display mode to notify the user. This allows the cooking appliance to guide the user to successful cooking while allowing them to confirm the task and whether it has been performed.

In addition, in the cooking device of the present invention,
An icon indicating the content of the work is displayed on the display unit at the timing of the work,
It is preferable that when the determining unit determines that the task has been performed, or when the determining unit determines that the task has not been performed, the display mode of the icon is changed.

For example, an icon indicating the task the user is performing while cooking is displayed near the temperature transition information on the display unit. Then, if it is determined that the user has performed the specified task, the display mode of the icon is changed to notify the user. If it is determined that the user has not performed the specified task, the display mode of the icon may also be changed. In this way, this cooking appliance allows the user to visually recognize the task that they should perform and whether or not they have performed it.

In addition, in the cooking device of the present invention,
The storage unit stores heating power transition information of the object to be heated associated with the cooking as the sample data,
When the specific menu is designated, the heating power transition information is preferably displayed in the form of a graph on the display unit.

The memory unit also stores heating power transition information for the heated object as sample data. The display unit then displays the heating power transition information in graph form in addition to the temperature transition information. By referring to both pieces of information, users can cook more faithfully to the sample data, thereby improving the accuracy of cooking reproduction.

In addition, in the cooking device of the present invention,
a reproducibility determination unit that determines a reproducibility by comparing the temperature transition information with the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit during actual cooking,
It is preferable that an evaluation according to the degree of reproduction is displayed on the display unit.

The reproducibility determination unit compares the temperature transition information with the actual temperature during cooking to determine whether they match, i.e., the reproducibility. It then evaluates the reproducibility by giving it a rank or score, etc., and displays this on the display unit. Therefore, the cooking appliance can increase the user's motivation to cook.

In addition, in the cooking device of the present invention,
It is preferable that, in response to the temperature trend information, if the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit during actual cooking remains above or below a predetermined value for a predetermined time, the display unit will notify this.

If the temperature of the heated object during actual cooking remains below the sample temperature trend information for a predetermined period of time, the display will notify the user and prompt them to take action. This allows the user to notice the situation at an early stage and take action, preventing the food from being undercooked.

1 is a schematic diagram of a cooking device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration and internal structure of the cooking device. 10 is a display example of the liquid crystal display unit (before cooking starts). 10 is an example of a display on the liquid crystal display unit (cooking in progress). 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display (heat power transition information) on the liquid crystal display unit. 10 is a display example of the liquid crystal display unit (when cooking is complete).

Below, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

First, referring to Figure 1, a cooking device 1 according to an embodiment will be described. When a user cooks with cooking appliance 1, the cooking device displays information such as temperature and heat level on the LCD display 16 (described below) to assist with cooking. Therefore, cooking appliance 1 can be said to have the function of leading to successful cooking.

A grill door 2 is provided in the center of the front side of the cooking appliance 1. The grill door 2 opens and closes the front opening of the grill compartment (not shown) provided inside the cooking appliance 1 when placing or removing an item to be heated in the grill compartment. A grill burner 8 is located inside the grill door 2, and a temperature sensor 9 (not shown) is provided to detect the temperature of the item to be heated.

The cooking appliance 1 is a built-in type that can be installed in the countertop W of a system kitchen, and is equipped with a box-shaped stove body 3 with an open top. A top surface 4 is provided on top of the stove body 3, from which the left stove burner 10a, right stove burner 10b, and rear stove burner 10c (the "heating section" of the present invention) supported by the stove body 3 are exposed upward.

Each stove burner 10a, 10b, 10c is equipped with a temperature sensor 11a, 11b, 11c (the "temperature detection unit" of the present invention) that detects the temperature of the heated object placed on it (such as a cooking container containing the food to be cooked). The temperature detected by temperature sensor 11a, 11b, 11c is considered to be the temperature of the cooking container during cooking (the "temperature" of the present invention).

On both sides of the grill door 2 on the front side of the cooking appliance 1, there is an operation button 13a for the grill burner 8 inside the grill chamber, operation buttons 13b-13d for each stove burner 10a, 10b, 10c (the "heat adjustment unit" of the present invention), and a power switch 13e.

Each operation button 13a-13d is push-type, and when pressed once from the extinguishing position shown in Figure 1 where it is recessed into the front panel and then released, it protrudes to the burning position in front of the front panel, and in this state can be rotated to adjust the flame intensity.

Signals from the operation detection switches of the grill burner 8, the operation buttons 13a-13d of the stove burners 10a-10c, and the power switch 13e, along with signals from the flame detection elements of each stove burner 10a-10c, are input to the control device 30 (control unit 31), which is comprised of a microcomputer and will be described later. The control unit 31 then controls the igniter, main valve, and each gas valve device.

Furthermore, the front of the cooking appliance 1 is provided with a push-open grill operation unit 21 and a stove operation unit 22. When a user presses the grill operation unit 21, it opens, revealing the grill operation panel 21a. Similarly, when a user presses the stove operation unit 22, it opens, revealing the stove operation panel 22a.

For example, the stove operation panel 22a is configured to allow the user to perform operations related to the operation of each stove burner 10a, 10b, 10c (such as setting specific menus and recording cooking logs), and is also configured to display various information related to the operation of each stove burner 10a, 10b, 10c.

Also, a liquid crystal display 16 (the "display" of the present invention) is provided between burner 10a and burner 10b on top surface 4 of cooking appliance 1. As will be described in more detail below, the liquid crystal display 16 displays graphs of temperature transition information and heat power transition information that the user refers to when cooking. The user can cook by adjusting the heat power using operation buttons 13a to 13d so that the temperature of the cooking container (including metal pots, earthenware pots, frying pans, etc.) matches the temperature transition information graph. The liquid crystal display 16 may also be provided within the stove operation panel 22a.

Figure 2 shows a block diagram of the configuration and internal structure of the cooking appliance 1. The cooking appliance 1 is composed of a grill burner 8, stove burners 10a-10c, temperature sensors 9, 11a-11c, operation buttons 13a-13d, a power switch 13e, an LCD display 16, and operation panels 21a and 21b.

The control device 30 is a device that controls the overall operation of the cooking appliance 1, and is composed of an electronic circuit unit including a control unit 31, a judgment unit 33, a reproducibility judgment unit 34 (all of which are CPUs), a memory unit 32 (memory such as RAM and ROM), an interface circuit, etc.

The control device 30 receives detection signals from temperature sensors 9, 11a-11c, operation signals from operation buttons 13a-13d, operation signals from power switch 13e, and operation signals from operation panels 21a and 22a.

The control device 30 is configured to perform operation control (ignition/extinguishing control, etc.) of the grill burner 8, left burner 10a, right burner 10b, and rear burner 10c through functions realized by executing implemented programs or functions realized by hardware configuration.

The memory unit 32 of the control device 30 stores temperature data, heating power data, etc. when a specific menu item is cooked in the cooking appliance 1. This data can serve as sample data when the user later recreates the cooking of that specific menu item.

The temperature transition information and heat power transition information stored as sample data in the memory unit 32 is created based on information (log data) from when the user or the user's family previously cooked the specific menu item under the same conditions (same cooking vessel, same portion size). The temperature transition information and heat power transition information may also be created from information from when a professional chef cooked the specific menu item under the same conditions.

The judgment unit 33 of the control device 30 judges whether the user has performed an action such as adding a specified seasoning or placing a lid on a pot when cooking a specific menu item. If it is determined that the specified action has been performed, this is reported on the LCD display unit 16.

The reproducibility determination unit 34 of the control device 30 determines the reproducibility by comparing the temperature transition information of the sample data with the difference between the actual temperatures detected by the temperature sensors 9, 11a-11c during actual cooking. The reproducibility is expressed as a rank, score, symbol, mark, etc., and is displayed on the LCD display unit 16.

When the user specifies cooking of a specific menu item, the LCD display unit 16 displays a graph of temperature transition information (time-series waveform) associated with the cooking of that specific menu item as sample data. It is preferable that the temperature transition information be displayed so that the entire cooking process or the latter half of the cooking process can be seen. In addition, by displaying the actual temperature changes so that the user can understand the current situation, the user can enjoy cooking while obtaining information to ensure successful cooking.

In addition, icons indicating the tasks that the user should perform at specific times during cooking may be displayed. These tasks include "adding ingredients," "adding seasonings and water," "putting the lid on the pot," "opening the lid," "stirring," "flipping," etc., and icons corresponding to these tasks are determined in advance. The user can set whether or not to display the icons.

Next, display examples of the LCD display unit 16 will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 6. The following description will assume that a specific dish menu (e.g., gyoza) is being cooked using the left stove burner 10a.

Figure 3 shows the state when a graph of temperature transition information t is displayed on the LCD display unit 16 before cooking begins. Since the cooking appliance 1 is designed for all cooking to be done manually, the user proceeds with the work while referring to the temperature transition information t.

As shown in window 16a of the LCD display unit 16, the temperature transition information t is one piece of sample data and is a time series graph of the temperature of the cooking container from the start (S) to the end (E) of cooking. There are multiple types of temperature transition information t for the same menu, and these are stored in the memory unit 32. The temperature transition information t may also be stored in a storage device on the server. The user may also be able to use temperature transition information under similar conditions on the server (for example, cooking by a professional chef).

Temperature trend information t is created primarily from temperature data from previous cooking sessions by the user and temperature data from cooking sessions by the user's family members. Temperature trend information t is preferably information from cooking portions that take into account the number of family members in the user's household, using the same cooking container. Note that the original temperature data does not form a smooth curve like the temperature trend information t shown in the figure, so the actual waveform is smoothed out to form a curve.

In addition, icons a to c are displayed at specific times on the graph of temperature transition information t. Icon a suggests that this is the time to "add seasonings and water." Icon b suggests that this is the time to "put the lid on the pot," and icon c suggests that this is the time to "open the lid." Displaying the icons has the effect of visually reminding the user to perform a specific task and encouraging them to do so.

The display of the tasks performed by the user during cooking and the timing of the tasks are not limited to icons, but may also be displayed using text, messages, etc. For example, a message box (speech bubble) may be displayed at the timing of the task on the graph of temperature transition information t, with the task content (e.g., "add seasoning") written inside.

Figure 4 shows the display on the LCD display 16 when a predetermined time has elapsed since cooking began.

When the user begins cooking, the temperature sensor 11a for the left stove burner 10a detects the actual temperature of the cooking container. As a result, changes in the actual temperature T (thick line in the figure) are displayed superimposed on a graph of the temperature transition information t. Displaying the actual temperature T makes it easier for the user to grasp their current position in the entire process, the progress of cooking, etc.

Furthermore, if the actual temperature T changes along the graph of the temperature transition information t, the two will overlap perfectly. Because the user cooks while referring to the LCD display 16, they can also see whether the temperature is being adjusted according to the sample data while cooking.

In Figure 4, the timing for icon a in Figure 3 has passed, so icon a has changed to a lightly displayed icon a'. This means that the task suggested by icon a, "adding seasonings and water," has actually been performed without any problems. When the task has been performed, the color of icon a may be changed, or icon a may be removed from the screen. Conversely, when the user has not performed the task, the appearance of icon a may be changed. For example, the user may be notified by changing icon a to a conspicuous color such as red, or by blinking. If the task content is displayed as text, the display appearance may be changed, such as by changing the color of the text or by removing the message box from the screen. This type of display control allows the user to immediately notice that they have forgotten to perform the task and take action.

Whether or not an operation has actually been performed is determined by the judgment unit 33 of the control device 30 based on the temperature change detected by the temperature sensor 11a, the level of heat, etc. Note that to reliably determine whether an operation has been performed, each stove burner 10a-10c may further be equipped with a weight sensor that measures the weight of the object to be heated (cooking vessel).

As described above, the user adjusts the cooking temperature in accordance with the graph of temperature trend information t and follows the suggestions of the icons. This allows the user to enjoy cooking while recreating successful cooking techniques from the past or learning from the techniques of family members or professional chefs.

Figure 5 shows the display (modified version) on the LCD display unit 16 when a predetermined time has elapsed since cooking began.

In Figure 5, in addition to the graph of temperature transition information t, a graph of heat power transition information p is displayed on the LCD display unit 16. Heat power transition information p is also one of the sample data and is a time series graph of the heat power of the cooking container from the start (S) to the end (E) of cooking. Multiple pieces of heat power transition information p corresponding to temperature transition information t are stored in the memory unit 32 of the control device 30.

Because users adjust the heat level in multiple stages when cooking, the graph of heat level transition information p is displayed on the same timeline as the graph of temperature level transition information t. By simultaneously displaying both the graph of temperature level transition information t and the graph of heat level transition information p, users can more easily recreate successful cooking results from the past. Additionally, the actual changes in heat level P are displayed superimposed on the graph of heat level transition information p, and if the heat level P changes in line with the graph of heat level transition information p, they will overlap perfectly.

The user can choose whether to display the graph of thermal power trend information p. This is because thermal power varies depending on the region, as gas type and gas pressure can differ, and estimating thermal power from valve opening, etc., can result in inaccuracies.

Finally, Figure 6 shows the display on the LCD display 16 when cooking is complete.

In Figure 6, the change in actual temperature T (thick line in the figure) is overlaid on a graph of temperature transition information t and displayed until completion (E). Additionally, icons a-c (see Figure 3) have changed to lighter icons a'-c', respectively. This means that the tasks indicated by icons a-c were actually completed without any problems.

Furthermore, since all cooking processes have been completed, a judgment and evaluation is displayed in window 16b of the LCD display unit 16. This judgment and evaluation is performed by the reproducibility judgment unit 34 of the control device 30. This time, the actual temperature T obtained when the user cooked the specific menu almost overlaps with the temperature transition information t, so the reproducibility of the temperature transition information t is very high. Displaying the judgment and evaluation can increase the user's motivation to cook. Note that in this embodiment, the heat level can be adjusted relatively easily to match the heat level transition information p, so it is not subject to the judgment and evaluation.

Window 16b in Figure 6 displays a Rank "A" according to the final reproducibility and an expression mark "smiling face." There are four ranks, for example, "A (reproducibility of 90% or more)," "B (reproducibility of 70-89%)," "C (reproducibility of 50-69%)," and "D (reproducibility of 49% or less)," with corresponding expression marks "smiling face," "normal expression," "troubled expression," and "crying face." Of course, a score may be assigned instead of a rank.

In addition, the reproducibility determination unit 34 can make a determination during cooking based on the difference between the temperature transition information t and the actual temperature T.

For example, if the actual temperature T remains below the temperature transition information t by a predetermined temperature (e.g., 20°C) for one minute (or more), the food may be undercooked. When this happens, a warning or message is output to the LCD display 16 to notify the user. This allows the user to notice the situation at an early stage and take appropriate action, increasing the chances of successful cooking. If the cooking appliance 1 has a speaker, the warning may be given by voice or buzzer.

The above describes one embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and modifications, and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention. While the above embodiment primarily describes cooking using stove burners 10a-10c, the technical concept of graphically displaying temperature transition information is the same when cooking using grill burner 8.

In addition, the LCD display unit 16 will display at least a graph of temperature transition information, and it will be possible to select whether to display either or both the graph and icon of heating power transition information.

Temperature transition information and heat power transition information are primarily created from temperature data and heat power data from past successful cases, but may also be based on temperature data and heat power data from past unsuccessful cases. Simple notes may also be stored to help distinguish between good and bad temperature data and heat power data. For example, if the temperature transition information shows time periods where an unsuccessful attempt occurred with a dashed line, it can be used as temperature transition information that allows users to cook carefully to avoid repeating that mistake.

1 Cooking device 2 Grill door 3 Stove body 4 Top surface 8 Grill burner 9 Temperature sensor (for grill burner)
10a Left burner 10b Right burner 10c Rear burner 11a-11c Temperature sensor (for burner)
13a to 13d Operation buttons 13e Power switch 16 Liquid crystal display units 16a, 16b Window 21 Grill operation unit 21a Grill operation panel 22 Stove operation unit 22a Stove operation panel 30 Control device 31 Control unit 32 Memory unit 33 Determination unit 34 Reproducibility determination unit

Claims (7)

A heating unit that heats an object to be cooked;
A heat adjustment unit that adjusts the heat of the heating unit;
a temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the object to be heated;
a display unit that displays cooking-related information;
a storage unit that stores temperature transition information of the object to be heated associated with cooking of a specific menu as sample data;
a control device;
A cooking device comprising:
The sample data of temperature transition indicates a temperature transition of the object to be heated from the start of cooking the specific menu to the completion thereof, which can be referred to by a cook;
The control device is a heating cooker characterized in that, when the specific menu is specified, the display unit displays a graph of the temperature transition information and a graph of the change in temperature of the heated object detected by the temperature detection unit during actual cooking, superimposed on each other , thereby allowing the cook to confirm whether the actual cooking is proceeding according to the sample data . The cooking device according to claim 1,
A cooking device characterized in that the temperature transition information of the sample data is created from temperature transition information during past cooking. The cooking device according to claim 1 or 2,
The control device
Determine whether the user has performed a predetermined cooking task;
displaying on the display unit the content of the work to be performed by the user and the timing of the work;
When it is determined that the task has been performed, the cooking device changes the display mode of the task content . The cooking device according to claim 3,
The control device
An icon indicating the content of the work is displayed on the display unit at the timing of the work,
The cooking device is characterized in that, when it is determined that the task has been performed or when it is determined that the task has not been performed, the display mode of the icon is changed . The cooking device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The storage unit stores heating power transition information of the object to be heated associated with the cooking as the sample data,
The cooking device is characterized in that the control device displays the heating power transition information in a graph on the display unit when the specific menu is specified. The cooking device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The control device compares the temperature change information with the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit during actual cooking to determine the degree of reproducibility, and displays an evaluation based on the degree of reproducibility on the display unit. The cooking device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The control device is characterized in that when the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit during actual cooking remains above or below a predetermined value for a predetermined time, the control device notifies the user of this on the display unit.