US 4,383,157 AGranted

Electronic controlled heat cooking apparatus and method of controlling thereof

AssigneeSanyo Electric Co., Ltd.

InventorsTakeshi Nakata, Hitoshi Takase, Atsushi Horinouchi

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Abstract

An infrared radiation detector is provided for receiving an infrared radiation emitted from a material being cooked placed in a cooking chamber in a microwave oven. The microwave oven is provided with a keyboard, a digital display and a microcomputer, such that when a temperature operation mode is set by entry from the keyboard the set temperature data is stored in a memory. In the temperature operation mode, the temperature of the material being cooked is detected in terms of a voltage associated with the output from the infrared radiation detector and a magnetron of the microwave oven is energized until the above described detected voltage becomes equal to the set temperature data and the magnetron is deenergized when both coincide with each other. In the temperature operation mode the temperature of the material being cooked is displayed by the digital display.

Claims23

Dependent claims

An electronic controlled heat cooking apparatus, comprising:

heating energy generating means for providing heating energy to a material being cooked,
entry means for entering information for controlling said heating energy generating means,
storing means for storing data,
an infrared radiation detecting device for receiving an infrared radiation from said material being cooked,
voltage generating means for generating a voltage associated with the output from said infrared radiation detecting device,
analog voltage generating means for generating an analog voltage changing in a linear manner,
correcting means for correcting said linearly changing voltage to a voltage analogous to the output voltage characteristic of said infrared radiation detecting device,
comparing means for comparing said corrected analog voltage and said voltage associated with said output of said infrared radiation detecting device,
temperature data providing means for providing corresponding temperature data responsive to said corrected analog voltage if and when said comparing means detects substantial coincidence of said corrected analog voltage and said output associated voltage,
loading means for loading set temperature data from said entry means to said storage means when a temperature operation is commanded by said entry means, and
heat control means responsive to said set temperature data loaded in said storage means and temperature data provided by said temperature data providing means for controlling said heating energy generating means.

8 more elements

A microwave oven, comprising:

input means for commanding at least a defrosting operation, a temperature operation, a timing operation, and an operation initiation, digital display means, microwave generating means for providing heating energy to a material being cooked, an infrared radiation detecting device for detecting an infrared radiation emitted from said material being cooked, chopper means for chopping in a predetermined cycle said infrared radiation emitted from said material being cooked to said infrared radiation detecting device, and microprocessor means including a processing means and a storage means for storing the content of the command entered from said input means in said storage means and for:
(a) determining the content of said command stored in said storage means,
(b) enabling said chopper means,
(c) energizing said microwave generating means,
(d) measuring a temperature of said material being cooked responsive to the output from said infrared radiation detecting device,
(e) determining whether the temperature of said material being cooked exceeds a temperature as set by said input means,
(f) determing whether the temperature of said material being cooked has reached a predetermined temperature,
(g) evaluating a time period left for energization of said microwave generating means based on the time period set by said input means in said timing operation,
(h) displaying said evaluated time period left by said digital display means,
(i) determining whether said time period left has become zero,
(j) deenergizing said microwave generating means, and
(k) disabling said chopper means, and
(A) said microprocessor means, when said operation initiation is commanded by said input means, executing said function (a);
when said commanded operation contains said defrosting operation, executing said functions (b), (c), (d), and (e);
when the temperature of said material being cooked does not reach said predetermined temperature in said function (f), repeating said function (d), and (f);
and when the temperature of said material being cooked has reached said predetermined temperature in said function (f), when neither said timing operation nor said temperature operation is commanded, executing said function (j), when said temperature operation is not commanded, executing said function (k), and when the temperature of said material being cooked has reached said predetermined temperature in said function (f), said function is executed in spite of the operation as commanded other than said defrosting operation, and on the occasion of said function (c), executing said function (b),
(B) when said timing operation is commanded in said function (a), executing said functions (h), (g) and (i);
when said time period left is not zero in said function (i), repeating said functions (h), (g) and (i);
and when said time period left becomes zero in said function (i), executing said function (j), or (C) when the temperature operation is commanded in said function (a), executing said functions (d), and (e);
when the temperature of said material being cooked has not reached a temperature preset by said input means in said function (e), repeating said functions (d), and (e);
and when the temperature of said material being cooked has reached the temperature preset by said input means in said function (e), executing said functions (j) and (k), and
wherein said storage means further comprises a predetermined program for said defrosting operation, and
said microprocessor means further comprises means for varying the intensity of a microwave provided by said microwave generating means in accordance with said predetermined program in executing said defrosting operation.

20 more elements

A method for controlling a heat cooking apparatus comprising entry means for commanding a temperature cooking mode operation, heating energy generating means for providing heating energy to a material being cooked, and an infrared radiation detecting device for detecting infrared radiation emitted from said material being cooked, said method comprising the steps of:

providing an analog voltage which is changing in a linear manner in response to an operation of said entry means
correcting said linearly changing analog voltage to be similar to a detecting characteristic of said infrared radiation detecting device,
comparing said corrected analog voltage and said output voltage obtained from said infrared radiation detecting device for providing temperature data corresponding to said corrected analog voltage if and when both substantially coincide with each other, and
controlling said heating energy generating means for performing said temperature cooking mode operation in response to said provided temperature data.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.