JPH0719491A - microwave - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] To prevent the occurrence of uneven heating, insufficient heating, or excessive heating depending on the shape and type of food to be cooked, and to perform good cooking. According to the microwave oven of the present invention, an upper opening 7 and a lower opening 8 for supplying microwaves from a magnetron 12 are provided at upper and lower portions in a heating and cooking chamber, and edges of the upper opening 7 and the lower opening 8 are provided. One closing member which pivotally supports an upper closing plate 13 and a lower closing plate 14 for opening and closing the respective opening portions 7 and 8 in the portion, and the upper closing plate 13 and the lower closing plate 14 are rotationally driven by interlocking drive means 25. A plate drive motor 17 is provided, and the interlocking drive means 25 closes the lower opening 8 when the upper opening 7 is opened and also lowers the lower opening 8 when the upper opening 7 is closed. In this configuration, the closing plates 13 and 14 are driven in an interlocking manner so that the opening is opened.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a microwave oven having an improved supply structure for supplying a microwave generated by a magnetron into a cooking chamber.

[0002]

As is well known, in a microwave oven,
One microwave supply port is provided on the ceiling wall or part of the side wall of the heating and cooking chamber, and the microwave generated by the magnetron is supplied to the heating and cooking chamber from the microwave supply port through the waveguide to heat the chamber. It is configured to heat and cook a food item placed on a turntable in the cooking chamber.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional structure, since the microwave irradiation pattern to the cooking product is constant, depending on the shape and type of the cooking product,
In some cases, uneven heating occurred, or insufficient heating or excessive heating occurred. Specifically, when a liquid food such as milk or liquor is warmed as a food, a temperature difference may occur between the upper liquid food and the lower liquid food in the container. Also, when heating, for example, Shumai as a food to be cooked, a considerable difference in temperature may occur when the Shumai is placed on the center of the turntable and when it is placed on the peripheral edge of the turntable.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a microwave oven which can prevent uneven heating, insufficient heating, or excessive heating depending on the shape and type of food to be cooked, and which can perform good cooking.

[0005]

The microwave oven of the present invention comprises:
A microwave oven configured to supply microwaves generated by a magnetron into a heating cooking chamber to heat and cook a food, in which microwaves from the magnetron are provided in the upper and lower portions of the heating cooking chamber. An upper opening portion and a lower opening portion are provided for supplying the interior of the room, and an upper closing member and a lower closing member which are axially supported by edge portions of the upper opening portion and the lower opening portion and open and close the upper opening portion and the lower opening portion, respectively. A motor for rotating and driving the upper closing member and the lower closing member, the lower portion being provided between the motor and the upper closing member and the lower closing member and the upper opening being opened. The upper closure member and the lower closure so that the opening is closed and the lower opening is opened when the upper opening is closed. It characterized in place with the interlocking driving means for interlocking drive the wood.

In this case, the interlocking drive means includes an upper sheave provided on the rotating shaft of the upper closing member, a lower sheave provided on the rotating shaft of the lower closing member, and the upper sheave and the lower sheave. It is also conceivable that it is constituted by a belt member that is stretched between the two pulleys and rotates both pulleys in the same rotation direction. Further, it is also preferable that the pulleys are hooked between the upper pulley and the lower pulley to rotate both pulleys in opposite rotation directions.

[0007]

According to the above means, two opening portions for supplying microwaves to the heating cooking chamber are provided in the heating cooking chamber, and the upper opening portion and the lower opening portion are formed by the upper closing member and the lower closing member. It is configured to open and close. Then, the upper closing member and the lower closing member are rotationally driven by one motor through the interlocking driving means to open and close the upper opening and the lower opening. Here, the upper closing member and the lower closing member are interlockingly driven so that the lower opening is closed when the upper opening is opened and the lower opening is opened when the upper opening is closed. With such a configuration, it becomes possible to change the microwave supply pattern to the heating and cooking chamber, that is, the microwave irradiation pattern. Therefore, if the microwave irradiation pattern is changed according to the food to be cooked, it is possible to finish the cooking satisfactorily regardless of the shape or type of the food to be cooked.

Particularly, in this case, since the upper closing member and the lower closing member are driven by one motor to open and close the upper and lower openings, the number of motors can be minimized. Also, the detection mechanism for detecting the open / closed state of the two openings can have a simple configuration, which simplifies the overall configuration and reduces the manufacturing cost. If the interlocking drive means for transmitting the rotational force of the motor to the upper closing member and the lower closing member is made up of a pulley and a belt member that spans the pulley, a simple and highly reliable structure can be realized. Is possible.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. First, in FIG. 2 showing the overall configuration of the microwave oven, an inner case 2 is arranged inside an outer box 1, and the inside of the inner case 2 serves as a cooking chamber 3. A door 4 for opening and closing a front opening of the cooking chamber 3 is provided on the front surface of the outer box 1, and an operation panel 5 is provided at the right end portion. In addition, an upper opening 7 and a lower opening 8 for supplying microwaves into the heating and cooking chamber 3 are provided above and below the right side wall 6 of the heating and cooking chamber 3 (the right side wall of the inner case 2). Are formed. Further, a turntable 9 is rotatably arranged on the inner bottom of the heating and cooking chamber 3. The turntable 9 is configured to be rotationally driven by a turntable driving motor 10 (see FIG. 4).

Further, on the back side of the right side wall portion 6 where the upper opening 7 and the lower opening 8 are formed, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a waveguide 11 is provided with an upper opening 7 and a lower opening. It is provided so as to surround 8. A magnetron 12 is arranged at the center of the right outer side surface of the waveguide 11. In this case, the magnetron 12 is provided so that its antenna 12a is located inside the waveguide 11 and is located at an intermediate portion between the upper opening 7 and the lower opening 8. As a result, the upper opening 7 and the lower opening 8 are configured to communicate with the antenna 12a of the magnetron 12 by the waveguide 11.

On the other hand, the upper opening 7 and the lower opening 8
Is configured to be opened and closed by an upper closing plate 13 made of a conductor which is an upper closing member and a lower closing plate 14 made of a conductor which is a lower closing member. This open / close configuration will be specifically described. First, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, at the upper edge of the upper opening 7, the upper blocking plate 13 is provided.
Is rotatably supported by a rotary shaft 15, and a lower closing plate 14 is rotatably supported by a lower shaft at a lower edge portion of the lower opening 8. There is. The rotating shafts 15 and 16 are provided on the upper closing plate 13 and the lower closing plate 14, respectively, so as to rotate integrally with them.

Then, as shown in FIG. 1, one closing plate driving motor 17 is attached to the back side of the right side wall portion 6 via an attachment tool (not shown). The closing plate driving motor 17 is a motor that can be driven to rotate in the forward and reverse directions, and its rotating shaft is connected to the rotating shaft 15 of the upper closing plate 13. Further, a cam 18 is attached to the rotary shaft 15, and a micro switch for detecting the opening / closing position of the upper blocking plate 13 is provided at a lateral side portion and a lower side portion of the cam convex portion 19 of the cam 18. 20 and 21 are provided. In the case of this configuration, when the upper closing plate 13 is rotated to the position where the upper opening 7 is fully opened (the position shown by the broken line in FIG. 1 and the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 3), the lateral micro switch 20 causes the cam 18 of the cam 18 to move. When turned on by the convex portion 19, and when the upper closing plate 13 is rotated to a position (a position indicated by a chain double-dashed line in FIG. 3) that closes the upper opening 7, the lower micro switch 2
1 is turned on by the cam convex portion 19 of the cam 18.

Further, on the rotary shaft 15 of the upper closing plate 13,
An upper pulley 22, which is an upper pulley, is attached. A lower pulley 23, which is a lower pulley, is attached to the rotary shaft 16 of the lower closing plate 14. Further, a belt 24, which is a belt member, is hung between the upper pulley 22 and the lower pulley 23. The belt 24 causes the upper pulley 22 and the lower pulley 23 to interlock and rotate in the same rotation direction. It is configured to be driven.

With the above structure, when the upper opening 7 is opened, that is, when the upper closing member 13 is located at the fully open position, the lower opening 8 is opened by the lower closing member 14.
When the upper closing member 13 is rotated to the closing position and the upper opening 7 is closed,
The lower closing member 14 is rotated to the fully open position in conjunction with the upper closing member 13 so that the lower opening 8 is opened. In this case, the upper pulley 22 and the lower pulley 23
The belt 24 and the belt 24 constitute an interlocking drive means 25.

Further, in FIG. 4 showing the electrical configuration, the control device 26 includes a microcomputer, various drive circuits,
It is configured to have an A / D converter and the like, and has a control program for controlling the overall heating operation of the microwave oven. The control device 26 includes various switch signals from various switches 27 provided on the operation panel 5, a detection signal from a weight sensor 28 for detecting the weight of a food item placed on the turntable 9, and a micro switch. Switch signals from 20 and 21, a switch signal from a door switch 29 that detects the opening and closing of the door 4, and a detection signal from a gas sensor 30 provided in an exhaust passage (not shown) to detect gas such as water vapor generated from food. Is configured to be given. Further, the control device 26 rotationally drives the turntable drive motor 10, the magnetron 12, the closing plate drive motor 17, and a cooling fan for cooling the magnetron 12 according to the various inputs according to the control program. The cooling fan motor 31, the display 32 and the buzzer 33 provided on the operation panel 5 are appropriately driven and controlled.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described. First,
When heating liquid food such as milk or sake as the food to be cooked, only the lower opening 8 of the upper and lower two openings 7, 8 is opened for cooking. Specifically, FIG. 1 and FIG.
As shown in, when the upper opening 7 is opened and the lower opening 8 is closed, when warming cooking of milk, liquor, etc. is set as a cooking menu and an operation start operation is performed, the closing plate drive. The motor 17 is energized and driven in the clockwise direction in FIG. As a result, the rotation shaft 15 of the upper closing plate 13 is rotated clockwise, and the upper closing plate 13 is rotated.
Is rotated in the closing direction. At this time, at the same time, the rotational force of the closing plate drive motor 17 is transmitted through the rotary shaft 15, the upper pulley 22, the belt 24 and the lower pulley 23 to the rotary shaft 1.
6, the rotary shaft 16 or the lower closing plate 14 is rotated in the clockwise direction in FIG. 1, which is the same rotation direction as the upper closing plate 13, that is, the lower opening 8 is fully opened. Be moved.

After that, when the upper closing plate 13 is rotated to a position where the upper opening 7 is closed (at the same time, the lower closing plate 14 is rotated to a position where the lower opening 8 is fully opened), the lower microswitch 21 is turned on. Is turned on, the control device 26 receives the on signal and turns off the closing plate drive motor 17. As a result, the state in which the upper opening 7 is closed and the lower opening 8 is opened is maintained. If the magnetron 12 is driven to oscillate in this state,
The microwave generated by the magnetron 12 passes through the waveguide 11 and is supplied from the lower opening 8 into the cooking chamber 3. The microwave supplied from the lower opening 8 causes milk or liquor to be drunk. Liquid food such as is heated.
As a result, the liquid cooked product is different from the conventional configuration,
The temperature of the liquid food at the upper part and the temperature of the liquid food at the lower part in the container become substantially equal to each other, so that the food can be heated almost uniformly. Therefore, the cooked food is heated well without uneven heating.

The upper opening 7 is already closed and the lower opening 8 is already set when warming up milk or liquor is set as a cooking menu and an operation for starting operation is performed.
If the door is open, the closing plate drive motor 1
Magnetron 12 without driving 7
Cooking is started by.

When heating, for example, Shumai (the shape of the cooked food is generally flat) as the food to be cooked, only the upper opening 7 of the upper and lower two openings 7, 8 is opened. And cook it. Specifically, when the upper opening 7 is closed and the lower opening 8 is open as described above, Shumai cooking is set as a cooking menu and an operation start operation is performed. The closing plate drive motor 17 is energized and driven in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. Thereby, the rotation shaft 15 of the upper closing plate 13
Is rotated counterclockwise, and the upper blocking plate 13 is rotated in a direction in which the upper opening 7 is fully opened. At this time, at the same time, the lower closing plate 14 is rotated in association with the upper closing plate 13 in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 1, which is the same rotation direction, that is, in the direction in which the lower opening 8 is closed.

Thereafter, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, when the upper closing plate 13 is rotated to a position where the upper opening 7 is fully opened (at the same time, the lower closing plate 14 is rotated to a position where the lower opening 8 is closed). When the micro switch 20 on the upper side is turned on, the control device 26 receives the on signal and stops the electric power of the closing plate driving motor 17 in response to the on signal. This allows
The state in which the upper opening 7 is opened and the lower opening 8 is closed is maintained. When the magnetron 12 is driven to oscillate in this state, the microwaves generated by the magnetron 12 pass through the waveguide 11 and pass through the upper opening 7.
Is supplied to the inside of the cooking chamber 3 from above, and the pork is cooked by the microwave supplied from the upper opening 7. As a result, there is almost no difference between the temperature when the Shumai is placed on the central portion of the turntable 9 and the temperature when it is placed on the peripheral portion of the turntable. Therefore, unlike the conventional configuration, when the Shumai is cooked by heating, it can be heated almost uniformly regardless of the mounting position on the turntable 9, and can be properly heated without excess or deficiency.

If the heating and cooking of Shumai is set as the cooking menu and the operation for starting the operation is performed, if the upper opening 7 is already open and the lower opening 8 is closed, In that state, magnetron 1
The heating cooking by 2 is started immediately.

In the case of thawing cooking of frozen raw meat or the like as the food to be cooked, the magnetron 12 is driven at a low output while heating the upper and lower openings 7 and 8 alternately. Specifically, when the defrosting cooking is set as the cooking menu and the operation start operation is performed in the state where the upper opening 7 is open and the lower opening 8 is closed, the magnetron is first set in this state. 12 is oscillated and driven at a low output, and the microwave generated by the magnetron 12 is supplied into the cooking chamber 3 from the upper opening 7 through the waveguide 11. As a result, the low-power microwave supplied from the upper opening 7 is used for thawing and cooking. After that, when a predetermined set time elapses, the oscillation drive of the magnetron 12 is stopped, and the closing plate drive motor 17 is energized and driven in the clockwise direction in FIG.
The upper closing plate 13 is rotated to a position where the upper opening 7 is closed, and at the same time, the lower closing plate 14 is rotated to a position where the lower opening 8 is fully opened. Subsequently, in this state, the magnetron 12 is driven to oscillate again at a low output, and microwaves are supplied from the lower opening 8 into the cooking chamber 3 so that the lower opening 8
Thaw cooking is performed with the low-power microwave supplied from. Hereinafter, the process of alternately opening the upper and lower two openings 7 and 8 is repeatedly executed at every set time, and the thawing cooking is performed only for the set cooking time. As a result, the thawing cooking of frozen raw meat or the like can be executed extremely well.

According to this embodiment having such a structure, only one of the upper and lower two openings 7 and 8 is selected and opened (the other is closed), and then the opening is performed. Since the microwave is supplied from the opening to the cooking chamber 3, it is possible to freely change the microwave supply pattern, that is, the microwave irradiation pattern. Therefore,
If the microwave irradiation pattern is changed according to the shape and type of the cooked food, the cooking can be finished well regardless of the shape and type of the cooked food.

In particular, in this case, since the one closing plate driving motor 17 drives the upper closing plate 13 and the lower closing plate 14 in conjunction with each other to open and close the two upper and lower openings 7 and 8, The number can be minimized, and the mechanism for detecting the open / closed state of the two openings 7 and 8 should also be composed of two micro switches 20 and 21 for the upper opening 7 and the cam 18. It is possible to simplify the configuration. Therefore, the entire structure can be simplified and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

The interlocking drive means 25 for transmitting the rotational force of the closing plate driving motor 17 to the upper closing plate 13 and the lower closing plate 14 is applied to the upper pulley 22, the lower pulley 23, and the pulleys 22, 23. Since it is composed of the passing belt 24, it can be realized with a simple and reliable structure. Further, since the openings 7 and 8 are configured to communicate with the antenna 12a of the magnetron 12 by the common waveguide 11, the microwaves can be emitted from the two openings 7 and 8 even though the number of the magnetrons 12 is one. Can be supplied.

Further, in the above embodiment, the pulleys 22 and 23 are used as the pulleys, but the pulleys are not limited to this.
A toothed pulley, a chain wheel (sprocket), or the like may be used. In such a case, a toothed belt or a chain may be used instead of the belt 24.

FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, and the difference from the first embodiment will be described. In FIG. 5, an upper closing plate 13 is rotatably supported by a lower edge of the upper opening 7 via a rotation shaft 41. The rotation shaft 41 is connected to the rotation shaft of the closing plate driving motor 17, and the rotation shaft 41 is further connected to the cam 18 and the upper pulley 2.
2 is attached. A belt 42 that replaces the belt 24 is provided between the upper pulley 22 and the lower pulley 23.
It is hung up. The belt 42 is configured so that the upper pulley 22 and the lower pulley 23 are rotationally driven in association with each other in opposite rotational directions. Also, cam 1
8 detects the closed position of the upper closing plate 13 by the micro switch 43 arranged on the upper side of the cam convex portion 19 and the upper part by the micro switch 44 arranged on the lateral side portion of the cam convex portion 19 of the cam 18. It is configured to detect the fully open position of the closing plate 13.

Also in the case of the second embodiment, when the upper opening 7 is open, that is, the upper closing member 1
When 3 is located in the fully open position, the lower opening 8 is closed by the lower closing member 14, and when the upper closing member 13 is rotated to the closed position to close the upper opening 7, the upper opening 7 is closed. The lower closing member 14 is configured to rotate to the fully open position in conjunction with the closing member 13 to open the lower opening 8. Therefore, also in the second embodiment, it is possible to obtain substantially the same effect as that of the first embodiment.

In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the magnetron 12 is arranged above the outer side surface of the waveguide 11, whereas in the first embodiment, the magnetron 12 is arranged. ,
As shown in FIG. 1, the magnetron 12 is arranged at the center of the outer surface of the waveguide 11. Therefore, the first embodiment or the second embodiment may be used depending on the position where the magnetron 11 is desired to be arranged.

[0030]

As is apparent from the above description, the present invention has a structure in which the upper closing member and the lower closing member are interlockingly driven to select and open only one of the upper and lower openings. Therefore, it becomes possible to change the microwave supply pattern to the heating / cooking room, that is, the microwave irradiation pattern.If the microwave irradiation pattern is changed according to the food, it depends on the shape and type of the food. It has an excellent effect that cooking can be finished well without having to do so. In this case, since one motor is used to drive the upper closing member and the lower closing member in an interlocking manner to open and close the two upper and lower openings, the number of motors can be minimized and the number of motors can be reduced to two. Since the mechanism for detecting the open / closed state of the opening is also simplified, the overall configuration can be simplified and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

Further, if the interlocking driving means for transmitting the rotational force of the motor to the upper closing member and the lower closing member is constituted by the upper sheave and the lower sheave, and the belt member which is hung or slid on these sheaves, It can be realized with a simple and reliable configuration.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention, and is a perspective view of a magnetron, a waveguide, and an interlocking driving means and its periphery.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the entire microwave oven.

FIG. 3 is a partial vertical sectional front view of the right side wall portion of the heating and cooking chamber and the vicinity of the waveguide.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram.

FIG. 5 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 is an outer box, 3 is a cooking chamber, 6 is a right side wall, 7 is an upper opening, 8 is a lower opening, 11 is a waveguide, 12 is a magnetron, 13 is an upper closing plate (upper closing member), 14 is a lower closing plate (lower closing member), 15 and 16 are rotating shafts, 17 is a closing plate driving motor, 18 is a cam, 20 and 21 are microswitches, 22 is an upper pulley (upper pulley), and 23 is a lower part. Pulley (lower pulley), 24 is a belt (belt member),
25 is an interlocking drive means, 26 is a control device, 41 is a rotating shaft,
42 is a belt (belt member), and 43 and 44 are microswitches.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A microwave oven configured to supply microwaves generated by a magnetron into a heating cooking chamber to heat a food to be cooked, wherein a microwave from the magnetron is provided above and below the heating cooking chamber. An upper opening and a lower opening for supplying waves into the cooking chamber, and an upper closing member and a lower that are pivotally supported by the edges of the upper opening and the lower opening to open and close the upper opening and the lower opening, respectively. A closing member, a motor for rotationally driving the upper closing member and the lower closing member, and a motor provided between the motor and the upper closing member and the lower closing member to open the upper opening. The lower opening and the upper closing member and the lower opening so that the lower opening is opened when the upper opening is closed. Microwave oven, characterized in that a linkage drive section interlocked driving the closing member. 2. The interlocking drive means includes an upper pulley provided on a rotating shaft of the upper closing member, a lower pulley provided on a rotating shaft of the lower closing member, and an upper pulley and a lower pulley. The microwave oven according to claim 1, further comprising a belt member that is stretched between the pulleys and rotates both pulleys in the same rotation direction. 3. The interlocking drive means includes an upper pulley provided on a rotating shaft of the upper closing member, a lower pulley provided on a rotating shaft of the lower closing member, and an upper pulley and a lower pulley. The microwave oven according to claim 1, further comprising: a belt member which is hung between the pulleys and rotates both pulleys in opposite rotation directions.