High frequency heating apparatus

• US 4,317,976 A
• Filed: 06/21/1979
• Issued: 03/02/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Noda, Tomimitsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Reynolds, B. A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leung, Philip H.
• Application Number:
  US06/050,786
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 219/10.55 B, 219/10.55 R, 219/10.55 M, 219/506, 235/380, 235/61 PJ, 235/475, 235/480, 235/494, 235/493, 235/495, 235/436, 360/2, 364/404-406, 434/363, 434/364
• US Class Current: 219/714
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/122 using cards, tapes or discs having conductive paths G05B19/128 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/24 the sensing element having a resistance varying with temperature, e.g. a thermistor
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6417 Door interlocks of the microwave heating apparatus and related circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6438 allowing the recording of a program of operation of the microwave heating apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6452 the sensors being in contact with the heated product

Abstract

A high frequency heating apparatus, which is provided with a cooking card, and wherein a cooking program indicating a power level corresponding to a specified cooking time and a power level corresponding to a prescribed foodstuff temperature is preset in the cooking card; the data of the cooking program preset in the cooking card which are read out by a cooking card-reading device are stored in the corresponding addresses of a memory unit; cooking is carried out at a power level read out of the memory unit; and a cooking time and corresponding power level or a foodstuff temperature and corresponding power level are indicated on a display device.

Claims

1. In a high frequency heating apparatus including means for digitally controlling the conditions under which a foodstuff is to be cooked, the improvement comprising:

cooking card means having (a) timing and temperature indicia written along a first edge thereof and power level indicia along another edge thereof thereby defining a matrix array having a plurality of regions, each region indicating a cooking condition corresponding to either a time and power level combination or to a temperature and power level combination, one or more regions of said matrix array being selected and marked to establish data corresponding to desired cooking conditions, and (b) a data area separate and distinct from said timing, temperature and power level matrix array for selecting either said temperature indicia or said timing indicia to be used in conjunction with said power level indicia,

cooking card-reading means for reading the regions marked on the cooking card means;

memory means for storing data corresponding to the regions marked on said card means and read therefrom by said cooking card-reading means and

display means for displaying time, temperature and power levels data defined by the regions marked on said card means and read therefrom.

2. An improvement according to claim 1, wherein data on the cooking time and foodstuff temperature are marked with a conductive recording medium, thereby providing power levels corresponding to the cooking conditions.

3. An improvement according to claim 1, wherein the display means is formed of a liquid crystal type.

4. An improvement according to claim 1, wherein the display means is formed of a cathode ray tube to indicate all the data of the cooking conditions.

5. An improvement according to claim 1, wherein the display means comprises a light-emitting diode matrix to indicate all the data of the cooking conditions.

6. An improvement according to claim 1, wherein data on the cooking conditions is read out by the cooking card-reading means when a conductive portion marked on the cooking card is rendered conducting by contact with a brush.

7. In a high frequency heating apparatus including means for digitally controlling the conditions under which a foodstuff is to be cooked, the improvement comprising:

cooking card means having (a) timing and temperature indicia written along a first edge thereof and power level indicia along another edge thereby defining a matrix array having a plurality of regions, each region indicating cooking conditions corresponding to either a time and power level combination or to a temperature and power level combination, one or more regions of said matrix array being selected and marked to establish data corresponding to desired cooking conditions, and (b) a data area separate and distinct from said timing, temperature and power level matrix array for selecting either said temperature indicia or timing indicia,

cooking card-reading means for reading the regions marked on said cooking card means;

memory means for storing the cooking conditions marked on and read from the cooking card by said cooking card-reading means;

cooking card-shifting means for shifting the cooking card to cause the cooking conditions thereof to be progressively read out by said cooking card-reading means; and

display means for displaying time, temperature and power level data defined by the regions marked on said cooking card means and read therefrom.

8. An improvement according to claim 7, wherein the cooking card-shifting means comprises:

a heat-sensitive resistor for detecting a temperature of a foodstuff being cooked;

an analog-digital converter for converting an analog signal supplied from said heat sensitive resistor into a digital quantity;

a sampling circuit for sampling said digital quantity provided by said analog-digital converter at a prescribed sampling rate;

an analog switch for selectively storing a first sampled data supplied from the sampling circuit in a first memory and a second sampled data supplied from said sampling circuit in a second memory;

a subtractor for subtracting the contents of the first memory from those of the second memory;

a pulse signal generator for generating a pulse signal in accordance with the value of an output signal from the subtractor; and

a pulse motor for driving cooking card-transporting rollers when supplied with a pulse signal from the pulse signal generator, said transporting rollers adapted to move said cooking card means.

9. A high frequency heating apparatus including means for digitally controlling the conditions under which a foodstuff is to be cooked comprising:

a cooking card having (a) timing and temperature indicia written along a first edge thereof and power level indicia along another edge thereof thereby defining a matrix array having a plurality of regions, each region indicating cooking conditions corresponding to either a time and power level combination or to a temperature and power level combination, one or more regions of said matrix array being selected and marked to establish data corresponding to desired cooking conditions and (b) a data area separate and distinct from said timing, temperature and power level matrix array for selecting either said temperature indicia or timing indicia;

cooking card reading means for reading the regions marked on said cooking card;

memory means for storing the cooking conditions marked on and read from the cooking card by said cooking card reading means;

display means for displaying time, temperature and power level data defined by the regions marked on said cooking card means and read therefrom;

cooking card shifting means for shifting the cooking card to cause the cooking conditions thereof to be progressively read out by said cooking card reading means, said cooking card shifting means comprising

a heat-sensitive resistor for detecting a temperature of a foodstuff being cooked;

an analog-digital converter for converting an analog signal supplied from said heat-sensitive resistor into a digital quantity;

a sampling circuit for sampling said digital quantity provided by said analog-digital converter at a predetermined sampling rate;

an analog switch for selectively storing a first sampled data supplied from the sampling circuit in a first memory and a second sampled data supplied from said sampling circuit in a second memory;

a subtractor for subtracting the contents of the first memory from the contents of the second memory;

a pulse signal generator for generating a pulse signal in accordance with the value of an output signal from the subtractor; and

a pulse motor for driving cooking card transporting rollers when supplied with a pulse signal from the pulse signal generator, said transporting rollers adapted to move said cooking card means.