Automatic heating apparatus provided with gas and weight sensors

• US 4,814,570 A
• Filed: 07/14/1988
• Issued: 03/21/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takizaki, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Leung, Philip H.
• Application Number:
  US07/219,791
• Time in Patent Office: 250 Days
• Field of Search: 219/10.55 B, 219/10.55 E, 219/10.55 R, 219/10.55 M, 219/492, 219/497, 219/518, 99/325, 99/328, 99/330, 99/DIG. 14
• US Class Current: 219/705
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6435 Aspects relating to the user interface of the microwave heating apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/645 using temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6458 using humidity or vapor sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6464 using weight sensors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 99/14 Induction heating

Abstract

In an automatic cooking of cake, a gas sensor and a weight sensor are used to determine a total heating time. The initial weight of a food item (cake) is measured by the weight sensor, and a time (T_W) proportional to a detected value of the weight sensor is determined. The amount (ΔH) of change in humidity level until an arbitrarily chosen timing is detected by the gas sensor, and a time (T.sub.(ΔH)) proportional to a detected value of the gas sensor is determined. These times (T_W) and (T.sub.(ΔH)) are added together to determine a total cooking time. With this arrangement, regardless of the kind and amount of cake and the shape of a vessel, the automatic cooking capable of giving a fine finish can be accomplished merely by selecting a single auto-key called a cake key.

Claims

1. A heating apparatus comprising:

a heating chamber for accommodating a material to be heated;

a heating means for heating said material;

a gas sensor for detecting the amount of change in humidity within said heating chamber;

a weight sensor for detecting the weight of said material;

a calculating means for performing a calculation using detected values of said gas and weight sensors; and

an output control means which operates in response to a signal from said calculating means so as to interrupt the supply of electric power to said heating means to thereby terminate the heating of said material, said signal being generated by said calculating means wherein the sum of a first heating time and a second heating time has passed;

wherein said calculating means includes a first heating time calculating means for calculating said first heating time on the basis of said detected value of said weight sensor, and a second heating time calculating means for calculating said second heating time according to the difference between a first detected value detected by said gas sensor at a time before the substantial heating of said material is effected and a second detected value detected by said gas sensor after a predetermined time subsequent to the substantial heating of said material.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a display means for displaying a remaining time equal to the length of time from said predetermined time to the termination of heating.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a display means for displaying a remaining time equal to the length of time from said predetermined time to the termination of heating, and a warning means for generating a voice sound calling the attention of a user, wherein said calculating means calculates a total cooking time a predetermined time after the start of cooking and displays said remaining time while causing the warning means to generate said voice sound.

4. A heating apparatus comprising:

a heating chamber for accommodating a material to be heated;

a heating means for heating said material;

a gas sensor for detecting the amount of change in humidity within said heating chamber;

a weight inputting means for inputting weight information of said material;

a calculating means for performing a calculation using a detected value of said gas sensor and said weight information from said inputting means; and

an output control means which operates in response to a signal from said calculating means so as to interrupt the supply of electric power to said heating means to thereby terminate the heating of said material, said signal being generated by said calculating means when the sum of a first heating time and a second heating time has passed;

wherein said calculating means includes a first heating time calculating means for calculating said first heating time on the basis of said weight information, and a second heating time calculating means for calculating said second heating time according to the difference between a first detected value detected by said gas sensor at a time before the substantial heating of said material is effected and a second detected value detected by said gas sensor after a predetermined time subsequent to the substantial heating of said material.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a display means for displaying a remaining time equal to the length of time from said predetermined time to the termination of heating.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a display means for displaying a remaining time equal to the length of time from said predetermined time to the termination of heating, and a warning means for generating a voice sound calling the attention of a user, wherein said calculating means calculates a total cooking time a predetermined time after the start of cooking and displays said remaining time while causing the warning means to generate said voice sound.

7. A heating apparatus comprising:

a heating chamber for accommodating a material to be heated;

a heating means for heating said material;

a gas sensor for detecting the amount of change in humidity within said heating chamber;

a weight sensor for detecting the weight of said material;

a calculating means for performing a calculation using detected values of said gas and weight sensors; and

an output control means which operates in response to a signal from said calculating means so as to interrupt the supply of electric power to said heating means to thereby terminate the heating of said material, said signal being generated by said calculating means when the sum of a first heating time and a second heating time has passed;

wherein said calculating means includes a first heating time calculating means for calculating said first heating time on the basis of said detected value of said weight sensor, and a second heating time calculating means for calculating said second heating time according to the difference between a minimum detected value of said gas sensor subsequent to the start of heating and said detected value of the gas sensor after a predetermined time subsequent to the start of heating.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a display means for displaying a remaining time equal to the length of time from said predetermined time to the termination of heating.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a display means for displaying a remaining time equal to the length of time from said predetermined time to the termination of heating, and a warning means for generating a voice sound calling the attention of a user, wherein said calculating means calculates a total cooking time a pedetermined time after the start of cooking and displays said remaining time while causing the warning means to generate said voice sound.

10. A method of heating a material using a heating apparatus having a heating chamber for accommodating the material and a heating means, which method comprises the steps of:

initiating the substantial heating of material upon calculating a first heating time with reference to the measured weight of the material in addition to measuring of a first humidity of the material,

measuring a second humidity after the passage of a predetermined time subsequent to the initiation of the substantial heating and calculating a second heating time with reference to the difference between said first humidity and said second humidity; and

terminating the heating when the length of time which has passed subsequent to the initiation of the heating becomes equal to the sum of the first and second heating times.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising the step, subsequent to the step of calculating the second heating time, of calculating the sum of the first and second heating times and a step of progresssively displaying a remaining time required to pass until the termination of the heating and remaining time being equal to the sum of the first and second heating times minus the length of time which has passed subsequent to the initiation of the heating.