State detection device for detecting operation state of high-frequency heating apparatus

• US 8,026,713 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2009
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Moriya, Hideaki, Sakai, Shinichi, Suenaga, Haruo, Shirokawa, Nobuo, Kinoshita, Manabu
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, VINH P
• Application Number:
  US12/651,249
• Publication Number:
  US 20100102797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 324/120
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2206/043 Methods or circuits intended to extend the life of the magnetron
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/666 Safety circuits emergency protective circuits in general H02H

Abstract

An operating state detection technique is provided which makes it possible to accurately detect an abnormality of a high-frequency heating apparatus. An anode current detected by the anode current detection resistor 40 of a magnetron is inputted into the A/D converter terminal of a microcomputer 27 on a control panel circuit board side. The current is subjected to an analog-to-digital conversion to thereby obtain an anode voltage IaDC value. The microcomputer 27 determines an operating state based on a plurality of the anode voltage IaDC values thus read. Further, the microcomputer 27 obtains a summed value of the IaDC values corresponding to one period of the revolution of rotary antennas 68, 69 to thereby determines the operating state of the high-frequency heating apparatus 100 based on the summed value. According to the aforesaid IaDC value reading method, it makes it possible to accurately detect an abnormality without an erroneous operation also in correspondence to the change of the feeding distribution. Further, the microcomputer 27 changes, in accordance with the set output of the high-frequency heating apparatus, a threshold value used for determining the abnormality and a changing value (increasing amount) from the start of the operation with respect to the change of the output of the apparatus and the operating state of a heated subject etc., whereby it makes it possible to accurately detect an abnormality without an erroneous operation.

Claims

1. A state detection device for detecting an operating state of a high-frequency heating apparatus including a magnetron for generating microwave, comprising:

an anode current input portion which inputs a detected anode current of the magnetron, and

a determination portion which reads the anode current inputted by the anode current input portion and determines the operating state of the high-frequency heating apparatus based on the anode current and a variable threshold value set by the determination portion, wherein

the determination portion receives an output control signal for controlling an output of the magnetron and changes the variable threshold value, the variable threshold value being set as a function of a value of the output control signal.

2. A state detection device according to claim 1, wherein the variable threshold value is compared to a value corresponding to the anode current.

3. A state detection device according to claim 2, wherein

when the value corresponding to the anode current thus inputted exceeds the variable threshold value, the determination portion determines that the operating state of the high-frequency heating apparatus is not normal to thereby stop an operation of the high-frequency heating apparatus or reduce an output thereof.

4. A state detection device according to claim 1, wherein the variable threshold value is a changing value threshold value, and a change of a value corresponding to the anode current over a time lapse is compared to the changing value threshold value.

5. A state detection device according to claim 4, wherein the determination portion provides an effective determination time for determining the change of the value corresponding to the anode current over the time lapse.

6. A state detection device according to claim 5, wherein the determination portion also changes the effective determination time for determining the change of the value corresponding to the anode current over the time lapse in accordance with the output control signal.

7. A state detection device according to claim 4, wherein

when the change of the value corresponding to the anode current over the time lapse thus inputted exceeds the changing value threshold value, the determination portion determines that the operating state of the high-frequency heating apparatus is not normal to thereby stop an operation of the high-frequency heating apparatus or reduce an output thereof.

8. A state detection device according to claim 1, wherein a value corresponding to the anode current is an anode voltage obtained by converting the anode current, and the anode current input portion is constituted by an A/D converter terminal which subjects the anode voltage to an analog-to-digital conversion.

9. A high-frequency heating apparatus, comprising:

a magnetron, an anode current detection portion which detects an anode current, an inverter portion which controls the magnetron, and a state detection device according to claim 1.

10. A high-frequency heating apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the anode current detection portion is configured by an anode current detection resistor which is disposed in a path for grounding the inverter portion.

11. A state detection method for detecting an operating state of a high-frequency heating apparatus including a magnetron for generating microwave, comprising:

a step of inputting a detected anode current of the magnetron;

a step of reading an anode current inputted by the anode current input portion and determining the operating state of the high-frequency heating apparatus based on the anode current and a variable threshold value; and

a step of changing the variable threshold value, the variable threshold value being set as a function of a value of the output control signal.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, wherein the computer-executable instructions in response to execution by a computing device cause the computing device to perform a state detection method for detecting an operating state of a high-frequency heating apparatus including a magnetron for generating microwave, comprising:

a step of inputting a detected anode current of the magnetron;

a step of reading an anode current inputted by the anode current input portion and determining the operating state of the high-frequency heating apparatus based on the anode current and a variable threshold value; and

a step of changing the variable threshold value, the variable threshold value being set as a function of a value of the output control signal.