Abstract: The weight sensing apparatus of this invention which is made for quick and exacting sensing of a foodstuff's weight to be cooked, includes a pair of arms extending downward from the bottom of a turntable and a pair of projections extending inward from the body of a support member which supports the rotating turntable. When the turntable rotates, the arms engage with the projections so that the support member can rotate at the same speed as that of the turntable. The plurality of guide rollers, which are rotatably connected to the support member, press down at least one or more weight sensors which are disposed in a groove offering a circular track, and thereby sensing the weight of the foodstuff quickly and exactly.

Abstract: A cooking apparatus provided with a weight unit changing key for changing a weight unit and an operation detection means for detecting that the weight unit changing key has been operated plural times, wherein when the operation detection means detects that the weight unit changing key has been operated plural times, the apparatus is placed in a standby state for the weight unit changing operation, and the weight unit can be changed by the subsequent operation so that a user not familiar with the apparatus can easily change the weight unit without a failure.

Abstract: A microwave oven is provided with a weighing device comprising a plate having a vertically movable shaft, and a fluid-containing bladder or a fluid-containing piston and cylinder assembly, and a pressure sensor for sensing the weight of a food product to be cooked in the oven. The problem residing in that the electronic components included in prior-art weighing devices are placed in an unsuitable environment under the cavity bottom of the oven is solved by placing the electronic components on a circuit board for the remaining control electronics in a space separate from the space under the cavity bottom. This solution means that the vertically movable shaft generates a pressure change in the bladder or the piston and cylinder assembly. This pressure change is transmitted to the pressure sensor, which generates a weight-indicating signal.

Abstract: An apparatus for and a method of automatically heating foods in a microwave oven, capable of heating foods at an optimum state even when foods are to be continuously heated, by determining an ambient temperature from a variation in temperature of air introduced in a heating chamber through an air inlet port, determining a temperature increment in a heating chamber of the microwave oven and an amount of food, based on the determined ambient temperature, determining a primary heating time and an additional heating time, based on the determined temperature increment, and then determining an additional heating time, based on the determined food amount. As a result, it is possible to achieve an improvement in cooking performance. In addition, over-heating of the good is avoided, thereby enabling a reduction in electric power consumption and a reduction in cooking time.

Abstract: A food weight sensing device of a microwave oven using a variable capacitor of which the capacitance is varied in accordance with pressure applied thereto. The device comprises of first and second electrodes placed on a side portion of a lower surface of a cooking chamber, the side portion being included in a rotating trail of a roller applied with part of the food weight, each of the electrodes comprising a metal plate spring. A spacer is interposed between the first and second electrodes to space out the electrodes from each other at a predetermined interval. A rubber plate engages with the first electrode for transmitting the food weight to the first electrode. The first electrode comprises a center circular push part, an outer flange part and at least two arcuate ribs connecting the center circular push part to the outer flange part. The spacer is made of a metal so as to electrically connect the first electrode to a printed circuit board.

Abstract: Cooking apparatus (1) including a cooking chamber (2) comprising an electric resistance browning device (3) for the foodstuff disposed in the chamber (2) and a device (4) for the generation of microwave energy disposed outside the cooking chamber (2) and adapted to supply the chamber with microwave energy. An electric supply circuit supplies the browning device (3) and/or the device (4) for generation of microwave energy. A selector permits triggering a heating sequence to be performed on a foodstuff. This sequence causing the browning device and/or the device for the generation of microwave energy to kick in. The selector recognizes the nature and weight of the foodstuff, and a control actuates the electrical supply circuit as a function of information from the selector. The control comprises a storage memory receiving the information from the selector, and a microprocessor supplying signals applied to the supply circuit as a function of the information contained in the storage memory.

Abstract: A microwave oven moisture analyzer is provided with an analysis chamber using a V-shaped structure wherein the wings extend from a vertical back wall forwardly and outwardly to the side walls of the oven. The upper edges of the wings also rise as the wings extend, to where at their ends they engage the ceiling of the oven. A roof rests on the wings and slopes downwardly rearwardly. The back wall is shorter than the adjacent wing portions and hence an opening exists from the analysis chamber into the rest of the oven. Air flowing down over the roof creates a venturi effect at the opening to remove air from the analysis chamber. A four point arrangement supports a fiber-glass pad bearing a sample in spaced relation to the floor and the sides of the chamber and below the opening so that moisture evaporated does not have a place to condense before it is removed from the chamber.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for automatic cooking in a microwave oven capable of executing the automatic cooking in an optimal state by detecting an outflow air temperature and a weight of food at an initial stage, calculating an outflow air temperature difference after executing a cooking operation for a predetermined time, calculating an additional value by giving a fuzzy membership function to the outflow air temperature difference and the weight of food, calculating a first stage heating time by executing an operation process according to a fuzzy rule, calculating second to fifth stage heating times by multiplying the first stage heating time by predetermined values, respectively, and executing a cooking operation for the calculated stage heating times.

Abstract: A food weight detecting device for a microwave oven which can detect food weight exactly according to the speed variation of the rotating roller rolling on a base plate having a protrusion formed thereon with predetermined ascending and descending angles. According to the device, the possibility of incorrect weight detection due to such defects as corrosion or secular change of a parallel plate capacitor in the conventional capacitance- detection type device can be eliminated. Thus, reliability of automatic heating control is increased and an inexpensive motor which needs not be heat-resistant can be employed.

Abstract: A heating cooker includes a cooking chamber having a heater for heating food, a gas sensor for detecting the quantity of vapor evaporating from the food heated in the cooking chamber, a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature in the cooking chamber, and a controller for determined the kind of the food according to the quantity of vapor detected by the gas sensor, and for controlling the heating temperature and heating time of the heater according to the kind of food which has been determined.

Abstract: A microwave oven includes a heating chamber, a turntable provided in the oven, a magnetron, a waveguide for guiding the microwave generated by the magnetron into the heating chamber, an electric field sensor provided at the inner wall face of the waveguide or the heating chamber, a metal reflector provided rotatably inside the waveguide for adjusting the impedance of a load at the heating chamber side by its rotation angle, and a circuit responsive to an output of the electric field sensor for controlling the rotation angle of the metal reflector. The control circuit includes a first program for controlling the rotation angle of the metal reflector according to a first method within a predetermined time period from the start of operation of the microwave oven, and a second program for controlling the rotation angle of the metal reflector according to a second method different from the first method after elapse of the predetermined time period.

Abstract: A cooking oven is provided with a weight detection unit for detecting the weight of a cooking object placed on a turntable. The turntable is movable into and out of a heating chamber associated with the cooking oven by means of a moving unit drivingly connected to the turntable through a lever and connecting rod. A heater and a rotary drive unit for rotating a table upon which the turntable is mounted are controlled according to a signal from the weight detection unit. The cooking oven is also provided with an external input unit for supplying data on the heating operation and on the driving of the turntable. Either manual or automatic operation of moving the turntable back and forth can be selected according to a signal from the external input unit.

Abstract: A high frequency heating device designed to swiftly and accurately detect a to-be-cooked food placed on a turn table within a cooking chamber to thereby set up a cooking time or a driving time of a magnetron in accordance with a weight of the food, so that an appropriate cooking can be performed. A weight sensor on a lower bottom surface of the cooking chamber in order to detect the weight of the to-be-cooked food located on a turntable during a rotation of the turntable.

Abstract: An automatic cooking apparatus and method for a microwave oven includes the steps of determining the type of food to be cooked, on the basis of a specific dielectric constant and dielectric power factor of the food by one-touch of the user, and performing automatic cooking of the food according to that determination. The apparatus includes a microwave energy sensor for sensing remaining microwave energy other than microwave energy absorbed into the food in a heating chamber. An electrical signal corresponding to the sensed microwave energy is generated in a microwave energy detection circuit, which then supplies its output signal to a control section. Also included therein is a weight sensor for sensing the weight of the food. An electrical signal corresponding to the sensed weight is generated in a weight detection circuit, which then supplies the weight signal to the control section.

Abstract: A baking apparatus and a method for quickly providing freshly baked bread by reducing time required for baking. In bread-making operations, reducing baking time by using a dough-surface heating unit together with an dough-interior heating unit and then subjecting the baked bread to reduced pressure for lowering moisture content at the dough interior.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for automatic cooking in a microwave oven capable of an automatic cooking operation even in case of consecutive cooking by discriminating whether the operation mode is an initial operation mode or a consecutive operation mode by receiving an inflow air temperature and an outflow air temperature in the initial operating stage, selecting the initial operation mode or the consecutive operation mode, executing a cooking operation by driving a magnetron and a cooling fan after calculating an arbitrary initial heating time, calculating a difference between the current outflow air temperature and the previous outflow air temperature when the initial heating time has been elapsed, giving a fuzzy membership function and rule for the selected initial operation mode or the consecutive operation mode by the outflow air temperature difference and a weight conversion value, calculating a cooking time by executing a fuzzy operation, calculating an additional heating time by subtracting the initial heati