JP2002245535A - Electromagnetic induction heating device for drink can - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electromagnetic induction heating device for a drink can capable of acquiring almost the same load characteristic even if the outlines of the drink can are different. SOLUTION: The larger the outline of a large can C2 is, the shorter the distance between the side face of the large can C2 and a heating coil 5 is, but the distance between the bottom face of the large can C2 and the heating coil 5 becomes far from a tapered face 9 by that portion. Consequently, the load characteristic change of the drink cans C1, C2 becomes small even if the outlines of the drink cans C1, C2 are different. The burden on an inverter circuit and a switching element for supplying a high frequency current to the heating coil 5 is thereby reduced, and equivalent output can be obtained regardless of the outlines of the drink cans C1, C2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a beverage can electromagnetic induction heating apparatus for electromagnetically heating beverage cans having different external shapes.

[0002]

At present, a beverage can heating device used in a convenience store or the like stores a plurality of beverage cans in a glass case to perform heating and heat retention. , And take out the desired beverage can from it and sell it. for that reason,
Even when there is no sales, it is necessary to always supply electricity for keeping the temperature warm, which increases costs. In addition, since it takes a very long time to heat, it is necessary to manage the remaining number of beverage cans that are kept warm.
Therefore, there has been proposed an electromagnetic induction heating-type beverage can heating device that quickly warms and sells a beverage can only when a customer wants.

[0003] In this type of beverage can electromagnetic induction heating apparatus, a high frequency current is supplied to a heating coil as a heating means installed near a load (beverage can), and an eddy current is generated in the load to electromagnetically induce the load. It is designed to be heated. However, canned beverages are roughly divided into large cans with a diameter of about 65 mm (mainly 350 ml) and small cans with a diameter of about 50 mm (mainly 250 ml or 200 ml). Due to the difference, the degree of electromagnetic coupling of both is changed, and the total inductance of the heating coil and the beverage can is changed. Therefore, in order to move a load with different inductance, the setting of the inverter circuit that supplies high-frequency current to the heating coil is set according to each load, or after setting the inverter circuit with a load of one shape, In the case of the load, it is necessary to reduce the power of the heating coil, and if neither of these measures is taken, there is a problem that a large load is applied to the switching element constituting the inverter circuit.

[0004] Further, if the outer shape of the beverage can is different, the required amount of heat (power consumption) is different even when the beverage can is heated to the same temperature. Even if the temperature is measured while measuring the surface temperature between the beverages using the temperature sensor, the temperature of the contents (beverage) of the beverage can cannot be accurately measured because the heating is rapidly performed by the electromagnetic induction heating. Therefore, it is necessary to change the heating control between the thick can and the thin can. In addition, there is a problem that the inverter control cannot be performed depending on the thickness of the can because the oscillation characteristics of the thick can and the thin can differ when heated by electromagnetic induction heating.

Therefore, the present invention solves the above problems,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a beverage can electromagnetic induction heating device capable of obtaining substantially the same load characteristics even when the beverage cans have different external shapes.

It is a second object of the present invention to provide a beverage can electromagnetic induction heating device which can surely heat a beverage can to a predetermined temperature even if the beverage can has a different outer shape.

[0007]

In the beverage can electromagnetic induction heating device according to the first aspect of the present invention, the larger the size of the beverage can, the closer the distance between the side surface of the beverage can and the heating means becomes. Since the distance between another portion of the beverage can and the heating means is increased by the variable distance portion, even if the beverage can has a different outer shape, the change in the load characteristics is reduced. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the load on the inverter circuit and the switching element that supply the high-frequency current to the heating means, and to obtain the same output regardless of the outer shape of the beverage can.

In the beverage can electromagnetic induction heating apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention, the beverage can can be smoothly inserted and the beverage can is placed at the center of the heating means even if the beverage can has various thicknesses. it can. Furthermore, since the distance between the bottom of the heating means and the beverage can can be changed continuously according to the outer shape of the beverage can,
Approximately similar electromagnetic coupling can be obtained for beverage cans of various thicknesses.

In the beverage can electromagnetic induction heating apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention, the thickness of the beverage can can be determined based on the magnitude of a regenerative current or an input current generated when the beverage can is heated by the heating means. Therefore, if the heating means is controlled based on this determination result, even if the outer shape of the beverage can is different,
It is possible to reliably warm the beverage can to a predetermined temperature.

In the beverage can electromagnetic induction heating apparatus according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the beverage can is heated in a different heating pattern depending on the thickness of the beverage can, or the heating time of the heating means increases as the beverage can becomes thicker. Alternatively, the power consumption increases, and conversely, the thinner the beverage can, the shorter the heating time or power consumption of the heating means. Thereby, even if the outer shape of the beverage can is different, it is possible to reliably heat the beverage can to a predetermined temperature.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a preferred beverage can electromagnetic induction heating apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 is a body corresponding to the main body of the apparatus, 2 is an outer frame forming an outer shell of the body, and a bottom plate 3 mounted on a floor or the like is provided so as to cover an opening on a lower surface of the outer frame 2. Can be In the outer frame 2, a beverage can (a thin can C1,
A bottomed substantially cylindrical can housing portion 4 for housing the thick can C2)
A heating coil 5 serving as heating means spirally wound around the elongated cylindrical beverage cans C1 and C2 is fixedly provided on the outer surface of the can housing portion 4. The beverage cans C1 and C2 in the examples are iron cans having magnetism, and the capacity is assumed to be 180 to 350 ml. In the upper part of the body 1,
A can insertion opening 6 for opening and closing the beverage cans C1 and C2 into and out of the can storage portion 4 is formed.

The can housing portion 4 has a substantially horizontal bottom surface 7 on which the thin can C1 is placed, and a side surface 8 on the outer periphery of the bottom surface 7.
And a conical tapered surface (tapered portion) 9 for mounting the thick can C2 which is inclined upward as it goes toward.
In addition, a temperature sensor 11 as a temperature detecting means urged upward by an elastic means such as a spring (not shown) is provided substantially at the center of the bottom surface 7, and detects the surface temperature of the beverage cans C1 and C2. It has a configuration.

Reference numeral 13 denotes a control board, and 14 denotes a heating board, all of which are provided inside the housing 1. Control board 13
Is mounted on the front upper portion of the body 1 facing the display panel 15, and has a microcomputer, that is, a microcomputer 41 (see FIG. 6) serving as control means for performing various controls of the body 1. The heating board 14 supplies a predetermined high-frequency current to the heating coil 5 when a high-frequency pulse is sent from the control board 13, whereby an alternating magnetic field is generated in the heating coil 5, and the beverage cans C 1 and C 1 in the magnetic field are generated. By generating an eddy current in C2, this eddy current is converted into Joule heat, and the beverage can C
1, C2, and thus the beverage is heated. Heating components such as switching elements that constitute an inverter circuit are mounted on the heating board 14, and in order to prevent the temperature of the heat generating components from rising, a radiator 17 that is thermally connected to the heat generating components and the outside air are taken in. Take away the heat of radiator 17,
Cooling fans 18 for discharging the heated air to the outside are provided inside the housing 1 respectively. In addition, a ferrite core 19 for preventing leakage of magnetic flux from the heating coil 5 and a ferrite presser 20 for holding the ferrite core 19 are provided inside the body 1.

Here, a more detailed configuration of the control board 13 and the heating board 14 will be described with reference to FIGS.
Is a substrate formed by forming a conductive pattern on one or both surfaces of an insulating material. A pair of pins 34 of an electronic component 33 are inserted into the plated through holes 32 of the substrate 31 and connected by soldering. The surface of the substrate 31 has a plated through hole
A silk print portion 35 for improving the tracking performance of the substrate 31 is formed between the soldering lands 32, that is, between the pins 34, 34. The silk printing section 35 has pins 34, 34
Although it is continuously formed at the center C position between the
As the distance increases, the pitch is gradually reduced to form a slit having an irregular width.

When water droplets enter from the outside of the product and adhere to the substrate 31, particularly between the pins 34, 34, the water droplets are formed between the slits of the silk printing portion 35 by a capillary phenomenon due to a change in the slit width in the silk printing portion 35. Fine groove formed in
It flows along 36 and moves away from the center position C between the pins 34, 34. Therefore, by forming the silk print portion 35 having a role of eliminating such water droplets, while improving the tracking performance of the substrate 31 more than before, the pin 3
The current that flows due to water droplets adhering between 4, 34 can cause the problem of insulation degradation to be eliminated.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show another modification of the substrate 31. FIG. Here, a plurality of silk-printed portions 35, between pins 34, 34 of an electronic component 33 arranged on the substrate 31.
37 are laminated. Specifically, another silk-printed portion 37 is formed under the silk-printed portion 35 having the same configuration as that of FIGS. 2 and 3 so that a slight difference in height is provided on the substrate 31.
This makes it possible to more smoothly remove water droplets adhering between the pins 34 on the substrate 31.

Next, the electrical configuration of the beverage can electromagnetic induction heating device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In addition to the microcomputer 41, the control board 13 constituting the display operation unit includes an LCD 42 provided facing the display panel 15 as a display means for displaying a temperature and an error, and an LCD 42 for displaying an operation state. An LED 43 and a switch 44 as operation means for inputting an instruction to start or stop an operation are provided. The microcomputer 41 includes an operation / storage unit 45 and a time measurement unit.
The heating coil 5 is provided in accordance with the sequence of the control program stored in the arithmetic / storage means 45.
, And display control of the LCD 42 and the LED 43.

On the other hand, the heating substrate 14 includes an oscillation circuit 51 for supplying a high-frequency current to the heating coil, a voltage / current detection circuit 52 for detecting the voltage and current of the heating coil 5, and a regenerative current for the heating coil 5. Regenerative current detection circuit 53 and temperature sensor
A temperature detection circuit 54 that outputs a detection signal from the microcomputer 11 to the microcomputer 41 as temperature information. Among them, the regenerative current is a current generated when the electromagnetic coupling between the beverage cans C1 and C2, which are loads, and the heating coil 5 is weak, and the heating coil 5 cannot fully consume the current, such as the thin can C1. To
The regenerative current increases as the distance from the heating coil 5 increases.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described. First, when using the present apparatus, one of the beverage cans C1 and C2 to be heated is inserted into the can storage portion 4 through the can insertion port 6. When the thin can C1 is inserted into the can accommodating portion 4, it is placed with its lower end edge in contact with the bottom surface 7. on the other hand,
When the thick can C2 is inserted into the can accommodating portion 4, its lower end edge is placed in contact with a tapered surface 9 which is further outer than the bottom surface. When the heating start switch 44 is pressed, a high-frequency current is supplied to the heating coil 5, and the beverage cans C1 and C2 facing the side and bottom of the heating coil 5 are heated by electromagnetic induction.

At this time, the thick can C2 is closer to the side surface of the heating coil 5 than the thin can C1, and the distance to the bottom surface of the heating coil 5 is longer than the thin can C1. The distance from the side of the heating coil 5 is longer than that of the heating coil 5.
The distance from the bottom of the device becomes shorter. Thus, the can storage unit 4
Only by forming the tapered surface 9 on the outside, the mounting height (distance) is changed according to the outer shape of the beverage cans C1, C2 having different thicknesses, and the electromagnetic coupling between the heating coil 5 and the beverage cans C1, C2 is changed. Since the degree can be adjusted to be substantially constant, it is possible to minimize the change in the total inductance due to the difference in the outer shape of the beverage cans C1 and C2 serving as loads. Therefore, since the load characteristics of the thin can C1 and the thick can C2 are substantially equal, the heating coil 5 can be controlled by the same inverter circuit even if the outer shapes of the beverage cans C1 and C2 are different, and the inverter The oscillation characteristics of the circuit are also almost the same, so that the optimum inverter circuit can be adjusted.
The load on the switching element is also reduced. Further, even the thin can C1 having weak electromagnetic coupling can output the same electric power as the thick can C2.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the variable distance portion formed in the can housing portion 4 is configured as a tapered surface 9 on which the beverage cans C1 and C2 are placed. Beverage cans C1, C2 ...
Can be smoothly inserted, and the beverage cans C1 and C2 can be placed at the center of the heating coil 5. further,
Since the distance between the bottom surface of the heating coil 5 and the beverage cans C1, C2 can be continuously changed according to the outer shape of the beverage cans C1, C2, it is almost the same for beverage cans C1, C2. There is an advantage that an excellent electromagnetic coupling can be obtained. In addition, when the outer shape of the beverage cans C1 and C2 is specified,
As shown in FIG. 7, a step portion 10 may be provided on the outer periphery of the bottom surface 7 so that the thick can C2 abuts.

The control of the heating coil 5 will be described in more detail. At the time of heating, the microcomputer 41 first outputs a pulse having a specified time width to the oscillation circuit 51. The oscillating circuit 51 supplies a current of one waveform corresponding to the pulse to the heating coil 5 and returns a trigger signal to the microcomputer 41 when the current of one waveform is completed. Upon receiving this trigger signal, the microcomputer 41 outputs a pulse to the oscillation circuit 51 again, and repeats a cycle of supplying a high-frequency current to the heating coil 5.

When a pulse is output from the microcomputer 41 to the oscillation circuit 51, a current pulse supplied to the heating coil 5 is changed in accordance with a change in the voltage and current of the heating coil 5 detected by the voltage / current detection circuit 52. And the power consumption is adjusted. At the same time, the regenerative current of the heating coil 5 is detected by the regenerative current detection circuit 53, and the thickness of the beverage cans C1 and C2 in the can housing part 4 is determined. That is, when the detected regenerative current is large, it is determined to be the thin can C1, and when the regenerative current is small, it is determined to be the thick can C2. Preferably, the result is LCD42 or LED43
Is displayed as necessary. The outer shape determination of the beverage cans C1 and C2 may be performed immediately after the heating of the heating coil 5 is started, or may be performed at all times during the heating. In addition, a threshold value may be provided for the magnitude of the detected regenerative current, and the determination may be made in two ways: the thin can C1 and the thick can C2, or the thickness of the beverage cans C1 and C2 may be linearly determined according to the magnitude of the regenerative current. It may be determined.

Based on the result of the determination of the thickness of the beverage cans C1 and C2 by the microcomputer 41, the pulse time width to the oscillation circuit 51 and, consequently, the heating coil 5 is varied, and the power consumption of the heating coil 5 is increased or decreased. Further, the heating time of the entire heating coil 5 measured by the time measuring means 46 may be increased or decreased.
In this case, the thicker the outer shape of the beverage cans C1 and C2, the more the power consumption and the heating time of the heating coil 5 are increased.
The power consumption and the heating time of the heating coil 5 are reduced as the outer shape of the C1 and C2 is thinner. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, for example, the heating pattern A is an energizing cycle in which T1 is on for 5 to 20 seconds and off in T2 = 5 to 20 seconds, and the power consumption P1 is constant.
And a heating pattern B in which the power consumption P1 can be varied, for example, from 30 to 2000 W by continuous energization. In this case, the heating pattern B may be selected. Further, the microcomputer 41 adjusts power consumption and stops / ends the heating of the beverage cans C1, C2 based on the temperature information of the beverage cans C1, C2 obtained from the temperature sensor 11 via the temperature detecting circuit 54. The microcomputer 41 displays the operation state of the operation stop and the heating on the LCD 42 and the LED 43. When the stop switch 44 is pressed during the heating, the supply of the high-frequency current to the heating coil 5 is interrupted to stop the heating. It is supposed to.

As described above, the beverage can electromagnetic induction heating device in the present embodiment includes the heating coil 5 as heating means for electromagnetically heating the beverage cans C1 and C2, and the beverage cans C1 and C2.
The heating coil 5 and the beverage can C are adjusted according to the outer shape of the beverage cans C1 and C2 so that the electromagnetic coupling between the heating can 5 and the heating coil is substantially the same.
1 and a distance variable portion (tapered surface 9 and step portion 10) for partially changing the distance from C2.

In this manner, the larger the size of the beverage can (for example, the large can C2), the closer the distance between the side surface of the large can C2 and the heating coil 5 becomes, but the other portion of the large can (C2) becomes smaller. Since the distance between the bottom surface) and the heating coil 5 is increased by the variable distance section, even if the outer shapes of the beverage cans C1 and C2 are different, the change in the load characteristics of the beverage cans C1 and C2 is reduced. Therefore, the burden on the inverter circuit and the switching element for supplying the high-frequency current to the heating coil 5 can be reduced, and the same output can be obtained regardless of the outer shape of the beverage cans C1 and C2.

In particular, the variable distance portion in FIG. 1 is configured as a tapered surface 9 as a tapered portion on which a beverage can (thin can C1) is placed. In this case, even if the beverage cans C1, C2... Of various thicknesses can be inserted smoothly, the beverage cans C1, C2 can be inserted smoothly, and
1, C2 can be placed. In addition, beverage can C
Since the distance between the bottom surface of the heating coil 5 and the beverage cans C1, C2 can be continuously changed in accordance with the outer shape of the beverage cans 1, 1, C2, electromagnetic waves of almost the same size can be obtained for beverage cans C1, C2. A bond can be obtained.

In this embodiment, a heating coil 5 for electromagnetically heating the beverage cans C1 and C2, a regenerative current detecting circuit 53 as a detecting means for detecting a regenerative current of the heating coil 5,
The microcomputer 41 is also provided as control means for controlling the heating coil 5 by determining the thickness of the beverage cans C1 and C2 based on the magnitude of the regenerative current.

With this configuration, the thickness of the beverage cans C1 and C2 can be determined based on the magnitude of the regenerative current generated when the heating coil 5 heats the beverage cans C1 and C2. If the heating coil 5 is controlled based on this, it is possible to surely heat the beverage cans C1 and C2 to a predetermined temperature even if their outer shapes are different. In the embodiment, the thickness of the beverage cans C1 and C2 is determined based on the magnitude of the regenerative current.
The thickness of No. 2 may be determined.

In that case, the microcomputer 41 in the present embodiment
Changes the heating time of the heating coil 5 according to the thickness of the beverage cans C1 and C2. That is, beverage can C
The outer shape of the beverage cans C1 and C2 is different by increasing the heating time of the heating coil 5 as the thickness of the heating cans 1 and C2 increases, and decreasing the heating time of the heating coil 5 as the thickness of the beverage cans C1 and C2 decreases. Even so, it is possible to surely warm to a predetermined temperature.

In this case, the heating pattern and power consumption of the heating coil 5 may be changed according to the thickness of the beverage cans C1 and C2. That is, depending on the thickness of the beverage cans C1 and C2, the beverage cans C1 and C2 are heated in different heating patterns, or the power consumption of the heating coil 5 increases as the beverage cans C1 and C2 become thicker. The power consumption of the heating coil 5 decreases as the beverage cans C1 and C2 become thinner. Thereby, beverage can C
Even if the outer shapes of C1 and C2 are different, it is possible to surely heat to a predetermined temperature.

When the beverage cans C1 and C2 are heated to a predetermined temperature by changing the pulse time width to the heating coil 5,
The oscillation state of the oscillating circuit 51 changes according to the thickness of the beverage cans C1 and C2.
1, stable electromagnetic induction heating for C2 becomes possible.
As a result, it is possible to reduce circuit failures and to reduce the allowance of components at the time of circuit design.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention. The distance variable portion that changes the distance between the heating coil 5 and the beverage cans C1 and C2 is not limited to the tapered surface 9 or the step portion 10 in the embodiment.

[0034]

According to the beverage can electromagnetic induction heating device of the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to obtain substantially the same load characteristics even if the beverage can has a different outer shape.

According to the beverage can electromagnetic induction heating device of the second aspect of the present invention, even if the beverage can is of various sizes, the insertion of the beverage can can be performed smoothly, and the beverage can is placed at the center of the heating means. Can be placed. Furthermore, substantially the same electromagnetic coupling can be obtained for beverage cans of various thicknesses.

According to the beverage can electromagnetic induction heating device of the third aspect of the present invention, by judging the thickness of the beverage can by the regenerative current of the heating means, even if the outer shape of the beverage can is different, the predetermined value can be ensured. Temperature of the beverage can.

According to the beverage can electromagnetic induction heating device of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the outer shape of the beverage can is changed by changing the heating pattern, heating time and power consumption of the heating means according to the thickness of the beverage can. Even so, the beverage can can be reliably heated to a predetermined temperature.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall sectional view of a beverage can electromagnetic induction heating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of a control board or a heating board showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of a substrate showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of a substrate showing another modified example of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a main part of a substrate, showing another modification of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an electric configuration of a beverage can electromagnetic induction heating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a positional relationship between a heating coil and a beverage can showing another modification of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a waveform diagram showing a heating pattern to a heating coil according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 5 Heating coil (heating means) 9 Tapered surface (tapered part, variable distance part) 10 steps (distance variable part) C1, C2 Drink can 41 Microcomputer (control means) 53 Regeneration current detecting means (detecting means)

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Masatsugu Iwao 2570-1 Gosuda, Kamo-shi, Niigata F-term (reference) in Toshiba Home Techno Co., Ltd. 3E046 BA03 BB03 CD10 GA10

Claims (4)

[Claims] A heating means for electromagnetically heating a beverage can,
A beverage can electromagnetic induction heating device comprising: a distance variable unit that changes a distance according to the beverage can. 2. The electromagnetic induction heating device for beverage can according to claim 1, wherein the variable distance portion is a tapered portion on which the beverage can is placed. 3. Heating means for electromagnetically heating the beverage can,
Detecting means for detecting a regenerative current or an input current of the heating means, and control means for controlling the heating means by determining the thickness of the beverage can based on the magnitude of the regenerative current or the input current. Characteristic electromagnetic induction heating device for beverage cans. 4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control means changes a heating pattern, a heating time, or power consumption of the heating means according to the thickness of the beverage can.
A beverage can electromagnetic induction heating device as described in the above.