Cooking apparatus including a pyroelectric vapor sensor

Claim 1

A cooking apparatus comprising a heating compartment for accommodating food to be cooked, an electromagnetic wave generator for heating the food in the heating compartment, a pyroelectric vapor sensor for detecting a cooking condition of the food, the pyroelectric vapor sensor including a pyroelectric element and a metal plate for supporting the pyroelectric element, a vapor vent provided in the heating compartment, an air conduit extending between the vapor vent and the pyroelectric vapor sensor such that a vapor discharged from the cooking food in the heating compartment flows from the heating compartment through the vapor vent and air conduit to the pyroelectric vapor sensor, a cooling fan for providing a flow of cool air to both cool the electromagnetic wave generator and to mix with the vapor discharged from the heating compartment, the pyroelectric vapor sensor being positioned outside the heating compartment at a position such that cool air from outside the heating compartment and the mixture of vapor and cool air from the cooling fan mixes proximate the pyroelectric vapor sensor to thereby cool the pyroelectric element and thereby maintain the pyroelectric vapor sensor at a relatively stable temperature.