JP2020006151A - rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a rice cooker that can be miniaturized.SOLUTION: A rice cooker includes: a rice rinsing part for rinsing rice inside a pot; and a drain pipe for draining water from the pot. The rice rinsing part has a stirring blade that rotates to stir rice. The rice rinsing part and the drain pipe are configured so as to be vertically movable inside the pot.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a rice cooker.

  Conventionally, various types of rice cookers of this type are known. For example, a conventional rice cooker having a structure including a storage unit for storing rice, a rice washing space for washing rice, and a rice cooker is known (see Patent Document 1).

JP-A-5-220047

  However, there is still room for improvement in the conventional rice cooker from the viewpoint of miniaturization.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide a rice cooker that can be downsized.

In order to achieve the above object, the rice cooker according to the present invention has a rice washing section for washing rice in a pot,
And a drain pipe for draining water in the pan,
The rice washing section has a stirring blade that rotates and stirs rice,
The rice washing section and the drain pipe are configured to be vertically movable in the pan.

  According to the rice cooker according to the present invention, the rice cooker can be downsized.

A perspective view of a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention. Perspective view showing the open state of the rice cooker Vertical sectional view of FIG. Longitudinal sectional view of FIG. 2 1. Perspective view of the lid unit of FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a part of the configuration inside the housing of FIG. 1. Longitudinal sectional view of FIG. 5 1 is a perspective view of the drawer unit of FIG. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the drawer unit from which the storage unit in FIG. 8 is removed. Enlarged view of the lock mechanism of FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a lock mechanism showing a state in which the drawer unit of FIG. 1 is locked. Exploded view of storage unit and rice supply unit in FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the rice supply unit of FIG. When rice is not supplied Longitudinal sectional view of the rice supply unit in FIG. FIG. 13 is a longitudinal sectional view of the rice supply unit when supplying rice. Perspective view of the pot lid of FIG. 3 Exploded view of the pot lid of FIG. FIG. 16 is a longitudinal sectional view of the shutter shown in FIG. 16 when rice is not supplied. 16 is a longitudinal sectional view of the shutter of FIG. 16 when supplying rice. FIG. 16 is a vertical sectional view of the shutter shown in FIG. Exploded view of the rice washing unit of FIG. FIG. 21 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a drive configuration of the rice washing unit and the drain pipe of FIG. 21. Longitudinal sectional view of the drainage pipe and drainage connection part in FIG. 22 FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the upper end of the drainage pipe of FIG. 22. FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the lower end portion of the drain connection portion of FIG. 22. Cross-sectional view of the rice washing section and drainage pipe in FIG. Top view showing the drive configuration of the rice washing section and drainage pipe in FIG. The bottom view which shows the drive structure of the rice washing part and drainage pipe of FIG. FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the lid unit in a state where the rice washing unit of FIG. 7 has moved downward. 3 is a perspective view of the drainage unit of FIG. Sectional view schematically showing the drainage process Sectional drawing showing the step following FIG. 31A. Sectional drawing showing the step following FIG. 31B. Sectional view showing a step following FIG. 31C. Sectional view showing a step following FIG. 31D. The longitudinal section showing the composition of the valve unit in the modification of the rice cooker concerning the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 32 is an enlarged vertical sectional view around the valve drive source of FIG. 32. 32 is an enlarged vertical sectional view around the drain valve of FIG. 32.

(Knowledge underlying the present invention)
The present inventors have earnestly studied to reduce the size of a rice cooker and have obtained the following findings.

  In the conventional rice cooker, the rice washing space is provided at a position different from the rice cooker. After the rice put into the storage unit is washed in the rice washing space, it is put into the rice cooking unit and cooked. However, in the conventional rice cooker, since the rice washing space is provided separately from the rice cooker, the entire rice cooker tends to be large.

  On the other hand, the present inventors did not provide the rice washing space separately from the rice cooker, but instead washed the rice in the rice cooker (inside the pot) and drained the water in the pot using a drain pipe that could be moved up and down in the pot. I found a configuration to do. As a result, it has been found that the rice cooker can be washed and drained in the pot, so that the entire rice cooker can be downsized. In addition, it has been found that the cleaning of the rice-washing space can be improved by cleaning the pot, thereby improving the cleanability of the rice-washing space.

  Based on these new findings, the present inventors have reached the following invention.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a rice washing section for washing rice in a pot,
And a drain pipe for draining water in the pan,
The rice washing section has a stirring blade that rotates and stirs rice,
The rice washing section and the drain pipe provide a rice cooker configured to be vertically movable in the pan.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the rice washing section has a tubular rice washing pipe that extends in the up-down direction and is connected to the stirring blade and rotates with the stirring blade.
The rice cooker according to the first aspect, wherein the drain pipe is inserted into the rice washing pipe to drain water in the pan.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a drain connection portion formed in a tubular shape and connected to the drain pipe to drain water from the drain pipe,
A vertical drive gear connected to the drain connection,
A rotary drive gear connected to the rice washing section,
A gear drive source connected to the vertical drive gear and the rotary drive gear,
The drainage pipe and the rice washing section connected to the drainage pipe move up and down as the drainage connection section moves up and down with rotation of the up and down drive gear by the gear drive source,
The rice cooker according to the second aspect, wherein the rice washing unit rotates with the rotation of the rotary drive gear by the gear drive source.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connecting pipe which is inserted movably up and down, is connected to an outer peripheral portion of the rice washing pipe, and rotates with the rotation of the rotary drive gear,
The rice washing pipe rotates with the rotation of the connection pipe,
The connection pipe and the drain connection portion are provided above a pot lid that covers an opening of the pot,
The rice washing section is detachably attached to the connection pipe,
The rice cooker according to the third aspect, wherein the drain pipe is detachably attached to the drain connection part.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a tank is connected to a water supply channel having a water supply valve and the drainage pipe, the water is stored, and a tank is connected to a drainage path for draining the stored water,
A pump for draining the water in the tank,
A control unit that controls opening and closing of the water supply valve and driving of the pump,
The control unit starts the water supply by opening the water supply valve, closes the water supply valve when predetermined water has accumulated in the tank, and then drives the pump to thereby control the water in the pot. The rice cooker according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the rice cooker is drained.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the rice cooker according to the fifth aspect, wherein a maximum height of a portion connecting the drainage pipe and the tank is configured to be higher than a maximum height of the drainage channel. Provide a container.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pot water supply valve for supplying water into the pot,
The control unit controls opening and closing of the pot water supply valve, after opening the water supply valve and storing predetermined water in the tank, opens the pot water supply valve to supply water into the pan. A rice cooker according to the fifth or sixth aspect is provided.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, the drain pipe is provided with a drain port for draining water in the pan,
The rice cooker according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the drain port is provided with a drain valve that opens and closes the drain port.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, a valve drive source for driving the opening and closing of the drain valve;
A drive shaft that extends in the pipe axis direction in the drain pipe, connects to the drain valve and the valve drive source, and drives the opening and closing of the drain valve by moving in the pipe axis direction by the valve drive source.
With
The rice cooker according to the eighth aspect, wherein the drain valve is provided detachably with respect to the drive shaft in the drain pipe.

  Hereinafter, the rice cooker according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, substantially the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  In the following, for convenience of description, terms indicating directions such as “up”, “down”, “front”, “rear” and the like are used assuming a state of normal use. However, these terms do not mean that the use condition of the rice cooker of the present invention is limited.

  In addition, in the following drawings, the X direction indicates the front-back direction of the rice cooker 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The Y direction indicates the left-right direction of the rice cooker 1. The Z direction indicates the vertical direction (vertical direction) of the rice cooker 1.

(Embodiment)
The overall configuration of the rice cooker 1 will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rice cooker 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the rice cooker 1 in an open state.

  As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the rice cooker 1 includes a housing 2 and a drawer unit 3 accommodated so as to be slidable back and forth with respect to the housing 2. Further, the rice cooker 1 includes a lid unit 4 connected to the drawer unit 3 to open and close the opening 30a of the pot 30. As shown in FIG. 2, the drawer unit 3 has a storage unit 31 (rice cooker main body) that stores the pan 30.

  FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of FIG. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the rice cooker 1 includes a storage unit 5 provided in the housing 2 for storing rice, a rice supply unit 6 for supplying rice from the storage unit 5 to the pot 30, and a control unit. 7 is provided. Further, the rice cooker 1 includes a rice washing unit 8 for washing rice in the pot 30 and a drain pipe 9 for draining water in the pot 30.

  The storage unit 31 has a heating unit 31 a that heats the pot 30. In the present embodiment, the control unit 7 controls supply of rice by the rice supply unit 6, rice washing by the rice washing unit 8, water supply to the pot 30, drainage of water in the pot 30, and the heating unit 31a.

  With the above-described configuration, the rice cooker 1 is referred to as a so-called fully automatic rice cooker that automatically performs a series of operations of rice feeding, washing, water supply and drainage, and rice cooking.

  Next, the opening and closing configuration of the lid unit 4 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the lid unit 4 is rotatably connected to the drawer unit 3 via a rotation shaft 40. The rotating shaft 40 is provided in parallel with the opening surface S1 of the pot 30. The rotating shaft 40 slides back and forth together with the drawer unit 3.

  The lid unit 4 opens and closes the opening 30 a of the pan 30 by rotating about the rotating shaft 40. Further, the lid unit 4 slides back and forth together with the drawer unit 3 and the rotating shaft 40. The lid unit 4 rotates about the rotation shaft 40 in conjunction with the sliding movement of the drawer unit 3 and the rotation shaft 40.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the lid unit 4. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a part of the configuration inside the housing 2 (FIG. 1). FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the lid unit 4 has an elastic member 41. The lid unit 4 is urged by the elastic member 41 to rotate in the opening direction (A1) about the rotation shaft 40 (FIG. 3). In the present embodiment, the elastic member 41 is a spring. Further, the lid unit 4 is connected to the housing 2 via the guide mechanism 10.

  The guide mechanism 10 guides the rotation of the lid unit 4 about the rotation shaft 40. When the lid unit 4 rotates, the guide mechanism 10 restricts a connection portion (a link pin 101 described later) of the lid unit 4 with the housing 2 via the guide mechanism 10 from moving backward. Thereby, in conjunction with the rotation of the lid unit 4, the drawer unit 3 (FIG. 4) connected to the lid unit 4 slides back and forth.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, in the present embodiment, the guide mechanism 10 has a link pin 101 (FIG. 5) and a guide 102 (FIG. 6) which is a link groove in which the link pin 101 is fitted. The link pin 101 is formed to extend inward from the side surface of the lid unit 4. The guide 102 is formed inside the housing 2 inside the link pin 101. In the present embodiment, the guide 102 is formed in a vertical direction (Z direction).

  As shown in FIG. 4, when the rice cooker 1 is in the open state, that is, when the drawer unit 3 is pulled out from the housing 2, the lower surface S <b> 2 of the lid unit 4 is moved forward by the rotation of the lid unit 4. Exposed. When the rice cooker 1 is in the open state, the stirring blade 80a of the rice washing unit 8 described later is exposed forward by the rotation of the lid unit 4. The lid unit 4 has a front panel 42 that forms the front of the housing 2. When the lid unit 4 is in the open position (when the rice cooker 1 is in the open state), the rear surface of the front panel 42 is located on the upper surface of the housing 2.

  Next, the drawer configuration of the drawer unit 3 will be described. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the drawer unit 3. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the drawer unit 3 from which the storage unit 31 has been removed. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the drawer unit 3 has a rail 32 that guides the slide movement of the drawer unit 3 back and forth. Further, the drawer unit 3 has a lock mechanism 33 that prevents the drawer unit 3 from being pulled out forward in the closed position accommodated in the housing 2.

  FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the lock mechanism 33 of FIG. FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view of the lock mechanism 33 showing the state where the drawer unit 3 is locked. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the lock mechanism 33 has a hook lever 33a and a rotating portion 33b that is connected to the hook lever 33a and rotates.

  The hook lever 33a is engaged with the front panel 42 of the lid unit 4 in the front-rear direction. In the present embodiment, the hook lever 33a has an engaging portion 33aa extending obliquely downward from the upper end toward the rear. The front panel 42 has an engaged portion 42a that extends obliquely upward from the lower end toward the front. The hook lever 33a is engaged with the front panel 42 in the front-rear direction by the engagement between the engaging portion 33aa and the engaged portion 42a. When the hook lever 33a is pushed rearward and the rotating portion 33b rotates, the engagement between the engaging portion 33aa and the engaged portion 42a is released.

  When the user releases the lock mechanism 33, the lid unit 4 is rotated in the opening direction (A1) by the elastic member 41 (FIG. 5). Further, the connection (link pin 101) of the lid unit 4 to the housing 2 via the guide mechanism 10 is restricted from moving backward by the guide 102 (FIG. 6), so that the connection with the lid unit 4 is established. The drawer unit 3 is subjected to a force to move forward. Thus, the drawer unit 3 is pulled out from the inside of the housing 2 by the urging force of the elastic member 41.

  In the present embodiment, before the lock mechanism 33 is released (when the lid unit 4 is at the closed position), the torque F1 by the elastic member 41 in the direction in which the lid unit 4 opens is changed by the torque F1 in the direction in which the lid unit 4 closes. It is larger than the torque F2 generated by the lid unit 4. For this reason, immediately after releasing the lock mechanism 33, the drawer unit 3 is pulled out forward. The torque F2 is determined by the position G1 of the center of gravity of the cover unit 4 (FIG. 7). Thereafter, the torque F1 becomes smaller than F2. Therefore, when the user applies a force to the drawer unit 3 in the pull-out direction, the drawer unit 3 is pulled forward. When the drawer unit 3 is pulled out, the torque F1 becomes larger than the torque F2 again. As a result, the drawer unit 3 is pulled out of the housing 2 (the rice cooker 1 is opened).

  Next, the configuration of the rice supply unit 6 will be described. FIG. 12 is an exploded view of the storage unit 5 and the rice supply unit 6. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the rice supply unit 6. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the rice supply unit 6 includes a rice feeding guide 60 formed in a cylindrical shape, a rice feeding shaft 61 inserted into the rice feeding guide 60 to feed rice in the axial direction, and a rice feeding shaft 61. And a drive source 62 for driving the rice shaft 61. In the present embodiment, the drive source 62 drives the rotation of the rice feed shaft 61. The rice supply unit 6 is disposed below the storage unit 5 so that the rice can be sent from the storage unit 5 to the rice supply unit 6 by the gravity of the rice.

  The rice transport guide 60 has a tubular portion 600 formed to extend in a tubular shape in a direction along a horizontal plane (XY plane). The tubular part 600 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The rice transport guide 60 includes an upper tubular portion 601 that extends upward from the tubular portion 600 and a lower tubular portion 602 that extends downward from the tubular portion 600. The tubular portion 600, the upper tubular portion 601, and the lower tubular portion 602 are formed to communicate with each other. The upper cylindrical part 601 is connected to the storage part 5 and sends the rice in the storage part 5 to the cylindrical part 600.

  FIG. 14 is a longitudinal sectional view of the rice supply unit 6 of FIG. 13 when rice is not supplied. FIG. 15 is a longitudinal sectional view of the rice supply unit 6 of FIG. 13 when supplying rice.

  As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the rice feeding guide 60 supplies the rice feeding port 60 a for feeding rice into the rice feeding guide 60 and the rice fed from the rice feeding port 60 a by the rice feeding shaft 61 to the pot 30. Rice supply port 60b. The rice input port 60a is formed in the upper cylindrical portion 601 and opens upward, and the rice supply port 60b is formed in the lower cylindrical portion 602 and opens downward. The rice supply port 60b is provided above the pan 30 (FIG. 3) so as to be shifted from the rice input port 60a in the axial direction (A2) of the rice feed shaft 61.

  As shown in FIGS. 12, 14 and 15, the rice feeding shaft 61 has rice feeding blades 610 formed spirally around the axis. The rice sending blade 610 rotates about the rice sending shaft 61 to feed rice in the axial direction. The rice feed shaft 61 is provided with a rice passage opening / closing portion 611 (louver) for opening and closing the rice passage 60c from the rice input port 60a to the rice supply port 60b. The rice passage opening / closing portion 611 is located at a closed position (FIG. 14) for closing the rice passage 60c when rice is not supplied, and is an open position (FIG. 15) for moving in the axial direction to open the rice passage 60c when supplying rice. ) Located. The rice passage opening / closing portion 611 is formed to extend from the rice feed shaft 61 in the outer peripheral direction so as to separate the space in the cylindrical portion 600 in the axial direction (A1) when rice is not supplied. In the present embodiment, the rice passage opening / closing portion 611 is formed in a disk shape so as to cover the inside of the tubular portion 600.

  The rice supply unit 6 includes a rice feed bearing 63 that is screwed to the rice feed shaft 61. The rice transport bearing 63 is attached to the axial end of the rice transport guide 60 (tubular part 600). In this state, the rice feed shaft 61 is rotated with respect to the rice feed bearing 63 by the drive source 62, so that the rice feed shaft 61 screwed to the rice feed bearing 63 is axially moved together with the rice passage opening / closing part 611. Moving.

  The rice supply unit 6 includes an elastic member 64 for urging the rice feed shaft 61 in a direction (A3) in which the rice feed shaft 61 is screwed into the rice feed bearing 63. When the rice passage opening / closing portion 611 is located at the open position (FIG. 15) by the rice feeding shaft elastic member 64, the rice feeding shaft 61 and the rice feeding bearing portion 63 are disconnected from each other in a state where the screw connection is released. The shaft 61 is rotated by the drive source 62 to send the rice to the rice supply port 60b. When the supply of rice is stopped, the rice feed shaft 61 is rotated in the reverse direction while the rice feed shaft 61 is urged against the rice feed bearing 63 by the rice feed shaft elastic member 64. Thereby, the rice feeding shaft 61 is screwed and connected to the rice feeding bearing 63 to move the rice passage opening / closing portion 611 from the open position (FIG. 15) to the closed position (FIG. 14).

  As shown in FIG. 12, the drive source 62 has a transport motor 620 and a drive shaft 621 connected to the transport motor 620. The transport motor 620 is fixed to the tubular portion 600 by the transport motor fixing base 622. The drive shaft 621 is rotationally engaged with the rice feeding shaft 61 in a state where the rice feeding shaft 61 is movable in the axial direction. The rotation of the drive shaft 621 by the transport motor 620 causes the rice sending shaft 61 to rotate.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the rice supply unit 6 includes a rice feed pipe 65 for guiding rice supplied from the rice supply port 60b downward. The rice feed pipe 65 is formed to extend in a cylindrical shape, and is connected to the rice supply port 60b so as to be vertically movable. Specifically, the rice feeding pipe 65 is connected to the cylindrical portion 600 via the rice feeding pipe guide 66 so as to be vertically movable, and is inserted into the lower cylindrical portion 602. The rice feed pipe 65 is guided by a rice feed pipe guide 66 to move up and down by driving a rice feed path motor 67. When supplying rice to the pot 30, the rice sending pipe 65 moves downward to guide the rice to the pot 30 from the rice supply port 60b.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the opening 30 a of the pot 30 is covered by a pot lid 43. The pot lid 43 is detachably attached to the lower surface of the lid unit 4, and opens and closes the opening 30a.

  FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the pot lid 43 of FIG. FIG. 17 is an exploded view of the pot lid 43 of FIG. As shown in FIG. 17, the pot lid 43 is provided with an opening / closing opening 43a that penetrates in the up-down direction. Further, the pot lid 43 is provided with a shutter 430 (rice lid) for opening and closing the opening / closing opening 43a. The shutter 430 opens and closes the opening / closing opening 43a in conjunction with the vertical movement of the rice sending pipe 65 (FIG. 12). In addition, the rice lid 43 is provided with a rice supply path 43b for supplying rice from the rice supply unit 6 to the pan 30.

  In the present embodiment, the pot lid 43 has an inner lid 432, a pot packing 433 for sealing between the inner lid 432 and the pan 30, an inner lid support 434 for supporting the inner lid 432, and an inner lid case 435. .

  The inner lid 432 is provided with a steam port 43d for discharging steam during cooking to the outside. At the center of the inner lid 432, there is provided an insertion opening 43e into which a rice washing pipe 80b described later is vertically movably inserted. The inner lid case 435 is attached to the inner lid 432 via an inner lid packing 436. The inner lid packing 436 seals between the inner lid case 435 and the inner lid 432. The inner lid case 435 is provided with an opening / closing opening 43a. The opening / closing opening 43 a communicates with a through hole 432 a provided in the inner lid 432 when the shutter 430 is opened. Thereby, the rice supply path 43b is formed. Further, a shutter 430 is attached below the inner lid case 435 so as to cover the opening / closing opening 43a from below. The shutter 430 covers the opening / closing opening 43a together with the rice lid packing 437 and the rice lid packing holder 438 for holding the rice lid packing. The rice lid packing 437 seals between the opening / closing opening 43 a and the shutter 430.

  FIG. 18 is a longitudinal sectional view of the shutter 430 of FIG. 16 when rice is not supplied. FIG. 19 is a longitudinal sectional view of the shutter 430 of FIG. 16 when supplying rice. As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the shutter 430 rotates about the opening / closing shaft 430a to open and close the opening 43a. As shown in FIG. 18, a rice supply port 60b and a rice feed pipe 65 are arranged above the shutter 430 with a space between the rice supply port 60b and the shutter 430.

  As shown in FIG. 19, when supplying rice, the rice transport pipe 65 is moved downward and the shutter 430 is opened in conjunction with the rice transport pipe 65, thereby forming a transport path 43 c from the rice supply port 60 b into the pot 30. In this embodiment, the shutter 430 opens in conjunction with the downward movement of the rice feeding pipe 65 when the rice feeding pipe 65 pushes the shutter 430 downward.

  FIG. 20 is a longitudinal sectional view of the shutter 430 of FIG. 16 showing the open / closed state. As shown in FIG. 20, the shutter 430 has a shutter elastic member 431 that urges the shutter 430 in the closing direction. The shutter elastic member 431 connects the shutter 430 and the inner lid case 435. The urging force of the shutter elastic member 431 weakens during the opening of the shutter 430 in conjunction with the downward movement of the rice feed pipe 65. Specifically, the urging force of the shutter elastic member 431 increases as the shutter 430 opens until the shutter 430 opens beyond the reference line L1, and after the shutter 430 opens beyond the reference line L1, the shutter 430 opens. It weakens as 430 opens. Here, the reference line L1 is a straight line passing through the mounting position P1 of the shutter elastic member 431 in the inner lid case 435 and the opening / closing shaft 430a.

  The control unit 7 controls the driving of the transport motor 620. Thereby, the control unit 7 adjusts the amount of rice to be supplied into the pot 30. In the present embodiment, the controller 7 adjusts the amount of rice to be supplied by detecting the amount of rice supplied into the pot 30. As shown in FIG. 9, the drawer unit 3 has a weight measuring table 34 disposed below the pan 30 and a weight detecting mechanism 35 (weight sensor) disposed below the weight measuring table 34. In the present embodiment, the weight of the rice supplied to the pot 30 is measured by the weight detection mechanism 35.

  The control unit 7 controls the driving of the rice feed path motor 67. When rice is supplied into the pot 30 by the rice supply unit 6, the control unit 7 drives the rice feed path motor 67, moves the rice feed pipe 65 downward, and opens the shutter 430. Further, the control unit 7 drives the transport motor 620 to send the rice to the rice supply port 60b by the rice sending shaft 61, and supplies a predetermined amount of rice into the pot 30. After the supply of rice, the control unit 7 drives the transport motor 620 to move the rice passage opening / closing unit 611 from the open position (FIG. 15) to the closed position (FIG. 14). Further, the control unit 7 drives the rice feed path motor 67 to move the rice feed pipe 65 upward to close the shutter 430.

  Next, the rice washing configuration will be described. FIG. 21 is an exploded view of the rice washing unit 8. As shown in FIG. 21, the rice washing unit 8 includes a rice washing section 80 for washing rice in the pot 30. The rice washing section 80 has a stirring blade 80a that rotates and stirs rice, and a tubular rice washing tube 80b that extends in the up-down direction and is connected to the stirring blade 80a. Further, the rice washing section 80 and the drain pipe 9 are configured to be vertically movable within the pot 30.

  The stirring blades 80a wash rice in a pot 30 detachably provided below the lid unit 4. In the present embodiment, the stirring blade 80a is formed to extend in a plate shape in a plurality of directions outward from the lower end of the rice washing tube 80b. The rice washing pipe 80b rotates together with the stirring blade 80a. The drain pipe 9 is inserted into the rice washing pipe 80b. The rice washing pipe 80b is connected to the drain pipe 9 via the filter unit 81. The filter section 81 is a member for filtering waste water. The filter section 81 is connected at the lower end of the drain pipe 9. The filter unit 81 is vertically engaged with the rice washing unit 80 so that the rice washing unit 80 moves up and down together with the drain pipe 9.

  FIG. 22 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a drive configuration of the rice washing section 80 and the drain pipe 9 of FIG. As shown in FIG. 22, the rice washing unit 8 has a rotary drive gear 82 connected to the rice washing unit 80. Specifically, the rice washing section 80 is connected to a rotary drive gear 82 via a connection pipe 83 connected to an outer peripheral portion of the rice washing pipe 80b. The connection pipe 83 rotates with the rotation of the rotation drive gear 82. In the present embodiment, the rotation drive gear 82 is provided on the connection pipe 83. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the connection pipe 83 is provided above the pot lid 43.

  Further, the rice washing unit 8 is formed in a tubular shape and connected to the drain pipe 9 to drain the water from the drain pipe 9, a vertical drive gear 85 connected to the drain connection 84, and a vertical drive gear 85. 85 and a gear drive source 86 connected to the rotary drive gear 82.

  The outer peripheral portion of the drain connection portion 84 is formed in a spiral shape. The vertical drive gear 85 is formed in an annular shape. The drainage connection portion 84 is inserted into the vertical drive gear 85, and is screwed with the outer peripheral portion of the drainage connection portion 84 and the inner peripheral portion of the vertical drive gear 85. The drain pipe 9 and the rice washing section 80 connected to the drain pipe 9 move up and down as the drain connection section 84 moves up and down with the rotation of the vertical drive gear 85 by the gear drive source 86. The rice washing section 80 rotates with the rotation of the rotation drive gear 82 by the gear drive source 86. In the present embodiment, the rice washing unit 80 rotates independently of the drain pipe 9. That is, the drain pipe 9 does not rotate with the rice washing unit 80. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the drain pipe 9 from being twisted due to the rotation of the rice washing section 80. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the drain connection portion 84 is provided above the pot lid 43.

  The gear drive source 86 is fixed to a fixed base 86b. The gear drive source 86 has a drive gear 86a. The gear drive source 86 is connected to the vertical drive gear 85 and the rotary drive gear 82 via a drive gear 86a. The vertical drive gear 85 and the rotary drive gear 82 rotate with the rotation of the drive gear 86a. In the present embodiment, the gear drive source 86 is a motor, and the drive gear 86a rotates when the gear drive source 86 is driven to rotate.

  FIG. 23 is a longitudinal sectional view of the drain pipe 9 and the drain connection portion 84 of FIG. FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the upper end of the drain pipe 9 of FIG. FIG. 25 is a perspective view of the lower end portion of the drain connection portion 84 of FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 23, a drainage connection packing 87 is provided on the outer periphery of the connection point between the drainage pipe 9 and the drainage connection portion 84. Thereby, it is possible to prevent water from leaking to the outside of the drain pipe 9 and the drain connection portion 84. Further, the drain pipe 9 is detachably attached to the drain connection portion 84. As shown in FIG. 24, a projection 90 is provided on the outer surface of the upper end portion of the drain pipe 9 so as to vertically engage the drain connection portion 84. As shown in FIG. 25, a groove 84 a in which the projection 90 of the drain pipe 9 is fitted is provided on the inner side surface of the lower end of the drain connection portion 84. In the present embodiment, after the drain pipe 9 is inserted into the drain connection section 84, the drain pipe 9 is rotated with respect to the drain connection section 84, so that the projection 90 and the groove 84a are vertically engaged.

  FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional view of the rice washing section 80 and the drain pipe 9. As shown in FIG. 26, the outer periphery of the rice washing tube 80b is formed in a tooth shape. The inner peripheral part of the connection pipe 83 is formed in a concave tooth shape so as to mesh with the outer peripheral part of the tooth shape of the rice washing pipe 80b. A rice washing pipe 80b is inserted into the connection pipe 83 so as to be vertically movable. The rice washing pipe 80b rotates with the rotation of the connection pipe 83. The rice washing section 80 is detachably attached to the connection pipe 83.

  FIG. 27 is a top view showing a drive configuration of the rice washing section 80 and the drain pipe 9 of FIG. As shown in FIG. 27, the outer peripheral portions of the vertical driving gear 85 and the driving gear 86a are formed in a tooth shape. The upper and lower drive gear 85 and the drive gear 86a are connected by the outer peripheral portion of the upper and lower drive gear 85 meshing with the outer peripheral portion of the drive gear 86a. In the present embodiment, the drive gear 86a is a two-stage gear. The drive gear 86a has gears in upper and lower two stages. The vertical drive gear 85 meshes with the upper gear of the drive gear 86a. The vertical drive gear 85 is connected to the auxiliary gear 88 by meshing with the auxiliary gear 88. The auxiliary gear 88 can prevent the vertical drive gear 85 from shifting laterally. Therefore, the vertical drive gear 85 and the drive gear 86a can be reliably engaged.

  Further, a regulation guide 89 for regulating the rotation of the drainage connection portion 84 is attached to the drainage connection portion 84. As shown in FIG. 21, the regulating guide 89 is provided with a guide groove 89a for guiding the vertical movement of the drainage connection portion 84.

  FIG. 28 is a bottom view showing the drive configuration of the rice washing section 80 and the drain pipe 9 of FIG. As shown in FIG. 28, the outer peripheral portion of the rotary drive gear 82 is formed in a tooth shape. The rotary drive gear 82 is meshed with and connected to a drive gear 86a below a vertical drive gear 85 (FIG. 27). Specifically, the rotary drive gear 82 meshes with a lower gear of the drive gear 86a.

  When the drive gear 86a rotates, the upper and lower drive gear 85 and the rotary drive gear 82 rotate. When the vertical drive gear 85 rotates, the drainage connection portion 84 screwed to the vertical drive gear 85 moves up and down while the rotation is regulated by the regulation guide 89. At this time, the drain pipe 9 connected to the drain connection section 84 and the rice washing section 80 vertically engaged with the drain pipe 9 move up and down together with the drain connection section 84. When the rotation drive gear 82 rotates, the connection pipe 83 (FIG. 26) rotates together with the rotation drive gear 82, so that the rice washing pipe 80b meshing with the inner peripheral portion of the connection pipe 83 rotates.

  FIG. 29 is a longitudinal sectional view of the lid unit 4 in a state where the rice washing unit 80 of FIG. 7 has moved downward. As shown in FIG. 29, during rice washing, the rice washing section 80 moves downward to wash rice in the pot 30 (FIG. 3). The rotation of the vertical drive gear 85 and the rotary drive gear 82 by the gear drive source 86 causes the rice washing unit 80 to move downward while rotating. When the rice washing section 80 moves downward to a predetermined height, the screw connection between the vertical drive gear 85 and the drainage connection section 84 is released, and the vertical drive gear 85 idles. For this reason, the rice washing unit 80 continues to rotate while being arranged at a predetermined height. Thereby, the rice in the pot 30 is washed.

  In the present embodiment, the filter section 81 connected to the drain pipe 9 has a leg 81a. The rice washing section 80 moves downward until the leg 81a reaches the bottom of the pot 30. The leg 81a allows a space to be provided between the drain port 81b (FIG. 28) of the filter unit 81 and the bottom of the pot 30. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the drain port 81b from coming into contact with the bottom of the pot 30, and it is possible to efficiently drain the water in the pot 30.

  After the rice washing, the rice washing unit 80 moves upward, and the stirring blade 80 a is disposed on the lower surface of the pot lid 43. When the drive gear 86a rotates in the reverse direction by the gear drive source 86, the vertical drive gear 85 and the rotary drive gear 82 rotate in the reverse direction. As a result, the vertical drive gear 85 re-engages with the drain connection portion 84, so that the drain pipe 9 and the rice washing portion 80 move upward with the upward movement of the drain connection portion 84. In addition, the rice washing unit 80 moves upward while rotating in the opposite direction to the downward movement due to the reverse rotation of the rotary drive gear 82.

  Next, the drainage configuration will be described. FIG. 30 is a perspective view of the drain unit 11 of FIG. As shown in FIG. 30, the drain unit 11 includes a tank 110 and a pump 111 that drains water from the tank 110. The tank 110 is connected to a water supply channel 113 having a water supply valve 112 (FIG. 3) and the drain pipe 9 to store water. The tank 110 is connected to the drain pipe 9 via a connection path 114. The tank 110 is connected to a drain 115 for draining the stored water. The drain 115 is connected to the bottom of the tank 110. In the present embodiment, the pump 111 is a non-positive displacement pump. The pump 111 is, for example, a spiral pump.

  The control unit 7 (FIG. 3) controls opening and closing of the water supply valve 112 and driving of the pump 111. Specifically, the control unit 7 opens the water supply valve 112 to start water supply, and closes the water supply valve 112 when predetermined water has accumulated in the tank 110. After that, the control unit 7 drains the water in the pot 30 by driving the pump 111.

  Rice cooker 1 has a pot water supply valve 12 (FIG. 3) for supplying water into pot 30. In the present embodiment, the control unit 7 controls opening and closing of the pot water supply valve 12. The control unit 7 opens the water supply valve 112 to store predetermined water in the tank 110, and then opens the water supply valve 12 to supply water into the pan 30.

  The draining step will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 31A to 31E. FIG. 31A is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a drainage step. FIG. 31B is a cross-sectional view showing a step that follows the step shown in FIG. 31A. FIG. 31C is a cross-sectional view showing a step that follows the step shown in FIG. 31B. FIG. 31D is a cross-sectional view showing a step following FIG. 31C. FIG. 31E is a cross-sectional view showing a step following FIG. 31D.

  First, as shown in FIG. 31A, the water supply valve 112 is opened to store water in the tank 110. After storing a predetermined amount of water in the tank 110, the water supply valve 112 is closed. The maximum height of the portion connecting the drain pipe 9 and the tank 110 is higher than the maximum height of the drain channel 115 by the height h1. This can prevent the water in the tank 110 from moving into the pot 30 through the drain pipe 9.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 31B, the pot water supply valve 12 (FIG. 3) is opened to supply water into the pot 30. After supplying a predetermined amount of water, the pot water supply valve 12 is closed. By supplying water into the pot 30, the air in the drain pipe 9 is pushed out into the tank 110, so that the water level in the tank 110 decreases.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 31C, the pump 111 is driven to drain the water after washing the rice. By driving the pump 111, the water in the tank 110 is drained through the drain passage 115. With the drainage of the water in the tank 110, the water in the pot 30 moves into the tank 110 through the drain pipe 9.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 31D, when the pump 111 is driven for a predetermined time to drain the water in the pot 30, the control unit 7 stops driving the pump 111. After the drive of the pump 111 is stopped, as shown in FIG. 31E, the water level in the drainage channel 115 and the water level in the tank 110 become the same height.

  Rice washing is performed by repeating the above water supply and drainage process a plurality of times.

  According to the rice cooker 1 according to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

  The rice cooker 1 according to the present embodiment includes a housing 2, a drawer unit 3, and a lid unit 4. The drawer unit 3 is accommodated so as to be slidable back and forth with respect to the housing 2, and has an accommodating portion 31 accommodating the pan 30. The lid unit 4 is rotatably connected to the drawer unit 3 via a rotation shaft 40 provided in parallel with the opening surface S1 of the pan 30, and rotates around the rotation shaft 40 to open the pan 30. Open and close 30a. The rotation shaft 40 slides with the drawer unit 3. The lid unit 4 slides with the drawer unit 3 and the rotating shaft 40. The lid unit 4 is connected to the housing 2 via a guide mechanism 10 that guides the rotation of the lid unit 4 about the rotation axis 40, and interlocks with the sliding movement of the drawer unit 3 and the rotation axis 40. Then, it turns around the turning shaft 40. When the drawer unit 3 is pulled out from the inside of the housing 2, the lower surface S <b> 2 of the lid unit 4 is exposed forward by the rotation of the lid unit 4.

  According to this configuration, the pan 30 can be pulled out by the drawer unit 3, so that the user can easily access the inside of the pan 30. Since the lid unit 4 slides together with the drawer unit 3 and the rotating shaft 40, it is possible to prevent water droplets attached to the lid unit 4 from falling into the housing 2. Further, when the drawer unit 3 is pulled out, the lower surface S2 of the lid unit 4 is exposed to the front, so that the cleaning performance of the lower surface S2 of the lid unit 4 can be improved. In addition, the operation of pulling out the pot 30 and the operation of opening the lid unit 4 can be performed at the same time, and the user's labor can be reduced. Further, since the lid unit 4 is rotatably connected to the drawer unit 3 by the rotation shaft 40, the positioning of the lid unit 4 with respect to the opening 30a of the pan 30 can be easily performed. For this reason, it is possible to prevent a gap from being formed between the lid unit 4 and the pan 30, and to prevent steam from leaking.

  In the rice cooker 1 according to the present embodiment, the storage unit 5 provided in the housing 2 for storing rice, the rice supply unit 6 for supplying rice from the storage unit 5 to the pot 30, and the rice supply unit 6 A control unit 7 for controlling supply of rice.

  According to this configuration, the storage and supply of rice can be automatically performed under the control of the control unit 7, so that the user can reduce labor for supplying rice to the pot 30.

  In addition, the rice cooker 1 according to the present embodiment includes a stirring blade 80 a that is detachably provided below the lid unit 4 and is configured to wash rice in the pot 30. When the drawer unit 3 is pulled out of the housing 2, the stirring blade 80 a is exposed forward by the rotation of the lid unit 4.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to wash rice with the stirring blades 80a, so that it is possible to reduce a user's trouble of washing rice. When the drawer unit 3 is pulled out from the inside of the housing 2, the removable stirring blade 80 a is exposed to the front, so that the cleaning performance of the stirring blade 80 a that is easily soiled by washing rice can be improved.

  In the rice cooker 1 according to the present embodiment, a pot lid 43 that opens and closes the opening 30a of the pot 30 is detachably attached to the lower surface S2 of the lid unit 4.

  According to this configuration, the lower surface S2 of the lid unit 4 is a portion to which steam during rice cooking adheres and is easily contaminated. Since the lower surface S2 of the lid unit 4 is exposed in front of the drawer unit 3 when the drawer unit 3 is pulled out from the housing 2, the pot lid 43 is detachably attached to the exposed lower surface S2 of the lid unit 4. By doing so, the cleanability of the pot lid 43 can be improved.

  The rice cooker 1 according to the present embodiment includes a storage unit 5 provided in the housing 2 for storing rice, and a rice supply unit 6 for supplying rice from the storage unit 5 to the pot 30. The pot lid 43 is provided with a rice supply path 43b for supplying rice from the rice supply unit 6 to the pot 30.

  According to this configuration, since the pot lid 43 is detachable, it is possible to improve the cleanability of the rice supply path 43b, which is a portion that is easily soiled.

  In the rice cooker 1 according to the present embodiment, the lid unit 4 is urged by the elastic member 41 to rotate about the rotation shaft 40 in the opening direction (A1). The drawer unit 3 has a lock mechanism 33 that prevents the drawer unit 3 from being pulled forward in the closed position accommodated in the housing 2. The guide mechanism 10 has a guide 102 formed in a vertical direction. When the lock mechanism 33 is released, the lid unit 4 is rotated in the opening direction (A1) by the elastic member 41, and the connecting portion of the lid unit 4 with the housing 2 via the guide mechanism 10 is moved backward by the guide 102. Movement to is regulated. Thereby, the drawer unit 3 connected to the lid unit 4 is pulled forward from the inside of the housing 2 by the urging force of the elastic member 41.

  According to this configuration, when the lock mechanism 33 is released, the drawer unit 3 is pulled forward, so that the user can easily pull the drawer unit 3 forward.

  In the rice cooker 1 according to the present embodiment, the lid unit 4 has a front panel 42 that forms the front of the housing 2. The rear surface of the front panel 42 is located on the upper surface of the housing 2 when the lid unit 4 is in the open position.

  According to this configuration, when the lid unit 4 is in the open position, the rear surface of the front panel 42 is located on the upper surface of the housing 2, so that the height of the rice cooker 1 in the state in which the lid unit 4 is in the open position. Can be reduced. For this reason, rice cooker 1 can be stored compactly.

  In addition, in the rice cooker 1 according to the present embodiment, the rice cooker 1 includes a rice supply unit 6 that supplies rice to the pot 30. The rice supply unit 6 includes a rice feeding guide 60 formed in a tubular shape, A rice feeding shaft 61 inserted into the rice feeding guide 60 to feed rice in the axial direction, and a drive source 62 for driving the rice feeding shaft 61 are provided. The rice feeding guide 60 is provided above the pot 30 so as to be shifted from the rice input port 60a in the axial direction of the rice feeding shaft 61 and from the rice input port 60a. A rice supply port 60b for supplying the rice sent by the rice sending shaft 61 to the pot 30; The rice feed shaft 61 is located at a closed position for closing the rice passage 60c from the rice input port 60a to the rice supply port 60b when rice is not supplied, and moves in the axial direction when supplying rice to move the rice passage 60c. A rice passage opening / closing portion 611 is provided at an open position to be opened.

  According to this configuration, since the rice passage opening / closing section 611 closes the rice passage 60c, it is possible to prevent steam from the pan 30 from entering the space between the rice inlet 60a and the rice passage opening / closing section 611. it can. Further, by providing the rice passage opening / closing portion 611 on the rice feeding shaft 61, the invasion of steam can be prevented by one driving source 62.

  In the rice cooker 1 according to the present embodiment, the rice sending shaft 61 has rice sending blades 610 spirally formed around the axis. The rice sending blade 610 rotates about the rice sending shaft 61 to feed rice in the axial direction.

  According to this configuration, since the rice sending blade 610 is formed in a spiral shape, the amount of rice sent to the rice supply port 60b can be finely adjusted. Further, since the rice sending blade 610 is formed in a spiral shape, the area of the outer peripheral portion of the rice sending blade 610 facing the inner peripheral surface of the rice sending guide 60 can be increased. Passage of steam between the rice transport guide 60 and the rice transport guide 60 can be suppressed.

  In the rice cooker 1 according to the present embodiment, the rice supply unit 6 includes a rice feeding bearing 63 that is screw-connected to the rice feeding shaft 61 and a rice feeding shaft 61 that is screwed into the rice feeding bearing 63. And a rice feed shaft elastic member 64 for urging the rice feed shaft 61. The rice feed shaft 61 moves in the axial direction together with the rice passage opening / closing unit 611 by rotating with respect to the rice feed bearing unit 63. When the rice passage opening / closing part 611 is located at the open position, the rice feeding shaft 61 is rotated by the drive source 62 to remove rice in a state where the screw connection between the rice feeding shaft 61 and the rice feeding bearing 63 is released. Send to rice supply port 60b. When the supply of rice is stopped, the rice feeding shaft 61 is rotated in the reverse direction in a state where the rice feeding shaft 61 is urged by the rice feeding shaft elastic member 64 to the rice feeding bearing portion 63, so that the rice feeding shaft 61 The rice passage opening / closing part 611 is moved from the open position to the closed position by being screwed and connected to the bearing part 63.

  According to this configuration, the rice feeding shaft 61 rotates with respect to the rice feeding bearing portion 63 and moves in the axial direction together with the rice passage opening / closing portion 611, thereby opening and closing the rice passage 60c by the rice passage opening / closing portion 611. Can be easier. Further, since the rice feed shaft elastic member 64 urges the rice feed shaft 61 to the rice feed bearing portion 63, the rice feed shaft 61 is moved when the rice passage opening / closing portion 611 is moved from the open position to the closed position. It can be easily screwed to the portion 63.

  In the rice cooker 1 according to the present embodiment, the rice input port 60a opens upward, and the rice supply port 60b opens downward.

  According to this configuration, the rice thrown into the rice slot 60a can be moved to the rice feed shaft 61 by the gravity of the rice. In addition, rice can be supplied to the pot 30 from the rice supply port 60b by the gravity of the rice. Therefore, rice can be supplied more efficiently.

  Further, in the rice cooker 1 according to the present embodiment, the pot lid 43 covering the opening 30a of the pot 30 and the opening / closing opening 43a provided through the pot lid 43 in the up-down direction are rotated around the opening / closing shaft 430a. It includes a shutter 430 that can be opened and closed, and a rice transport pipe 65 that can move up and down. The rice feeding pipe 65 is formed to extend in a cylindrical shape, is connected to the rice supply port 60b, and guides the rice supplied from the rice supply port 60b downward. The shutter 430 works in conjunction with the vertical movement of the rice transmission pipe 65. Open and close. The rice supply port 60b and the rice sending pipe 65 are arranged above the shutter 430 with a space therebetween. When supplying the rice, the rice transport pipe 65 is moved downward and the shutter 430 is opened in conjunction therewith, thereby forming a transport path 43c from the rice supply port 60b into the pot 30.

  According to this configuration, by opening and closing the shutter 430 in conjunction with the downward movement of the rice sending pipe 65, it is possible to prevent the shutter 430 from being opened unintentionally. For this reason, it is possible to prevent steam during cooking from entering the rice supply port 60b. Further, since the rice supply port 60b and the rice feeding pipe 65 are arranged with a space above the shutter 430, it is possible to further prevent steam from entering the rice supply port 60b.

  In the rice cooker 1 according to the present embodiment, the shutter 430 is opened in conjunction with the downward movement of the rice feeding pipe 65 when the rice feeding pipe 65 pushes the shutter 430 downward.

  According to this configuration, the interlocking configuration between the shutter 430 and the rice sending pipe 65 can be simplified.

  In the rice cooker 1 according to the present embodiment, the shutter 430 has a shutter elastic member 431 that urges the shutter 430 in the closing direction. The urging force of the shutter elastic member 431 is reduced while the shutter 430 is being opened in conjunction with the downward movement of the rice feed pipe 65.

  According to this configuration, when rice is not supplied, the tightness of the opening / closing opening 43a of the shutter 430 can be improved. Further, since the urging force of the shutter elastic member 431 is weakened while the shutter 430 is being opened, rice can be easily supplied.

  Further, the rice cooker 1 according to the present embodiment includes a rice washing section 80 for washing rice in the pot 30 and a drain pipe 9 for draining water in the pot 30. The rice washing unit 80 has stirring blades 80a that rotate and stirs the rice, and the rice washing unit 80 and the drain pipe 9 are configured to be vertically movable in the pot 30.

  According to this configuration, rice can be washed in the pot 30 without separately providing a space for washing rice, so that the rice cooker 1 can be downsized. Since the drainage can be performed by the drain pipe 9 without providing a drainage hole in the pan 30, the configuration of the pan 30 can be simplified. The rice washing section 80 and the drain pipe 9 can be moved upward when cooking rice by inserting the rice washing section 80 and the drain pipe 9 into the pot 30 so as to be vertically movable. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the cooked rice from adhering to the rice washing section 80 and the drain pipe 9.

  In the rice cooker 1 according to the present embodiment, the rice washing section 80 has a tubular rice washing tube 80b that extends in the up-down direction, is connected to the stirring blade 80a, and rotates together with the stirring blade 80a. The drain pipe 9 is inserted into the rice washing pipe 80b to drain the water in the pot 30.

  According to this configuration, the space in the pot 30 can be used efficiently by draining the water in the pot 30 by forming the drain pipe 9 into a double pipe structure inserted into the rice washing pipe 80b. Further, it is possible to prevent the drain pipe 9 from interfering with the stirring blade 80a.

  Further, in the rice cooker 1 according to the present embodiment, a drainage connection portion 84 formed in a tubular shape and connected to the drainage tube 9 to drain water from the drainage tube 9, and a vertical drive gear 85 connected to the drainage connection portion 84 , A rotary drive gear 82 connected to the rice washing section 80, and a gear drive source 86. The gear drive source 86 is connected to the vertical drive gear 85 and the rotary drive gear 82. The drain pipe 9 and the rice washing section 80 connected to the drain pipe 9 move up and down as the drain connection section 84 moves up and down with the rotation of the vertical drive gear 85 by the gear drive source 86. The rice washing section 80 rotates with the rotation of the rotation drive gear 82 by the gear drive source 86.

  According to this configuration, the vertical drive gear 85 and the rotary drive gear 82 can be driven by the same gear drive source 86, so that the drain pipe 9 and the rice wash section 80 are moved up and down efficiently to rotate the rice wash section 80. be able to. Further, the drive configuration of the drain pipe 9 and the rice washing section 80 can be simplified.

  In addition, the rice cooker 1 according to the present embodiment includes a connection pipe 83 in which the rice washing pipe 80b is vertically movably inserted, connected to the outer peripheral portion of the rice washing pipe 80b, and rotates with the rotation of the rotation drive gear 82. The rice washing pipe 80b rotates with the rotation of the connection pipe 83. The connection pipe 83 and the drain connection part 84 are provided above the pot lid 43 that covers the opening 30 a of the pot 30. The rice washing unit 80 is detachably attached to the connection pipe 83. The drain pipe 9 is detachably attached to the drain connection part 84.

  According to this configuration, by providing the connection pipe 83 and the drain connection section 84 above the pot lid 43, it is possible to prevent the connection pipe 83 and the drain connection section 84 from directly contacting water. In addition, by making the rice washing section 80 and the drain pipe 9 detachable, the cleanability of a portion directly in contact with water can be improved.

  In the rice cooker 1 according to the present embodiment, the tank 110 is connected to a water supply channel 113 having a water supply valve 112 and the drain pipe 9 to store water, and is connected to a drain channel 115 for draining the stored water. , A pump 111 for draining water from the tank 110, and the control unit 7. The control unit 7 controls opening and closing of the water supply valve 112 and driving of the pump 111. The control unit 7 opens the water supply valve 112 to start water supply, closes the water supply valve 112 when predetermined water has accumulated in the tank 110, and then drives the pump 111 to thereby control the water in the pot 30. Drain the water.

  According to this configuration, by closing the water supply valve 112 in a state where water has entered the pot 30 and the tank 110, the space inside the drain pipe 9 and the tank 110 can be made a closed space. By driving the pump 111 in this state, the water in the pot 30 can be drained along with the drainage of the water in the tank 110. When the pump 111 is a centrifugal pump, it is possible to prevent the components contained in the rice sharpening water from adhering to the valve of the pump 111, thereby preventing the valve function from being lost and the pump 111 from functioning. For this reason, the water in the pot 30 can be drained more reliably.

  Further, in rice cooker 1 according to the present embodiment, the maximum height of a portion connecting drainage pipe 9 and tank 110 is configured to be higher than the maximum height of drainage channel 115.

  According to this configuration, when the maximum height of the portion connecting drainage pipe 9 and tank 110 is higher than the maximum height of drainage channel 115, the water surface in tank 110 connects drainage pipe 9 and tank 110. It can be prevented from rising to the maximum height of the part. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the water in the tank 110 from flowing backward and returning to the pot 30. For this reason, the inside of the pot 30 can be kept more clean.

  Moreover, the rice cooker 1 according to the present embodiment has a pot water supply valve 12 for supplying water into the pot 30. The control unit 7 controls opening and closing of the pot water supply valve 12, and opens the water supply valve 112 to open the tank. After storing predetermined water in 110, the pot water supply valve 12 is opened to supply water into the pot 30.

  According to this configuration, when water is stored in the tank 110, no water is stored in the pan 30, so that the air in the tank 110 can be easily discharged through the drain pipe 9. For this reason, water can be easily stored in the tank 110.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be implemented in various other modes. In the embodiment, the rice cooker 1 includes a storage unit 5 provided in the housing 2 for storing rice, a rice supply unit 6 for supplying rice from the storage unit 5 to the pot 30, and a control unit 7. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Other configurations may be used as long as the lid unit 4 is configured to rotate around the rotation shaft 40 in conjunction with the sliding movement of the drawer unit 3.

  The guide 102 is formed in the vertical direction (Z direction), but is not limited to this. The guide 102 may be inclined, for example, with respect to the vertical direction. With this configuration as well, it is possible to restrict the connection of the cover unit 4 with the housing 2 via the guide mechanism 10 from moving backward.

  The rice supply unit 6 includes the rice feed bearing unit 63 that is screw-connected to the rice feed shaft 61. However, other configurations may be used as long as the rice is fed by the rice feed shaft 61 in the axial direction. Is also good.

  The shutter 430 is opened in conjunction with the downward movement of the rice feeding pipe 65 when the rice feeding pipe 65 pushes the shutter 430 downward, but may have another configuration. For example, the shutter 430 may be opened and closed in conjunction with the vertical movement of the rice feed pipe 65 by a link mechanism.

  In addition, although the water supply valve 112 is opened to store water in the tank 110, water may be stored in the tank 110 after water is supplied to the pot 30. This also allows the water in the pot 30 to be drained.

  Further, rice input port 60a is formed in upper cylindrical portion 601 and opens upward, and rice supply port 60b is formed in lower cylindrical portion 602 and opens downward, but other configurations may be used. . The rice input port 60a and the rice supply port 60b may be formed in the cylindrical portion 600. Further, the rice input port 60a and the rice supply port 60b may be formed, for example, on the side of the cylindrical portion 600. With this configuration as well, it is possible to prevent steam from the pot 30 from entering the space between the rice inlet 60a and the rice passage opening / closing part 611.

  Further, although the rice feeding shaft 61 has the rice feeding blades 610 formed in a spiral shape around the axis, the configuration may not have the spiral rice feeding blades 610. The rice feed shaft 61 may open and close the rice passage 60c from the rice input port 60a to the rice supply port 60b by reciprocating the rice passage opening and closing unit 611 in the axial direction. Also with this configuration, the amount of rice sent to the rice supply port 60b can be adjusted.

  The rice washing section 80 has the stirring blade 80a that rotates and stirs the rice, and the tubular rice washing tube 80b that extends in the vertical direction and connects to the stirring blade 80a. If so, another configuration may be used. The rice washing unit 80 may be configured to, for example, blow compressed air into water in the pot 30 to form a water flow. With this configuration, the rice in the pot 30 can be washed.

  Also, the drain pipe 9 and the rice washing section 80 connected to the drain pipe 9 move up and down as the drain connection section 84 moves up and down with rotation of the up and down drive gear 85 by the gear drive source 86. It may be. If the rice washing section 80 and the drain pipe 9 are configured to be able to move up and down in the pot 30, for example, the rice washing section 80 and the drain pipe 9 may be moved up and down by a belt instead of a gear mechanism.

  Although the rice washing section 80 and the drain pipe 9 are configured to be vertically movable in the pot 30, the rice washing section 80 and the drain pipe 9 may be fixed at a predetermined height. Also in this configuration, by driving the pump 111, the water in the pot 30 can be drained along with the drainage of the water in the tank 110.

  When the pump 111 is driven for a predetermined time to drain the water in the pot 30, the control unit 7 stops driving the pump 111. May be driven until the end of the operation.

  In addition, although the steps of water supply and drainage as shown in FIGS. 31A to 31E are repeated a plurality of times to wash rice, it may be performed only once instead of a plurality of times. This also allows the water in the pot 30 to be drained.

  The rice cooker 1 may further include a valve unit 92 as shown in FIGS. 32 to 34 are longitudinal sectional views showing the configuration of the valve unit 92. As shown in FIG. 32, the valve unit 92 includes a drain valve 94, a drive shaft (rod) 96 connected to the drain valve 94, and a valve drive source 98.

  The drain valve 94 is a valve body that closes the drain port 91 at the lower end of the drain pipe 9. The drain valve 94 is provided at a lower end of the drain pipe 9. The drain valve 94 is provided detachably with respect to the drive shaft 96. Thereby, the cleaning property of the drain valve 94 can be improved.

  The drive shaft 96 is a valve stem extending in the pipe axis direction (vertical direction) inside the drain pipe 9 and the drain connection part 84. The lower end of the drive shaft 96 is connected to a drain valve 94, and the upper end of the drive shaft 96 is connected to a valve drive source 98. The drive shaft 96 drives opening and closing of the drain valve 94 by moving in the pipe axis direction by a valve drive source 98.

  The valve drive source 98 is a drive source (for example, a motor) that drives the drain valve 94 to open and close. Specifically, the valve drive source 98 moves the drive shaft 96 downward by driving a motor. The drive of the valve drive source 98 is controlled by the control unit 7.

  When draining, the control unit 7 drives the valve drive source 98 to open the drain valve 94. Specifically, when the drive shaft 96 moves downward by the drive of the valve drive source 98 by the control unit 7, the drain valve 94 moves downward to open the drain port 91. As a result, the drain pipe 9 is in an open state and can be drained.

  When cooking rice, the control unit 7 stops the drive of the valve drive source 98 and closes the drain valve 94. The drain valve 94 is closed by, for example, a spring 95 provided in the drain pipe 9. The spring 95 is provided so as to urge the drive shaft 96 upward when the drain valve 94 is opened. Thereby, after the valve drive source 98 stops, the drive shaft 96 moves upward by the urging force of the spring, and the drain valve 94 moves upward to close the drain port 91. For this reason, the space in the pot can be a closed space, and even if the pump 111 for draining water in the pot is, for example, a centrifugal pump (non-displacement pump), the rice cooker 1 is replaced with a pressure rice cooker. Can be specified.

  Although the present invention has been fully described in connection with preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is to be understood that such changes and modifications are intended to be included therein without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. In addition, combinations of elements and changes in the order in the embodiments can be realized without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to the rice cooker which concerns on this invention, it is useful for the rice cooker which stirs rice and wash | cleans rice by rotation of the stirring blade in a pan.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 rice cooker 2 housing 3 drawer unit 30 pot 30 a opening 31 receiving section 31 a heating section 32 rail 33 locking mechanism 33 a hook lever 33 aa engaging section 33 b rotating section 34 weight measuring table 35 weight detecting mechanism 4 lid unit 40 rotating Shaft 41 Elastic member 42 Front panel 42a Engaged part 43 Pot lid 43a Opening / closing opening 43b Rice supply path 43c Conveying path 43d Steam port 43e Insertion port 430 Shutter 430a Opening / closing axis 431 Shutter elastic member 432 Inner lid 433 Pot packing 434 Inner lid Support 435 Inner lid case 436 Inner lid packing 437 U.S. lid packing 438 U.S. lid packing holder 5 Storage unit 6 U.S. supply unit 60 U.S. feeding guide 600 Cylinder 601 Upper cylinder 602 Lower cylinder 60a Rice inlet 60b Rice supply Mouth 60c rice passage 61 US sending blade 611 US passage opening / closing section 62 Drive source 620 Conveying motor 621 Drive shaft 622 Conveying motor fixing stand 63 US sending bearing 64 64 US sending shaft elastic member 65 US sending pipe 66 US sending pipe guide 67 US sending path motor 7 Control Part 8 Rice washing unit 80 Rice washing part 80a Stirring blade 80b Rice washing pipe 81 Filter part 81a Leg 81b Drainage port 82 Rotating drive gear 83 Connection pipe 84 Drainage connection part 84a Groove 85 Vertical drive gear 86 Gear drive source 86a Drive gear 86b Fixed table 87 Drain Connection packing 88 Auxiliary gear 89 Regulation guide 89a Guide groove 9 Drain pipe 90 Projection 91 Drain port 92 Valve unit 94 Drain valve 95 Spring 96 Drive shaft 98 Valve drive source 10 Guide mechanism 101 Link pin 102 Guide 11 Drain unit 110 Tank 111 Pump 112 Water supply valve 11 3 Water supply channel 114 Connection channel 115 Drainage channel 12 Pot water supply valve

Claims (9)

A rice washing section to wash rice in a pot,
And a drain pipe for draining water in the pan,
The rice washing section has a stirring blade that rotates and stirs rice,
The rice cooker, wherein the rice washing unit and the drain pipe are configured to be vertically movable in the pan. The rice washing section has a tubular rice washing pipe extending in the up-down direction and connected to the stirring blade and rotating with the stirring blade,
The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the drain pipe is inserted into the rice washing pipe to drain water in the pan. A drain connection part formed in a tubular shape and connected to the drain pipe to drain water from the drain pipe;
A vertical drive gear connected to the drain connection,
A rotary drive gear connected to the rice washing section,
A gear drive source connected to the vertical drive gear and the rotary drive gear,
The drainage pipe and the rice washing section connected to the drainage pipe move up and down as the drainage connection section moves up and down with rotation of the up and down drive gear by the gear drive source,
The rice cooker according to claim 2, wherein the rice washing unit rotates with rotation of the rotary drive gear by the gear drive source. A connection pipe that is inserted movably up and down and connected to an outer peripheral portion of the rice wash pipe, and that rotates with the rotation of the rotation drive gear;
The rice washing pipe rotates with the rotation of the connection pipe,
The connection pipe and the drain connection portion are provided above a pot lid that covers an opening of the pot,
The rice washing section is detachably attached to the connection pipe,
The rice cooker according to claim 3, wherein the drain pipe is detachably attached to the drain connection part. A tank connected to a drainage channel that is connected to a water supply channel having a water supply valve and the drain pipe to store water, and drains the stored water;
A pump for draining the water in the tank,
A control unit that controls opening and closing of the water supply valve and driving of the pump,
The control unit starts the water supply by opening the water supply valve, closes the water supply valve when predetermined water has accumulated in the tank, and then drives the pump to thereby control the water in the pot. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the rice cooker drains water.   The rice cooker according to claim 5, wherein a maximum height of a portion connecting the drain pipe and the tank is configured to be higher than a maximum height of the drain passage. Having a pot water supply valve for supplying water into the pot,
The control unit controls opening and closing of the pot water supply valve, after opening the water supply valve and storing predetermined water in the tank, opens the pot water supply valve to supply water into the pan. The rice cooker according to claim 5. The drain pipe is provided with a drain port for draining water in the pan,
The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the drain port is provided with a drain valve that opens and closes the drain port. A valve drive source for driving the opening and closing of the drain valve,
A drive shaft that extends in the pipe axis direction in the drain pipe, connects to the drain valve and the valve drive source, and drives the opening and closing of the drain valve by moving in the pipe axis direction by the valve drive source.
With
The rice cooker according to claim 8, wherein the drain valve is detachably provided to the drive shaft in the drain pipe.

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