CN108135379B

CN108135379B - Heating cooker and lid

Info

Publication number: CN108135379B
Application number: CN201580081926.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 石原杏子; 永田滋之; 伊藤千寻; 小布施智朗; 小池洋; 吉田刚
Original assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corp
Current assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corp
Priority date: 2015-11-02
Filing date: 2015-11-02
Publication date: 2020-12-18
Anticipated expiration: 2035-11-02
Also published as: CN108135379A; WO2017077571A1; JPWO2017077571A1; KR102018467B1; TW201716018A; JP6410956B2; KR20180021845A; TWI611785B

Abstract

A heating cooker (1) is provided with: a cooking container (11) having an opening (11 a); an inner lid (21) as a lid body that closes the opening (11 a); a pressure receiving portion (32) which is movably provided in the inner lid (21) and which displaces in accordance with the pressure inside (11e) of the cooking container (11); and a steam discharge valve (31) as a valve body, which is provided to be movable relative to the inner lid (21), wherein the inner lid (21) is provided with a steam discharge port (21a) that communicates the inside (11e) of the cooking container (11) with the outside, the opening area of the steam discharge port (21a) is adjusted by the steam discharge valve (31), and the opening area of the steam discharge port (21a) is gradually increased in accordance with the displacement of the pressure receiving portion (32) during the pressure reduction process of the inside (11e) of the cooking container (11).

Description

Heating cooker and lid

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a heating cooker and a lid thereof, and particularly to decompression of the inside of a cooking container.

Background

Conventionally, various proposals have been made regarding the internal pressure regulation of a cooking container in a heating cooker such as a pressure cooker. For example, patent document 1 proposes a heating cooker (pressure cooker) including: a rice cooker as a cooking container, a lid body of the rice cooker, a first exhaust passage and a second exhaust passage for communicating the inside and the outside of the rice cooker, a first valve body for closing the first exhaust passage, a second valve body for closing the second exhaust passage, and a first driving member and a second driving member (solenoid) for operating the first valve body and the second valve body by on-off control.

Prior art documents

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 2009-82755 (for example, FIG. 1, abstract, claim 1)

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, in the conventional heating cooker described above, the valve bodies (the first valve body and the second valve body) provided in the exhaust passages (the first exhaust passage and the second exhaust passage) are switched on and off (two states, i.e., an open state and a closed state), and therefore, the discharge speed of the steam (the discharge amount per unit time) cannot be made constant. Therefore, there are problems as follows: when the exhaust passage is opened (the valve body is switched to the open state) when the pressure inside the cooking container is high, the steam is released from the exhaust passage with a strong force immediately after the opening, and therefore, there is a possibility that discomfort (for example, a sense of fright or fear) is given to the user. In addition, in the case where the exhaust passage is formed as a passage having a small opening area so as not to give a user a sense of discomfort, since the exhaust speed of steam is slow, there is a problem that the inside of the cooking container cannot be decompressed in a short time (that is, rapidly).

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a heating cooker and a lid body thereof, which can reduce the pressure inside a cooking container in a short time without giving a user a sense of discomfort.

Means for solving the problems

The heating cooker of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a cooking container having an opening; a cover that closes the opening; a pressure receiving portion that is movably provided in the lid body and that displaces in accordance with a pressure inside the cooking container; and a valve body provided to be movable relative to the lid body, wherein a steam outlet for communicating the inside of the cooking container with the outside is provided in either the lid body or the pressure receiving portion, and an opening area of the steam outlet is adjusted by the valve body, and the opening area is gradually increased in accordance with a displacement of the pressure receiving portion during a pressure reduction process in the inside of the cooking container.

The cap of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a lid body that closes the opening of a cooking container having an opening; a pressure receiving portion that is movably provided in the lid body and that displaces in accordance with a pressure inside the cooking container; and a valve body provided to be movable relative to the lid body, wherein a steam outlet for communicating the inside of the cooking container with the outside is provided in either the lid body or the pressure receiving portion, and an opening area of the steam outlet is adjusted by the valve body, and the opening area is gradually increased in accordance with a displacement of the pressure receiving portion during a pressure reduction process in the inside of the cooking container.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, the pressure inside the cooking container can be reduced in a short time without giving a user a sense of discomfort.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view schematically showing the structure of a heating cooker (the locked state of a steam vent valve) according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the main part of the heating cooker shown in fig. 1 (the unlocked state of the steam release valve).

Fig. 3 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of a control system of the heating cooker shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 4(a) and 4(b) are explanatory views schematically showing an example of the operation of the steam outlet valve, the pressure receiving portion, and the link mechanism of the heating cooker shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 5(a) to 5(d) are timing charts (timing chart) showing an example of the steam discharging operation in the pressure reducing process of the heating cooker shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view schematically showing the structure of a steam vent provided in a lid body of a heating cooker according to embodiment 2 of the present invention (when the pressure inside a cooking container is equal to the atmospheric pressure).

Fig. 7(a) and 7(b) are vertical sectional views schematically showing a steam discharging operation (pressure regulating operation) of the steam discharging unit in the heating process of the heating cooker according to embodiment 2.

Fig. 8(a) and 8(b) are vertical sectional views schematically showing a steam discharging operation (pressure reducing operation) of the steam discharging unit in the pressure reducing process of the heating cooker of embodiment 2.

Fig. 9 is a partially cut-away perspective view schematically showing the structure of a steam discharge portion of a heating cooker according to a modification of embodiment 2.

Fig. 10(a) and 10(b) are a side view and a cross-sectional view showing the operation of the steam discharge unit of the heating cooker shown in fig. 9.

Detailed Description

EXAMPLE 1

Structure of (1-1)

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view schematically showing the structure of a heating cooker 1 according to embodiment 1 of the present invention (the locked state of a steam discharge valve 31). Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view schematically showing the structure of the main part of the heating cooker 1 shown in fig. 1 (the unlocked state of the steam outlet valve 31). The heating cooker 1 is also called a pressure cooker, and a heating pressure cooker, for example.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the heating cooker 1 includes, as a main component, a cooking container (cooking pan) 11, and the cooking container 11 is a pan-shaped container having an opening 11 a. The heating cooker 1 includes an inner lid 21 as a lid body, and the inner lid 21 has a vapor discharge port (communication hole) 21a for communicating the inside 11e of the cooking container 11 (a space for accommodating an object to be heated) with the outside (an air space), and closes the opening 11a of the cooking container 11. The heating cooker 1 further includes a pressure receiving portion 32 provided movably in the inner lid 21 and displaced (moved) in accordance with the pressure in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11, and a steam discharge valve 31 serving as a valve body, the steam discharge valve 31 being provided movably in the inner lid 21 and adjusting the opening area of the steam discharge port 21 a. Here, the displacement of the pressure receiving portion 32 may be, for example, any of movement (translation) without deformation and movement (expansion and contraction) with deformation. In the example shown in fig. 1 and 2, the pressure receiving portion 32 is formed by a corrugated member (an expansion member or an elastic member) that displaces within a guide hole 21b, which is a communication hole formed in the inner lid 21. The pressure receiving portion 32 isolates the inside 11e of the cooking container 11 from the outside in the guide hole 21b, and when the pressure in the inside 11e of the cooking container 11 rises, the bellows-like member constituting the pressure receiving portion 32 extends, and the top of the pressure receiving portion 32 rises along the inner wall of the guide hole 21 b. The heating cooker 1 further includes a link mechanism 33, and the link mechanism 33 displaces (moves in the vertical direction in fig. 2) the steam discharge valve 31 in accordance with the displacement of the pressure receiving portion 32 (the movement along the inner wall of the guide hole 21 b) during the pressure reduction process of the inside 11e of the cooking container 11 so that the opening area of the steam discharge port 21a gradually increases. Generally, the pressure reduction treatment of the inside 11e of the cooking container 11 is performed after the heating treatment for cooking is completed and before the user opens the inner lid 21 (usually, the inner lid 21 is opened together with the outer lid 24 described later). Further, the steam discharge valve 31 is preferably, for example, a needle valve tapered toward the tip. The cap of the present invention includes an inner cap 21 as a cap body, a pressure receiving portion 32, and a steam discharge valve 31 as a valve body.

The heating cooker 1 may have a configuration described below. As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the heating cooker 1 includes an apparatus main body 12 and a vessel cover 13 fixed in the apparatus main body 12. The cooking container 11 is detachably housed in the container cover 13. The heating cooker 1 may further include a heating coil 14 as a heating portion disposed outside the container cover 13. The heating coil 14 is wound in a spiral shape, for example, and a high-frequency current is supplied to the heating coil 14. The cooking container 11 generates heat using an induction current generated by electromagnetic induction of the heating coil 14.

The heating cooker 1 may include: a pot bottom temperature sensor 15 provided to penetrate through a hole portion 13a formed at the center of the bottom of the container cover 13, a compression spring 16 pushing up the lower surface of the pot bottom temperature sensor 15, and an operation display portion 17 provided on the outer wall of the apparatus main body 12. Further, it is preferable that the cooking container 11 is provided with a handle portion 11c on the outer side of the side wall. Further, the container cover 13 is preferably formed with: a gap into which a finger enters is formed between the cooking container 11 and the container hood 13. Also, the cooking container 11 may have a flange 11b at an upper edge thereof. The flange 11b is provided with a plurality of cutouts, for example. However, the shape and arrangement of the apparatus main body 12, the vessel cover 13, the heating coil 14, the cooking vessel 11, and the heating method of the heating coil 14 are not limited to the above examples. The present invention can also be applied to a device (e.g., a pressure cooker) that does not include a heating unit (e.g., the heating coil 14). In this case, the cooking container 11 is heated by a heating device separate from the heating cooker 1. The present invention can also be applied to a lid body (inner lid) of a pressure cooker (pressure cooker).

Further, it is preferable that a lid packing 22 as an annular packing, for example, is provided at the peripheral edge of the inner lid 21 of the heating cooker 1. The lid packing 22 can improve the sealing performance between the inner lid 21 and the flange 11b and the inner surface 11d of the side wall of the cooking container 11. Further, it is preferable that the heating cooker 1 is provided with a lock ring 23 for clamping the inner lid 21 and the flange 11b of the cooking container 11. By performing an operation for rotating the lock ring 23 in the circumferential direction of the flange 11b, the user can engage the cutout portion (not shown) of the flange 11b of the cooking container 11 with the lock ring 23 and fix the lock ring 23 to the flange 11 b. The opening 11a of the cooking container 11 is firmly sealed by the inner lid 21 by the fixation of the locking ring 23. However, the mechanism for firmly sealing the opening 11a of the cooking container 11 by the inner lid 21 may be a mechanism other than the combination of the flange 11b and the lock ring 23.

In the example shown in fig. 1 and 2, the heating cooker 1 includes an outer lid 24, and the outer lid 24 is locked to the apparatus main body 12 so as to be openable and closable while covering the inner lid 21 and the lock ring 23. The outer cover 24 has an external steam port 24a as a through hole penetrating the outer cover 24. Therefore, the interior 11e of the cooking container 11 can communicate with the outside (air space) via the steam discharge port 21a, the pressure-regulated steam port 21c, and the external steam port 24a, and the pressure-regulated steam port 21c is a communication hole formed in the inner lid 21.

A pressure limiting hammer (Japanese: )35 is provided to block the pressure-adjusting steam port 21 c. The pressure limiter 35 is, for example, a ball, but the shape of the pressure limiter 35 is not limited to a ball as long as it can close the opening of the pressure-adjusting steam port 21 c. Preferably, in order to improve the sealing property, a seal ring is provided between the steam outlet 21a and the steam outlet valve 31 and between the pressure-adjusting steam outlet 21c and the pressure-limiting weight 35. Generally, the pressure regulation of the interior 11e of the cooking container 11 by discharging the steam from the pressure-regulated steam outlet 21c is performed in the heating process for cooking, and the discharge of the steam from the steam outlet 21a is performed in the pressure reduction process after the heating process.

In the example shown in fig. 1 and 2, the heating cooker 1 includes a decompression start unit 34 as a switching unit, and the decompression start unit 34 switches between a locked state in which the steam discharge valve 31 provided in the steam discharge port 21a is set to be immovable in a closed state and an unlocked state in which the steam discharge valve 31 is set to be movable. In the locked state, as shown in fig. 1, the abutting member 34a of the decompression start portion 34, which is formed of a solenoid or the like, abuts on the top portion of the steam discharge valve 31, and the steam discharge valve 31 is pushed down, whereby the steam discharge valve 31 closes the steam discharge port 21 a. In the unlocked state, as shown in fig. 2, the abutment member 34a of the decompression start portion 34 is separated from the top portion of the steam discharge valve 31, and the displacement of the steam discharge valve 31 is not restricted.

The link mechanism 33 displaces the steam discharge valve 31 in accordance with the displacement of the pressure receiving portion 32 accompanying the pressure decrease in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11, so that the opening area of the steam discharge port 21a gradually increases. The link mechanism 33 gradually increases the opening area of the steam outlet 21a in accordance with the displacement of the pressure receiving portion 32 during the pressure reduction process (pressure reduction period) of the inside 11e of the cooking container 11. In the example shown in fig. 1 and 2, the link mechanism 33 includes a link portion (rod-shaped member) 33b, the link portion 33b swings about a support shaft (fulcrum) 33a provided in the inner lid 21, and the link portion 33b includes a first end portion (action point) connected to the steam discharge valve 31 and a second end portion (force point) connected to the pressure receiving portion 32. However, the structure of the link mechanism 33 is not limited to the example shown in fig. 1 and 2.

The outer lid 24 may be provided with a lid temperature sensor 36 as a detection unit, and the lid temperature sensor 36 may detect the temperature inside the cooking container 11. The through hole 21d of the inner lid 21 and the lid temperature sensor 36 are provided with a gasket, for example, on the outer periphery of the lid temperature sensor 36, whereby the sealing property of the inside 11e of the cooking container 11 can be improved. The lid temperature sensor 36 can detect the temperature of an object to be heated (food material, water, etc.) in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11 through the through hole 21d of the inner lid 21.

Actions of 1-2

Fig. 3 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of the control system of the heating cooker 1. Fig. 4(a) and 4(b) are explanatory views schematically showing an example of the operation of the steam outlet valve 31, the pressure receiving portion 32, and the link mechanism 33 of the heating cooker 1. Fig. 5(a) to 5(d) are timing charts showing an example of the steam discharging operation in the pressure reduction process of the heating cooker 1. Since fig. 4(a) and 4(b) show the operation of the steam discharge valve 31 in the unlocked state shown in fig. 2, in fig. 4(a) and 4(b), the same reference numerals as those shown in fig. 2 are given to the components corresponding to the components shown in fig. 2. In fig. 4(a) and 4(b), as a structure not shown in fig. 2, a coil spring 37 as an elastic member is shown, and the coil spring 37 provides a force in a direction of pushing up the steam discharge valve 31 to the steam discharge valve 31. The coil spring 37 has any configuration, and when the pressure receiving portion 32 is lowered by its own weight when the inside 11e of the cooking container 11 is at atmospheric pressure, the coil spring 37 does not need to be provided.

When cooking is started by the heating cooker 1, the user puts a heated object such as food, water, etc. into the cooking container 11, places the cooking container 11 in the container cover 13, and then closes the outer lid 24. When the outer lid 24 is closed, the lid packing 22 of the inner lid 21 is pressed against the flange 11b of the cooking container 11 and the inner surface of the cooking container 11, and the space inside 11e of the cooking container 11 is sealed. In addition, in the case of using the lock ring 23, the user can perform an operation of fixing the inner lid 21 to the flange 11b of the cooking container 11 by rotating the lock ring 23. When the user turns on a cooking start switch of the operation display unit 17, for example, the heating cooker 1 starts the heating process of the cooking container 11.

After the heating process is started, for example, as shown in fig. 1, the abutting member 34a of the decompression start portion 34 pushes down the top portion of the steam discharge valve 31, and the steam discharge valve 31 is in the locked state. A high-frequency current is supplied from the inverter unit 42 to the heating coil 14 to generate a high-frequency magnetic field, and the surface of the cooking container 11 magnetically coupled to the heating coil 14, which faces the heating coil 14, is excited, thereby inducing an eddy current in the bottom surface of the cooking container 11. Joule heat is generated by the eddy current and the resistance of the cooking container 11, and the bottom surface of the cooking container 11 generates heat to heat the object to be heated in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11. When the boiling of the inside 11e of the cooking container 11 starts, the steam release valve 31 is locked by the decompression start unit 34, and the pressure stopper 35 that blocks the pressure-adjusting steam port 21c by its own weight prevents the release of steam from the inside 11e of the cooking container 11, thereby increasing the pressure of the inside 11e of the cooking container 11. The upper limit value of the pressure in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11 is set based on the opening area of the pressure-adjusting steam port 21c and the weight of the pressure limiter 35 blocking the pressure-adjusting steam port 21 c. For example, if the diameter φ of the pressure-adjusting steam port 21c is 1mm and the weight of the pressure-limiting weight 35 is 10g, the upper limit value of the pressure of the inside 11e of the cooking container 11 is about 2.2 atmospheres (abs). When the pressure in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11 reaches the set upper limit value, the pressure limiting weight 35 is pushed up by the steam in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11, and the steam is discharged through the pressure-adjusting steam port 21c and the external steam port 24 a. Therefore, the pressure in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11 is kept substantially constant in the vicinity of the upper limit value of the pressure in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11.

After that, the heat treatment is ended. Immediately after the heating process is completed, the pressure inside 11e of the cooking container 11 is kept higher than the atmospheric pressure. When the outer lid 24 and the inner lid 21 are opened in this state, the pressure changes (drops rapidly), and the material inside 11e of the cooking container 11 may pop out. Therefore, it is preferable to perform the opening of the outer lid 24 after the pressure reduction treatment for reducing the pressure inside 11e of the cooking container 11 to the atmospheric pressure. However, if the steam outlet 21a is completely opened (the opening area is maximized) at a burst during the pressure reduction process, the pressure inside the cooking container 11e may cause bumping, and the discharged steam may be extremely strong, which may give a sense of discomfort (e.g., a sense of fright or fear) to the user. If the opening area of the steam outlet 21a is too small during the pressure reduction treatment, the pressure reduction cannot be performed in a short time (quickly) although the momentum of the discharged steam is weak. Therefore, the following mechanism is adopted: during the pressure reduction process of the heating cooker 1, the pressure in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11 is rapidly reduced to atmospheric pressure while suppressing the potential of the released steam. Specifically, the heating cooker 1 employs the following link mechanism 33: in the pressure reduction process after the heating process, when the pressure in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11 is high, the opening area of the steam outlet 21a is reduced, and the opening area of the steam outlet 21a is gradually increased in accordance with the reduction in the pressure in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11.

Next, the steam discharge operation in the pressure reduction process will be described with reference to fig. 4(a), 4(b), and 5(a) to 5 (d). When the pressure receiving portion 32 is displaced by the pressure in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11, the pressure receiving operation portion 32a connected to the pressure receiving portion 32 pushes up the second end portion of the link portion 33b, and the steam discharge valve 31 and the pressure receiving operation portion 32a swing the link portion 33b about the support shaft 33a (counterclockwise in fig. 4a and 4 b). Fig. 4(a) shows a state in which the steam outlet valve 31 is opened and the pressure in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11 is at the atmospheric pressure, and fig. 4(b) shows a state in which the steam outlet valve 31 is held by the decompression start portion 34 so as to block the steam outlet 21a and the pressure in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11 is increased.

The decompression start portion 34 closes the steam outlet 21a by pressing the steam outlet valve 31 downward, and closes the steam outlet 21a, thereby sealing the cooking container 11. By performing the heating treatment in this state, the space inside 11e of the cooking container 11 is filled with steam, the pressure inside 11e of the cooking container 11 rises, and the pressure is applied to the pressure receiving portion 32 as the pressure inside 11e of the cooking container 11 rises, thereby applying an upward force to the pressure receiving portion 32 as shown in fig. 4(a) and 4 (b). As shown in fig. 2, when the decompression start unit 34 is operated to release the force pressing the steam discharge valve 31 downward, the steam discharge valve 31 moves to a predetermined position (for example, the position of the opening area a1 in fig. 5 (b)) due to the pressure in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11 and the upward force generated by the coil spring 37.

At this time, if the pressure receiving portion 32 is configured to be just closed (that is, configured such that the opening area a1 shown in fig. 5(b) is zero) in a state where the pressure rises due to the pressure reaching the preset upper limit value of the pressure in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11, even if the decompression start portion 34 is driven to set the steam discharge valve 31 to the unlocked state, the state where the steam discharge valve 31 is closed due to the pressure in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11 is maintained. Then, the steam outlet valve 31 cannot move until the pressure in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11 is reduced due to cooling, and the time required for pressure reduction becomes long. Therefore, it is preferable that the steam discharge valve 31 set to the unlocked state by the decompression start unit 34 is set to: immediately after the unlocked state is reached, the opening area (for example, opening area a1 in fig. 5 (b)) displaced to the steam outlet 21a is about 2mm²The following position, and exhaust is started. 2mm²The following is an opening area of the steam outlet 21a that does not give a sense of discomfort (e.g., a sense of startle or fear) to the user when the pressure inside 11e of the cooking container 11 becomes 2.2 atmospheres (abs).

Immediately after the steam discharge valve 31 moves and the steam discharge port 21a is opened, the pressure receiving portion 32 is kept in an upward state by an upward force, and the opening area of the steam discharge port 21a is set so as not to be equal to or larger than a predetermined upper limit value by the steam discharge valve 31 connected by the link mechanism 33. As the steam is discharged from the steam outlet 21a, the pressure inside 11e of the cooking container 11 decreases, the force that raises the pressure receiving portion 32 becomes weak, and the pressure receiving portion 32 gradually lowers. When the pressure receiving portion 32 descends, the pressure receiving operation portion 32a also descends at the same time, and the steam discharge valve 31 gradually ascends. Since the steam discharge valve 31 is needle-shaped with a tapered tip and the steam discharge port 21a is cylindrical, the opening area of the steam discharge port 21a gradually increases as the steam discharge valve 31 moves upward.

Fig. 5(a) shows that the lock state of the steam discharge valve 31 set by the decompression start unit 34 is released at time t0, and the lock state is released after time t 0. Fig. 5(b) shows an example of the change in the opening area of the steam outlet 21a in the pressure reduction process from the time t0 to the time t 1. Fig. 5(c) shows an example of a change in the pressure inside 11e of the cooking container 11 during the pressure reduction process. Fig. 5 d shows an example of the momentum (steam discharge rate) of the steam discharged during the pressure reduction treatment. As shown in fig. 5 a to 5 d, when the locked state of the steam discharge valve 31 set by the decompression start unit 34 is off (unlocked), the steam discharge port 21a is opened, and a predetermined opening area a1 is obtained. As the steam is released from the inside 11e of the cooking container 11, the pressure inside 11e of the cooking container 11 gradually decreases, and the pressure receiving portion 32 is displaced (lowered) as the pressure inside 11e of the cooking container 11 decreases, so that the opening area of the steam outlet 21a gradually increases. At this time, as shown in fig. 5(d), when the vapor discharge valve 31 and the pressure receiving portion 32 are set so that the potential B1 of the released vapor approaches the potential of the upper limit permitted by the user and becomes substantially constant, the pressure can be reduced most rapidly. That is, the period of the pressure reduction treatment can be shortened (t1-t 0).

The pressure receiving portion 32 maintains the sealing of the cooking container 11 while transmitting the pressure inside 11e of the cooking container 11 to the pressure receiving operation portion 32 a. Fig. 1 and 2 show a case where the pressure receiving portion 32 is formed of a corrugated member. If the pressure receiving portion 32 is formed of a corrugated member, the pressure receiving operation portion 32a can be displaced by the pressure state of the inside 11e of the cooking container 11 while maintaining the seal by providing the corrugated member so as to be attached to the inner lid 21.

In the case where the steam discharge valve 31 is formed in a needle shape, in order to maintain the steam discharge speed at a constant potential and to achieve rapid pressure reduction, it is preferable to optimize the taper of the steam discharge valve 31 continuously so that the taper is a combination of two or more (pattern) angles or so that the taper of the steam discharge valve 31 is curved. As described above, by configuring the pressure receiving portion 32 and the steam discharge valve 31 in a state connected thereto to be displaced, the opening area of the steam vent can be adjusted to an optimum value in accordance with a change in the pressure of the inside 11e of the cooking container 11 without considering a cooling rate based on the outside air temperature and a difference in the amount of steam due to a difference in the amount of contents, and the pressure receiving portion 32 is displaced in accordance with the pressure of the inside 11e of the cooking container 11. Therefore, the heating cooker 1 is excellent in robustness (Japanese: ロバスト properties) and is less likely to be affected by external factors.

Variation of 1-3

In the above description, the pressure receiving portion 32 and the steam discharge valve 31 are illustrated as being displaced in the vertical direction, but the direction of displacement is not limited to the vertical direction, and may be a structure that is displaced in the horizontal direction (lateral direction in fig. 1) or in another direction as long as it is displaced by the pressure in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11.

In the above description, the pressure limiter 35 for blocking the pressure-adjusting steam port 21c is formed in a spherical shape, but the shape of the pressure limiter 35 is not limited thereto, and any other mechanism may be used as long as it is a mechanism for releasing steam by a spring or the like when the pressure in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11 becomes a predetermined value or more, and the pressure limiter 35 may be replaced with another mechanism such as a mechanism constituted by a valve body and a spring for pressing the valve body against the pressure-adjusting steam port 21 c.

In the above description, the configuration in which the pressure reduction starting portion 34 moves the abutment member 34a by the solenoid has been described, but it is preferable that the pressure reduction starting portion 34 is set to set the steam outlet 21a to the lock release state by turning off the energization and set the steam outlet 21a to the lock state by turning on the energization. In this case, when a power failure occurs while the pressure in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11 is high, the steam outlet 21a can be opened to gradually release the steam to lower the interior 11e of the cooking container 11 to atmospheric pressure, thereby improving safety.

In the above description, the structure in which the steam outlet 21a and the pressure-adjusting steam outlet 21c are separately provided has been described, but the structure may be such that the steam outlet valve 31 blocking the steam outlet 21a is released when the pressure in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11 exceeds a set value, and the pressure-adjusting steam outlet 21c and the pressure-limiting weight 35 need not be provided. For example, a spring that is deflected (shortened) by receiving a force equal to or greater than a set value may be provided between the steam discharge valve 31 and the abutment member 34a of the decompression start portion 34. In this case, when the pressure in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11 becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined set pressure, the steam discharge valve 31 may be moved to release the steam in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11, thereby maintaining the pressure in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11 at a constant pressure. An example of such a mechanism will be described as embodiment 2.

The shape of the steam discharge valve 31 is not limited to a needle shape, and may be other shapes as long as the opening area of the steam discharge port can be gradually changed.

< 1-4 > Effect

As described above, according to the heating cooker 1 of embodiment 1, the pressure inside 11e of the cooking container 11 can be reduced in a short time without giving a user a sense of discomfort.

Further, since the steam is gradually discharged with a substantially constant momentum in the pressure reduction process, bumping in which the contents are discharged to the outside due to a rapid pressure change is less likely to occur, and therefore, the steam itself or the food material is not discharged.

Further, since the link mechanism 33 can be configured by a simple structure (a structure of swinging about the support shaft 33 a), the steam discharge valve 31 can be displaced in accordance with the displacement of the pressure receiving portion 32 accompanying the pressure decrease, so that the opening area of the steam discharge port 21a gradually increases, and thus an increase in product cost can be suppressed.

Further, since a simple structure such as a solenoid can be adopted as the pressure reduction start portion 34, an increase in product cost can be suppressed, and the pressure reduction start portion 34 is a switching portion that switches the steam discharge valve 31 between a locked state in which the steam discharge valve 31 is in an immovable state in a state in which the steam discharge port 21a is closed and an unlocked state in which the steam discharge valve 31 is in a movable state.

Further, since the solenoid sets the steam discharge valve 31 in the unlocked state when the power supply is turned off, the pressure inside 11e of the cooking container 11 can be quickly reduced when a power failure occurs, and the safety of the user can be ensured.

EXAMPLE 2

Structure of 2-1

In embodiment 1, a case will be mainly described in which the pressure adjusting unit (the pressure adjusting steam port 21c and the pressure limiter 35) for adjusting the pressure in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11 during the heating process and the pressure reducing unit (the steam outlet 21a and the steam outlet valve 31) for reducing the pressure in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11 during the pressure reducing process are configured to be independent from each other. In contrast, in embodiment 2, a pressure adjusting unit for adjusting the pressure inside 11e of cooking container 11 during the heating process and a pressure reducing unit for reducing the pressure inside 11e of cooking container 11 during the pressure reducing process are configured to be common (steam discharging unit). Except for this point, embodiment 2 is the same as embodiment 1. Therefore, in describing embodiment 2, reference is also made to fig. 1 in part (regarding the structure other than the steam discharge portion). In the description of embodiment 2, differences from embodiment 1 will be mainly described.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view schematically showing the structure of the steam discharge unit provided in the lid body 50 of the heating cooker 2 according to embodiment 2 of the present invention (when the pressure inside 11e of the cooking container 11 is equal to the atmospheric pressure). Fig. 7(a) and 7(b) are vertical sectional views schematically showing the pressure regulating operation in the heating process of the steam discharge unit provided in the heating cooker 2. Fig. 8(a) and 8(b) are vertical sectional views schematically showing the operation of the steam discharge unit of the heating cooker 2 during the pressure reduction process.

As shown in fig. 6, the heating cooker 2 includes, as main components, a cooking container 11 (shown in fig. 1) and an inner lid 50 as a lid body, and the inner lid 50 has a pressure regulating port (communication hole) 50a for communicating an inside 11e of the cooking container 11 with the outside and closes an opening (11a in fig. 1) of the cooking container 11. The heating cooker 2 includes a movable pressure receiving member 51 as a pressure receiving portion, and the movable pressure receiving member 51 is provided in a movable manner (slidable in the vertical direction in fig. 6) at the pressure adjustment port 50a of the inner lid 50, is displaced (moved) in accordance with the pressure in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11, and has a movable steam port (steam outlet) 51a for communicating the interior 11e of the cooking container 11 with the outside. The heating cooker 2 further includes a steam discharge valve 52 as a valve body, and the steam discharge valve 52 is provided movably with respect to the inner lid 50, and adjusts the opening area of the movable steam port 51a as a steam discharge port. The steam discharge valve 52 is movable along the hole portion 53a provided in the lock portion 53, and receives a downward urging force in fig. 6 by a pressure adjusting spring 54 as a pressure adjusting member. In addition, the lock portion 53 receives an upward urging force in fig. 6 due to the large-diameter urging spring 58. The inner lid 50 has a restricting portion 55 that restricts the movement range of the movable pressure receiving member 51. The space 59 is an air space.

In the example of fig. 6, the movable pressure receiving member 51 is formed of a cylindrical movable member that is displaced (moved in the vertical direction in fig. 6) within the pressure adjusting port 50a formed in the inner lid 50. The heating cooker 2 displaces the steam discharge valve 52 (moves in the vertical direction in fig. 6) in accordance with the displacement of the movable pressure receiving member 51 during the pressure reduction process of the inside 11e of the cooking container 11, so that the opening area of the movable steam port 51a gradually increases.

The movable pressure receiving member 51 rises upward in fig. 6 as the pressure in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11 increases, and enters the state shown in fig. 7(a) and 7(b) and fig. 8(a) and 8 (b). The steam discharge valve 52 is configured to be raised in a state where the movable steam port 51a is blocked as the movable steam port 51a of the movable pressure receiving member 51 is raised. The steam discharge valve 52 is, for example, a needle valve that tapers toward the interior 11e of the cooking container 11. The opening area of the steam outlet 51a is changed according to the positional relationship between the steam outlet valve 52 and the movable steam port 51 a. The operation stroke of the steam discharge valve 52 is limited by a lock portion 53 and a pressure regulating spring 54 as a pressure regulating member, the lock portion 53 is locked (movement limited) by an abutment member 34a of a decompression start portion (34 in fig. 1), and the stroke of the movable steam port 51a is determined by a limiting portion 55. The pressure adjusting spring 54 may be any member as long as it provides a predetermined pressure (downward biasing force in fig. 6) to the steam discharge valve 52, and may be a member other than the pressure adjusting spring shown in fig. 6.

Actions of 2-2

Fig. 7(a) shows a state in which the pressure in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11 rises from the atmospheric pressure during the heating process and the movable pressure receiving member 51 rises in a state in which the movable steam port 51a is blocked by the steam outlet valve 52. Fig. 7(b) shows the following state: the pressure in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11 rises further than in the state of fig. 7(a), and the steam discharge valve 52 rises against the downward urging force of the pressure regulating member 54, and discharges the steam in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11 (arrow C1). At this time, since the movable pressure receiving member 51 is in a state of being in contact with the restricting portion 55, a gap can be formed between the inner wall of the movable steam port 51a and the steam discharge valve 52. When the gap is formed, the steam in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11 is released to the space 59 through the gap, and the interior 11e of the cooking container 11 is substantially maintained at the set pressure.

Fig. 8(a) shows a case where the pressure inside 11e of the cooking container 11 is in a high-pressure state during the pressure reduction processing, and fig. 8(b) shows a case where the pressure inside 11e of the cooking container 11 is in a state (a state higher than atmospheric pressure) lower than the case of fig. 8(a) during the pressure reduction processing. Fig. 8(a) and 8(b) show a case where the lock portion 53 is set to the unlocked state by the operation of the decompression start portion 34 (shown in fig. 1). Since the lock portion 53 moves upward, the steam discharge valve 52 slightly rises together with the pressure regulating member 54, and the pressure reduction process by the steam discharge is started. As described in embodiment 1, it is preferable that the opening area of the steam outlet 51a when the pressure reduction process is started by the pressure reduction starting portion 34 is 2mm²Hereinafter, the 2mm²The following is an area where the potential of the steam D1, D2 can be sufficiently suppressed. When the steam discharge is started, as shown in fig. 8(a) and 8(b), the steam discharge valve 52 is kept in an increased state by the steam pressure in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11, and thereafter, as shown in fig. 8(b), the movable pressure regulating member 51 having the movable steam port 51a is set to gradually decrease as the pressure in the interior 11e of the cooking container 11 decreases. Needle-shaped steam discharge valve 52 and movable typeThe distance of steam port 51a is increased, the opening area of movable steam port 51a is increased, and the pressure inside 11e of cooking container 11 can be quickly reduced while the momentum of steam D1 and D2 is within the allowable range of the user.

Variation of 2-3

Fig. 9 is a partially cut-away perspective view schematically showing the structure of a steam discharge portion of a heating cooker 2a according to a modification of embodiment 2. Fig. 10(a) and 10(b) are a side view and a cross-sectional view showing the operation of the steam discharge unit of the heating cooker 2a shown in fig. 9. In the above description, as shown in fig. 8(a), the case where the steam release valve 52 is held at the maximum rising position immediately after the start of the pressure reduction treatment has been described, but as shown in fig. 9, 10(a) and 10(b), the configuration may be such that: the lid 50 is provided with a cam hole 50b inclined with respect to the horizontal direction, and the locking portion 53 is provided with a cam portion 56 as a convex portion engaging with the cam hole 50b, and the locking portion 53 is rotated at the same time as the decompression process is started. In this case, the convex portion 57 of the steam discharge valve 52 that rotates together with the lock portion 53 is seated on the seating portion 50c of the inner lid 50 at the raised position. With this configuration, the operation (position) of the steam release valve 52 during the pressure reduction process can be stabilized. Thereafter, when the locking portion 53 is pushed in downward from above, the locking portion 53 and the steam discharge valve 52 are rotated by the engagement of the cam portion 56 with the cam hole 50b, so that the engagement of the convex portion 57 of the steam discharge valve 52 with the seating portion 50c is released, and the steam discharge valve 52 is restored to be movable up and down.

In the above description, the steam discharge valve 52 and the movable pressure regulating member 51 are described as moving up and down, but the operation directions thereof are not limited to the up and down movement.

The shape of the steam discharge valve 52 is not limited to a needle shape, and may be other shapes as long as the opening area of the steam discharge port can be gradually changed.

< 2-4 > Effect

As described above, according to the heating cooker 2 and the heating cooker 2a, the same effects as those described in embodiment 1 can be obtained.

Further, according to the heating cooker 2 and the heating cooker 2a, since the pressure adjustment in the heating process and the pressure reduction in the pressure reduction process can be performed by the common mechanism, the structure for the pressure adjustment and the pressure reduction can be arranged by the narrow occupied area on the inner lid 50.

Description of reference numerals

1. 2, 2a heating cooker, 11 cooking container, 11a opening, 11b flange, 11c handle, 11d inner surface, 11e inner, 12 device body, 13 container cover, 14 heating coil, 15 bottom temperature sensor (temperature sensor), 16 compression spring, 17 operation display part, 21 inner cover (cover body), 21a steam discharge port (communication hole), 21b guide hole, 21c pressure regulating steam port (communication hole), 22 cover seal ring, 23 locking ring, 24 outer cover, 24a outer steam port, 31 steam discharge valve (valve core), 32 pressure receiving part, 32a pressure receiving action part, 33 link mechanism, 33a fulcrum (fulcrum), 33b link part, 34 decompression start part, 34a contact member, 35 pressure limiting hammer, 36 cover temperature sensor (temperature sensor), 37 elastic member (coil spring), 41 inner cover control part, 42 frequency conversion part, 50 (cover body), 50a pressure regulating port (communicating hole), 50b cam hole, 50c seat part, 51 movable pressure receiving member (pressure regulating part), 51a movable steam port (steam outlet), 52 steam outlet valve, 53 locking part, 54 pressure regulating spring (pressure regulating member), 55 limiting part, 56 cam part, 57 convex part, 58 biasing spring, 59 atmospheric space.

Claims

1. A heating cooker is characterized by comprising:

a cooking container having an opening;

a cover that closes the opening;

a pressure receiving portion that is movably provided in the lid body and that displaces in accordance with a pressure inside the cooking container; and

a valve element provided movably with respect to the lid body,

a link mechanism that displaces the valve element in accordance with the displacement of the pressure receiving portion,

a steam outlet for communicating the inside of the cooking container with the outside is provided in either the lid body or the pressure receiving portion,

the opening area of the steam outlet is adjusted by the valve core,

the link mechanism has a link portion that swings about a support shaft provided in the lid body, and displaces the valve body in accordance with a displacement of the pressure receiving portion during a pressure reduction process in the cooking container so that the opening area gradually increases,

the link portion has a first end portion connected to the valve element and a second end portion connected to the pressure receiving portion.

2. The heating cooker according to claim 1,

the steam discharge port is a communication hole formed in the cover.

3. The heating cooker according to claim 1 or 2,

the cooking device further includes a switching unit that switches the valve body between a locked state in which the valve body is in an immovable state in a state in which the steam outlet is closed and an unlocked state in which the valve body is in a movable state.

4. The heating cooker according to claim 1 or 2,

the lid body is provided with a pressure-regulating steam port for communicating the inside of the cooking container with the outside,

the heating cooker is also provided with a pressure limiting hammer for blocking the pressure regulating steam port.

5. The heating cooker according to claim 1,

the pressure receiving portion is a movable pressure receiving member provided movably along a pressure adjusting port provided in the lid body,

the vapor discharge port is a communication hole formed in the movable pressure-receiving member.

6. The heating cooker according to claim 5,

the heating cooker further includes a pressure adjusting member that provides a pressing force to the valve body toward the steam outlet.

7. The heating cooker according to claim 5 or 6,

the cooking device further includes a switching unit that switches the valve body between a locked state in which a stroke of displacement of the valve body is limited to a first stroke required for pressure adjustment of the internal pressure of the cooking container and an unlocked state in which the valve body is set to a movable state.

8. The heating cooker according to claim 5 or 6,

the heating cooker further comprises a locking part for limiting the movement of the valve core,

the cover body has a cam hole formed opposite to an outer wall of the locking portion,

the locking portion has a cam portion that engages with the cam hole.

9. The heating cooker according to any one of claims 1, 2, 5, and 6,

the heating cooker further includes a heating unit that heats the cooking container.

10. The heating cooker according to any one of claims 1, 2, 5, and 6,

the valve core has a tapered portion that tapers toward the inside of the cooking container.

11. The heating cooker according to claim 3,

the switching unit switches to an unlock state when the power is turned off.

12. A lid, characterized by comprising:

a lid body that closes the opening of a cooking container having an opening;

a valve element provided movably with respect to the lid body,

the opening area of the steam outlet is adjusted by the valve core,