CN113116165A - Control method for cooking appliance and cooking appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a control method for a cooking appliance and the cooking appliance. A cooking space is formed in the inner container; the heating device is used for heating the inner container; the food steamer is arranged in the inner container, and a through hole for water to pass in and out but not for rice to pass through is formed in the food steamer; the water storage device is used for storing cold water, and the water storage device can be communicated with the cooking space. The control method comprises the following steps: controlling the heating device to intermittently heat so as to carry out a first rice washing process on the rice in the steamer; and when the first rice washing process meets a first preset condition, controlling cold water in the water storage device to enter the steamer so as to carry out a second rice washing process on the rice in the steamer. The cooking utensil can effectively wash out more soluble starch in the rice, so that low-sugar rice with better effect can be cooked.

Description

Control method for cooking appliance and cooking appliance

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of cooking appliances, in particular to a control method for a cooking appliance and the cooking appliance.

Background

An inner container is arranged in the existing part of cooking appliances, a food steamer is arranged in the inner container, and meanwhile, a heating device is also arranged in the cooking appliances. The rice is placed in the steamer in the cooking process, water is placed in the inner container, the heating device can intermittently heat the inner container, so that the water in the inner container and the rice in the steamer are frequently contacted and separated, then the heating device heats the water in the inner container, steam is generated to steam the rice in the steamer, cooked rice and rice soup can be separated through the cooking mode, the sugar content in the rice can be reduced, the requirement of a low-sugar user is met, and meanwhile, the loss of nutrient components cannot be caused.

However, the above control method increases the concentration of soluble starch in the rice water as the number of times the rice water repeatedly washes the rice is increased during the cooking of the low-sugar rice in the cooking utensil, and washing the rice with the rice water of higher concentration causes part of the soluble starch to remain in the rice, so that the sugar content of the rice is increased, and the temperature of the rice is maintained at the boiling temperature during the whole rice washing process, and thus the low-sugar rice with better effect cannot be obtained.

Therefore, it is desirable to provide a control method for a cooking appliance and a cooking appliance to at least partially solve the above problems.

Disclosure of Invention

In this summary, concepts in a simplified form are introduced that are further described in the detailed description. This summary of the invention is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

To at least partially solve the above-mentioned problems, a first aspect of the present invention provides a control method for a cooking appliance, the cooking appliance including:

an inner container in which a cooking space is formed;

the heating device is used for heating the inner container;

the food steamer is arranged in the inner container, and is provided with a through hole for water to flow in and out but not for rice to pass through;

the water storage device is used for storing cold water and can be communicated with the cooking space; and

the control device is electrically connected with the heating device and the water storage device,

the control method comprises the following steps:

controlling the heating device to intermittently heat so as to carry out a first rice washing process on the rice in the steamer; and

and when the first rice washing process meets a first preset condition, controlling cold water in the water storage device to enter the steamer so as to carry out a second rice washing process on the rice in the steamer.

According to the control method for the cooking utensil, when the cooking utensil is used for cooking the low-sugar rice, part of water is added in the first rice washing process for washing the rice repeatedly, and when the times of washing the rice or the time for washing the rice reach a preset value, the water storage device is controlled to automatically add a certain amount of cold water from the top of the steamer for washing the rice.

Optionally, the first preset condition is: in the first rice washing process, the first rice washing times or the first rice washing duration reach a first preset value. The method can wash off soluble starch in cooked rice.

Optionally, the control method further includes: and before the first rice washing process, controlling the heating device to heat, continuously and dynamically detecting the temperature or the temperature change rate of the cooking space, and entering the first rice washing process when the temperature or the temperature change rate of the cooking space reaches a second preset value. The scheme can wash off more soluble starch in the rice by raising the temperature and the temperature change rate to predetermined values.

Optionally, during the second rice washing process, the cold water in the water storage device is controlled to intermittently and quantitatively enter the food steamer. The method can further wash off more soluble starch in the cooked rice.

Optionally, the cooking utensil further comprises a water quantity detection device, the water quantity detection device is electrically connected with the control device and communicated with the water storage device and used for detecting the quantity of cold water added into the food steamer in real time. The scheme can ensure that cold water quantitatively enters the food steamer.

Optionally, the control method further includes: and in the second rice washing process, controlling to finish the rice washing process when the second rice washing times or the second rice washing duration reach a third preset value. The method can effectively wash out more soluble starch in rice.

Optionally, in the second rice washing process, when the second rice washing times reach 2-30 times or the second rice washing time reaches 3-20 minutes, the rice washing process is controlled to be finished. The method can effectively wash out more soluble starch in rice.

Optionally, the cooking appliance further comprises a rice storage device for storing rice, the rice storage device is electrically connected with the control device, and the control device is configured to control the rice in the rice storage device to enter the cooking space. The scheme can realize automatic rice adding.

Optionally, the control method further includes: and controlling the heating device to continuously or discontinuously heat for a preset time at preset power at the end of the rice washing process. The scheme can effectively complete the cooking of the low-sugar rice.

The present invention also provides a cooking appliance, comprising:

an inner container in which a cooking space is formed;

the heating device is used for heating the inner container;

the food steamer is arranged in the inner container, and is provided with a through hole for water to flow in and out but not for rice to pass through;

the water storage device is used for storing cold water and can be communicated with the cooking space; and

a control device electrically connected to the heating device and the water storage device and configured to control the heating device and the water storage device to perform any of the steps described above.

According to the cooking utensil disclosed by the invention, when the low-sugar rice is cooked, part of water is added in the first rice washing process for washing the rice repeatedly, and after the number of times of rice washing or the rice washing duration reach a preset value, the water storage device is controlled to automatically add a certain amount of cold water from the top of the steamer for washing the rice.

Drawings

The following drawings of embodiments of the invention are included as part of the present invention for an understanding of the invention. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings, there is shown in the drawings,

fig. 1 is a schematic structural view of a cooking appliance according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 2 is a schematic structural view of a cooking appliance according to still another preferred embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 3 is a schematic block diagram of constituent modules of a cooking appliance according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

fig. 4 is a schematic flowchart of a control method for a cooking appliance according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without one or more of these specific details. In other instances, well-known features have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the embodiments of the invention.

In the following description, a detailed structure will be presented for a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. It is apparent that the implementation of the embodiments of the invention is not limited to the specific details familiar to those skilled in the art.

The embodiment of the invention can be applied to cooking appliances, such as an electric cooker.

Fig. 1 shows a cooking appliance according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The cooking appliance 100 may include a pot body 110 and a cover 120, the pot body 110 may have a cylindrical (or other) inner container receiving portion, and the inner container 111 may be freely put into or taken out of the inner container receiving portion to facilitate cleaning of the inner container 111. The inner container 111 is generally made of a metal material and has a circular opening on an upper surface thereof for placing the food steamer 113, and the inner container 111 may be configured as a rotational body formed of a pot wall having an upper opening and an inner cavity. The capacity of the inner container 111 is usually 6L or less, and for example, the capacity of the inner container 111 may be 2L or 4L.

The cover body 120 includes a detachable cover and an upper cover, and the detachable cover is detachably connected to the upper cover. The cover 120 may be pivotally connected to the pot body 110 by a pivot shaft for covering the pot body 110, and when the cover 120 covers the pot body 110, a cooking space is formed between the detachable cover and the inner pot 111. The cooking utensil 100 may further include a temperature sensing device, such as an upper temperature sensing device disposed in the lid 120 and/or a lower temperature sensing device disposed below the inner container.

As shown in fig. 2, the cooking appliance 100 may include a control device for implementing cooking control of the cooking appliance 100. For example, the Control device may be a Micro Control Unit (MCU). The cooking appliance 100 may further include a heating device 112 for heating the inner container 111, and the heating device 112 is electrically connected to the control device. The lower temperature sensing device and the upper temperature sensing device are both connected to the control device of the cooking appliance 100 to feed back the sensed temperature signal to the control device after sensing the temperature of the inner container 111, so that the control device can realize more accurate control of the cooking process based on the temperature signal. When the inner container 111 is disposed in the inner container receiving portion of the cooker body 110, the lower temperature sensing device can sense the temperature of the bottom wall of the inner container 111, for example, the lower temperature sensing device can directly or indirectly contact with the bottom wall.

Further, referring to fig. 3, the cooking appliance 100 further includes a rice storage means and a water storage means. Illustratively, the rice storage means may include a capsule in which rice, millet or other grains may be contained, and capsule cutting means which may be electrically connected with the control means. When it is intended to add rice to the cooking space, the control means may be caused to control the capsule cutting means to cut the capsule so that the food material in the capsule falls into the cooking space. The water storage device may include a water tank and a water pump in communication with the water tank, and the water pump may be electrically connected to the control device. When it is intended to add water to the cooking space, the control means may be caused to control the water pump to pump water from the water tank into the cooking space. The water tank can be used for storing cold water, and a person skilled in the art can store warm water or water with other preset temperature according to actual needs. Preferably, the cooking appliance 100 further comprises a water amount detecting device electrically connected to the control device and communicated with the water storage device for detecting the amount of water added to the cooking space in real time, and when the water amount detecting device detects that the amount of water added to the cooking space reaches a predetermined amount of water, a signal may be sent to the control device, so that the control device may control the water pump to stop operating. For example, the water amount detection means may be provided at a water outlet of the water pump, so that the amount of water pumped out via the water pump may be conveniently detected.

Preferably, the cooking appliance further comprises an interaction module, and the interaction module may comprise an input device, which may be disposed on the cover or the outer shell of the cooker body, for a user to set rice, taste, timing time, appointment time, cooking mode, and the like. Further preferably, the interaction module may further include an output device such as an LED lamp, a four-position eight-segment nixie tube and a buzzer, a speaker or other devices, which is used to display the cooking time and status set by the user or during the cooking process, and may sound through the buzzer or voice prompt the cooking status of the user.

In addition, the cooking appliance may further include a power panel, and the pot body 110 may further be provided with a display panel. Wherein the power panel can be used for supplying power for a control device, a display panel and the like.

It should be noted that although a partial structure of the cooking appliance 100 has been schematically described, these lists are merely exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the structure of the cooking appliance 100 of the embodiment of the present invention.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a food steamer 113 is arranged in the inner container 111, specifically, as shown in fig. 1, the food steamer 113 is provided with a through hole 114, an extension tube 118 extending towards the bottom wall of the inner container 111 is arranged at the bottom of the food steamer 113, the extension tube 118 defines an opening, the interior of the food steamer 113 is further provided with a soaking cavity 116 and an accommodating cavity 115 positioned above the soaking cavity 116, and the accommodating cavity 115 is used for accommodating rice. The soaking cavity 116 is in fluid communication with the accommodating cavity 115 through the through hole 114, wherein the through hole 114 can supply water in and out while preventing rice grains from passing through. The upper part of the steamer 113 is hermetically connected with the opening part of the inner container 111 so that a compartment 117 is formed between the outer surface of the steamer 113 and the inner side wall of the inner container 111. It should be noted that the through hole 114 between the soaking cavity 116 and the accommodating cavity 115 only allows liquid to pass through, and the rice in the accommodating cavity 115 cannot enter the soaking cavity 116 through the through hole 114. The cooking appliance according to the embodiment can realize the function of cooking low-sugar rice.

When using the cooking appliance 100 of the present embodiment, a user may first put a proper amount of water in the inner container 111, put a proper amount of rice in the receiving cavity 115 of the food steamer 113, and then cover the cover 120 to activate the function of cooking low-sugar rice (a specific cooking method will be described in detail below). Of course, the user can start the automatic rice adding and water adding functions of the water storage device and the rice storage device, and the control device automatically controls the water storage device and the rice storage device to add rice water into the cooking space. It is understood that the cooking appliance 100 provided in the present embodiment can cook both low-sugar rice and normal-sugar rice, and the user can select a proper cooking function according to the need. The present embodiment is mainly directed to cooking low-sugar rice.

Fig. 2 shows a cooking appliance according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, which has substantially the same structure as the above cooking appliance except that the steamer of the present embodiment does not have the extension tube 118. This cooking utensil also can realize the culinary art of low sugar rice, and the principle is similar with above-mentioned cooking utensil, for the sake of brevity, does not describe here again.

Hereinafter, a control method for a cooking appliance according to the present invention will be described in detail.

Fig. 4 shows the general idea of the control method. The control method may be used for the cooking appliance 100 in the above-described embodiment, and the cooking process performed according to the control method mainly includes a heating stage, a rice washing stage, and a steaming stage. During the heating phase, the control means controls the heating means 112 to heat and continuously and dynamically detect the temperature in the cooking space and the rate of temperature change. Illustratively, the heating device 112 can heat the water in the inner container 111 to a certain temperature during the heating stage. Specifically, when the function of cooking low-sugar rice is activated, the cooking appliance 100 starts cooking. The heating means 112 in the pot body 110 gradually increases the temperature and heats the water in the inner container 111. Meanwhile, the temperature sensing device 130 in the cooking appliance is in a continuous detection state, the temperature sensing device 130 can detect the temperature in the cooking space, and can continuously and dynamically detect the temperature change condition in the cooking space within a preset time delta T, namely the temperature difference T (namely the temperature change rate) of the temperature change within the delta T time, when the temperature difference T is detected to reach the preset temperature difference or the temperature in the cooking space reaches the preset temperature, the heating device stops heating the inner pot, and the cooking appliance enters a rice washing stage. It is understood that the condition for entering the rice washing stage may be set by those skilled in the art to bring the temperature in the cooking space to a predetermined temperature or to bring the rate of temperature change to a predetermined rate of change according to actual needs. Illustratively, the predetermined temperature may be set to 85 to 100 ℃, for example, 85 ℃, 90 ℃ or 100 ℃, and the predetermined temperature change rate may be set to 1 to 10 ℃/sec, for example, 1 ℃/sec, 5 ℃/sec, 10 ℃/sec, and the like.

The rice washing stage comprises a first rice washing process and a second rice washing process. During the first rice washing process, the control means controls the heating means 112 to intermittently heat the rice so as to perform a plurality of rice washing processes on the medium rice in the basket 113. The specific process of washing rice has been described above and will not be described herein for brevity. And entering a second rice washing process when the rice washing times or the rice washing duration reach a preset value. Preferably, the number of times of washing rice can be set to be 2-10 times, and the length of time for washing rice can be set to be 1-10 minutes. The skilled person can set the condition for entering the second rice washing process to make the number of times of washing rice reach a predetermined number or to make the length of time of washing rice reach a predetermined length according to actual needs.

When the second rice washing process is carried out, the control device controls the cold water stored in the water storage device to be sprayed from the top of the steamer to enter the steamer. Preferably, the control device controls the cold water in the water storage device to intermittently and quantitatively enter the steamer. Preferably, the control device controls the time interval of the water in the water storage device entering the steamer to be 30-300 seconds, such as 30 seconds, 80 seconds, 150 seconds or 300 seconds, and controls the amount of cold water entering the steamer each time to be 20-100 g, such as 20g, 40g, 70g, 100g, and the like. The person skilled in the art can select a suitable value within the above range, and of course, the person skilled in the art can set the time interval between the water in the water storage device and the steamer to other values according to actual needs, or control the amount of cold water entering the steamer each time to other values. And finishing the rice washing stage when the rice washing times or the rice washing time of the second rice washing process reach a preset value. Preferably, in the second rice washing process, when the second rice washing times reach 2-30 times or the second rice washing time reaches 3-20 minutes, the rice washing process is controlled to be finished and the cooking stage is started. The skilled person can set the condition for finishing the rice washing process to make the second number of times of washing rice to a predetermined number or to make the second length of time of washing rice to a predetermined length according to actual needs.

According to the scheme, when the cooking appliance is used for cooking the low-sugar rice, part of water is added in the first rice washing process for repeatedly washing the rice, and after the number of times of rice washing or the time for washing the rice reaches a preset value, the water storage device is controlled to automatically add a certain amount of cold water from the top of the steamer for washing the rice.

After the rice washing stage is finished, the cooking appliance 100 enters a cooking stage in which the control device controls the heating device to continuously or intermittently heat the rice for a predetermined period of time at a predetermined power. The rice steaming time period is preferably 8-16 minutes, wherein the rice steaming time period can be set according to the actual cooking conditions, such as the amount, viscosity and the like of cooked rice.

Although the illustrative embodiments have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the foregoing illustrative embodiments are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention thereto. Various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one of ordinary skill in the pertinent art without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention. All such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative elements and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware or combinations of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the implementation. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present invention.

In the description provided herein, numerous specific details are set forth. It is understood, however, that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure an understanding of this description.

The above description is only for the specific embodiment of the present invention or the description thereof, and the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of the changes or substitutions within the technical scope of the present invention, and the changes or substitutions should be covered within the protection scope of the present invention. The protection scope of the present invention shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims (10)

1. A control method for a cooking appliance, characterized in that the cooking appliance (100) comprises:

an inner container (111), wherein a cooking space is formed in the inner container (111);

a heating device (112), wherein the heating device (112) is used for heating the inner container (111);

the food steamer (113), the food steamer (113) is arranged in the inner container (111), and the food steamer (113) is provided with a through hole (114) for water to enter and exit but rice can not pass through;

the water storage device is used for storing cold water and can be communicated with the cooking space; and

the control device is electrically connected with the heating device and the water storage device,

the control method comprises the following steps:

controlling the heating device (112) to intermittently heat to perform a first rice washing process on the rice in the steamer (113); and

and when the first rice washing process meets a first preset condition, controlling cold water in the water storage device to enter the steamer so as to carry out a second rice washing process on the rice in the steamer.

2. The control method for a cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the first preset condition is: in the first rice washing process, the first rice washing times or the first rice washing duration reach a first preset value.

3. The control method for the cooking appliance according to claim 1, further comprising: controlling the heating device (112) to heat before the first rice washing process, continuously and dynamically detecting the temperature or the temperature change rate of the cooking space, and entering the first rice washing process when the temperature or the temperature change rate of the cooking space reaches a second preset value.

4. The control method for the cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the cold water in the water storage device is controlled to intermittently and quantitatively enter the basket during the second rice washing process.

5. The control method for the cooking appliance according to claim 4, wherein the cooking appliance further comprises a water amount detection device, the water amount detection device is electrically connected with the control device and is communicated with the water storage device for detecting the amount of cold water added into the steamer in real time.

6. The control method for the cooking appliance according to claim 4, further comprising: and in the second rice washing process, controlling to finish the rice washing process when the second rice washing times or the second rice washing duration reach a third preset value.

7. The control method for the cooking appliance according to claim 6, wherein in the second rice washing process, the control is performed to finish the rice washing process when the number of second rice washing times reaches 2-30 times or when the second rice washing time reaches 3-20 minutes.

8. The control method for a cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the cooking appliance further comprises a rice storage means for storing rice, the rice storage means being electrically connected to the control means, the control means being configured to control the entry of rice in the rice storage means into the cooking space.

9. The control method for the cooking appliance according to claim 6, further comprising: controlling the heating device to continuously or discontinuously heat for a preset time at preset power at the end of the rice washing process.

10. A cooking appliance, comprising:

an inner container (111), wherein a cooking space is formed in the inner container (111);

a heating device (112), wherein the heating device (112) is used for heating the inner container (111);

the food steamer (113), the food steamer (113) is arranged in the inner container (111), and the food steamer (113) is provided with a through hole (114) for water to enter and exit but rice can not pass through;

the water storage device is used for storing cold water and can be communicated with the cooking space; and

a control device electrically connected with the heating device and the water storage device and configured to control the heating device and the water storage device to perform the control method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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