JP2003111669A - Rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a rice cooker wherein a user can easily change the control data. SOLUTION: This rice cooker 1 is equipped with a cooking pot 2, a main body 3, an induction-heating coil 5 (heater) to heat the cooking pot 2, a temperature sensor 7 for detecting the temperature in the cooking pot 2, and a micro- computer 8 controlling the induction-heating coil 5. The micro-computer 8 controls the induction-heating coil 5 according to control data stored in a memory means, and performs a cooking menu. In the rice cooker 1, a bar code 20a to 20i reading means 9 is provided. The micro-computer 8 can change the control data according to a signal from the bar code-reading means 9.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a rice cooker.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional rice cooker generally cooks white rice by controlling heating means by control means based on preset control data. In addition, it is known that the rice cooker, especially the domestic rice cooker, responds to various requests such as wanting to cook rice a little harder, making rice cookers, and performing simple cooking such as cakes. Has been. In this rice cooker, when changing the preset control data, the change data is input by operating the switch of the operation switch provided on the operation panel of the rice cooker. For example, if you want to cook the rice a little harder, you can display the cooked state of the rice on the operation panel and press the select key to adjust it step by step.

[0003]

However, in the rice cooker, the operation procedure for changing the control data is complicated and there is a risk of input errors. In addition, it is not possible to meet small requests such as harder and more cooked rice.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a rice cooker that allows a user to easily change control data.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the rice cooker of the present invention comprises a cooking pot, a main body for accommodating the cooking pot, heating means for heating the cooking pot, and a cooking pot for the cooking pot. A temperature sensor provided on the outer surface of the bottom for detecting the temperature in the cooking pan and a control means for controlling the heating means are provided, and the control means is stored in a storage means built in the control means. In a rice cooker that controls the heating means according to control data to execute a cooking menu, bar code reading means for reading a bar code is provided, and the control means is based on a signal from the bar code reading means. The control data is changed.

According to the rice cooker, since the control means changes the control data based on the signal from the bar code reading means, the control data can be surely changed. Also, in order to respond to more detailed requests such as stiffer or more cooked rice, bar codes corresponding to them can be prepared separately or posted in the instruction manual.

The control data preferably includes at least rice cooking control data and cake control data. This allows the rice cooker to support a variety of menus.

[0008]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a rice cooker 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Indicates. The rice cooker 1 includes a cooking pot 2, a rice cooker body 3 that houses the cooking pot 2, and a lid 4 that is rotatably attached to the rice cooker body 3.

In the cooking pot 2, the outer surface of the pot base material made of aluminum or the like having a high thermal conductivity is coated with a ferromagnetic material that is electromagnetically induction-heated by an eddy current generated when a high-frequency current is applied to the induction heating coil 5. It is something that is joined or joined.

The rice cooker body 3 is provided with a protective frame 6 made of a non-conductive material for accommodating the cooking pot 2 inside a body 3a having a bottomed cylindrical shape. Between the body 3a and the protective frame 6, a control board 8a on which the induction heating coil 5, the cooking pan temperature sensor 7 and the microcomputer 8 are mounted is disposed, which is a well-known configuration. A bar code reading means 9 for reading a bar code is connected to the control board 8a.

The lid 4 closes the openings of the cooking pot 2 and the rice cooker body 3 in an openable manner.
A heat radiating plate 10, a lid heater 11 and an inner lid 12 are arranged on the side of. The lid 4 has a well-known configuration in which the lid temperature sensor 13 is disposed.

Further, on the front surface of the rice cooker main body 3, as shown in FIG.
The operation panel 14 shown in FIG. The operation panel 14 is provided with a plurality of switches 14a to 14e for inputting rice cooking conditions around a liquid crystal display type display panel 15 arranged in the center.

The switches 14a to 14e are used to confirm the rice cooking settings including the reserved rice cooking function, and to press the rice heating switch 1 when the user wants to execute the reheat function while the heat retention function is being executed.
4a, a menu switch 14b for selecting a rice cooking menu or a reserved rice cooking menu to a desired setting, an escape switch 14c for pressing when the user wants to end all operations including the rice cooking function and the reservation function, and puts it in a standby state, a heat retaining function Is a heat retention switch 14d for pressing when the user wants to execute, and a night heat retention switch 14e for pressing when performing the function after changing to the good night heat retention function. Further, an LED (not shown) is arranged on the back of each of the switches 14a, 14d, and 14e.
The d and 14e can be lit or blinked.

At the center of the display panel 15, a numerical value display portion 15a capable of displaying time of 24 hours, a time display portion 15b showing a unit such as heat retention time, and a minute display showing a unit such as remaining time of cooked rice. A portion 15c is provided. Also,
On both sides of these, "white rice", "normal", "soft", "hard", "rapid", "cooking", "okge", "sushi sushi", "porridge", which means rice cooking menu, etc. The menu display section 15d includes ",""rice,""separatedrice,""brownrice," and "sponge cake." Further, above the numerical value display portion 15a, a reheating display portion 15e indicating that reheating is being performed is provided.

As shown in FIG. 3, the microcomputer 8 stores, for example, a cooking menu "01" stored in a storage means built in the microcomputer 8 based on signals output from the temperature sensors 7, 13 and the like. If so, the induction heating coil 5 is controlled according to the basic control data shown in FIG. 4 (a), and the cooking process (01 to 09) including the preheating process, the boiling process, the boiling maintaining process, and the murmuring process is executed. To do.

The basic control data shown in FIG. 4 (a) are set values of process transition temperature, transition time, heating ON time and heating OFF time of each cooking process (01 to 09) in the cooking menu "01". Is shown.
For example, in the cooking step (01), the transition temperature for transition to the next step is 40 ° C., the transition time is 5 minutes, and the heating time is 15
It is set so that the power is supplied (ON) for 11 seconds and the power is stopped (OFF) for the remaining 4 seconds.

Next, the operation of the microcomputer 8 of the rice cooker 1 will be described.

First, the user puts the desired number of cups of rice and the amount of water required to cook the rice into the inner pot 2, sets the inner pot 2 in the main body 3, and then makes the request. The hardness of the cooked rice, the cooking time and the like are set by operating the operation panel 14 shown in FIG. 2 arranged on the front surface of the rice cooker body 3 and the rice cook switch 14a is pressed. Then, the microcomputer 8 sequentially executes the cooking steps (01 to 09) of the cooking menu "01" to perform the normal rice cooking operation.

When the user wants to cook the rice cooked by this normal white rice cooking operation and wants to cook the rice a little harder or to add more rice,
Of the barcodes 20a to 20f shown in (a) to (f), the barcode corresponding to the desired change item is read by the barcode reading means 9. Thereby, the change data 21a to 21f corresponding to the barcodes 20a to 20f
(For example, the change data 21 corresponding to the barcode 20a
a is “0101040051203”. ) Is input to the microcomputer 8 respectively.

As a result, for example, the bar codes 20a-2
When all 0f are read, the microcomputer 8 changes the basic control data shown in FIG. 4A stored in the storage means of the microcomputer 8 into the change control data shown in FIG. 4B. At this time, cooking steps (01), (02), (0
The setting values of 4), (05), (06) and (08) are changed. That is, cooking steps (01), (0
In 2), (04), (05), (06) and (08), the energization time of the heating time is changed by 1 second and the energization stop time is changed by 1 second. Also, the transition time is 3 minutes shorter in the cooking step (01), the transition time is 1 minute shorter in the cooking step (04), and the transition time is 2 minutes shorter in the cooking step (05).
In 6), the transition time is changed by 2 minutes, and in the cooking step (08), the transition time is changed by 1 minute.

According to the change control data, the cooking process (01 to 09) is executed at the next rice cooking in accordance with the set values of the changed process transition temperature, transition time, heating ON time and heating OFF time. For example, the cooking process (0
In 1), the transition temperature for transition to the next step is 40 ° C., the transition time is 5 minutes, the heating time is 15 seconds, the current is supplied for 12 seconds (ON), and the remaining 3 seconds is stopped (OFF). . As a result, the energization time of the heating time of 15 seconds becomes longer by 1 second, and the time taken for the rice to absorb water becomes shorter,
Cook up hard.

Thus, the control data can be changed more easily than in the conventional rice cooker in which various switches on the display panel are operated to change the basic control data. Further, since the method of inputting the change control data is simple, there is no risk of input errors.

As a modification of the above embodiment, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 8A, the basic control data for sponge cake of the cooking menu “13” used when baking the sponge cake stored in the microcomputer 8 is shown in FIGS.
By causing the barcode reading means 9 to read the barcode corresponding to the desired change item among the barcodes 22a to 22i shown in FIG. 7, as shown in FIG. 7B, control for chocolate cake for baking the chocolate cake. The data may be changed. Furthermore, FIG.
Prepare another bar code (not shown) different from the bar codes 22a to 22i shown in (a) to (i), and read the bar code to obtain control data for cheesecake for baking the cheesecake shown in FIG. 7 (c). You may be able to change. As described above, by storing only the basic control data in the microcomputer 8 and changing the basic control data into a plurality of control data as described above, more kinds of cooking can be performed. Also, the rice cooker microcomputer 8
Since it is only necessary to store at least one basic control data in, the ROM capacity of the microcomputer 8 can be reduced.

As another modification of the above-described embodiment, a plurality of bar codes may be prepared so that the user can arbitrarily change each set value of the basic control data, for example, the transition temperature by 1 ° C. Further, the plurality of barcodes may be delivered to the user's hand by using communication means such as the Internet.

[0026]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the cooking pot, the main body for housing the cooking pot, the heating means for heating the cooking pot, and the temperature inside the cooking pot are detected. A temperature sensor and a control means for controlling the heating means, wherein the control means controls the heating means according to the control data stored in the storage means built in the control means to execute the cooking menu. Since the bar code reading means for reading the bar code is provided and the control means changes the control data based on the signal from the bar code reading means, it is possible to avoid the risk of an input error and to reliably control the control data. Can be changed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a rice cooker of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing an operation panel of the rice cooker of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the rice cooker of FIG. 1.

4A shows an example of basic control data of the rice cooker of FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 4B shows an example of the change control data after changing the basic control data of FIG.

5A to 5F show an example of a barcode for changing the basic control data of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 6A shows an example of basic control data for sponge cake of the rice cooker of FIG. 1. (B) shows an example of the control data for chocolate cakes after changing the basic control data for sponge cakes of (a). (C) is (a)
An example of the control data for cheesecake after changing the basic control data for sponge cake is shown.

7A to 7I show an example of a bar code for changing the basic control data for sponge cake of FIG. 6A to the control data for chocolate cake.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... rice cooker 2 ... Cooking pot 3 ... Rice cooker body 4 ... Lid 5 ... Induction heating coil (heating means) 7. Temperature sensor for cooking pot 8 ... Microcomputer (control means) 9 ... Bar code reading means 20a to 20i ... Bar code

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A cooking pot and a main body for accommodating the cooking pot,
The heating means for heating the cooking pan, a temperature sensor provided on the outer surface of the bottom of the cooking pan for detecting the temperature in the cooking pan, and a control means for controlling the heating means, the control means comprising: In the rice cooker that controls the heating means according to the control data stored in the storage means built in the control means to execute the cooking menu, bar code reading means for reading a bar code is provided, and the control means is A rice cooker characterized by changing the control data based on a signal from the bar code reading means. 2. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the control data includes at least rice cooking control data and cake control data.