JP2004008617A - Rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To increase the strength of a body wall mounting a hinge shaft, and provid a structure capable of effectively cooling an interior of a rice cooker main body 1 and even an interior of a lid. <P>SOLUTION: In a rice cooker for supporting a lid 3 in free opening and closing by a hinge shaft 4, a body wall 10 of a part to which the hinge shaft 4 is attached formed on a back of a body is to be of a dual wall structure in which an outer wall 10a and an inner wall 10b are in series. An air passage 19 is formed between the outer wall 10a and inner wall 10b by making a through-hole 15, air passed through an interior of a rice cooker main body 1 is released from the through-hole 15 placed at an upper part position of the main body 1. A flow of the air is boosted because the through-hole 15 placed at the upper part position of the main body 1, the body wall is increased in strength because the body wall is structured as the dual wall. If the released air is allowed to come into the interior of the lid, the interior of the lid can be cooled. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a rice cooker, and more particularly to a pressure rice cooker that air-tightly covers an upper surface of a rice cooker housed in a rice cooker main body with an inner lid and adjusts pressure in the rice cooker to cook rice under preferable rice cooking conditions. The present invention relates to a structure of a hinge portion of a body that pivotally supports a lid that can be opened and closed, and a cooling structure inside a main body of a rice cooker.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art As a rice cooker, there is known a pressure rice cooker capable of maintaining a pressure in a pot at a high pressure suitable for rice cooking and cooking more deliciously. In a pressure-type rice cooker, a greater force acts on a lid that covers the upper surface of the pot due to internal pressure than in a non-pressure rice cooker. Therefore, it is necessary to make the locking structure and the hinge structure of the lid more robust. Therefore, in a conventional pressure-type rice cooker in which the lid is pivotally supported by the hinge shaft C and the lid D is urged in the opening direction by the hinge spring F, as shown in FIG. The strength is improved by making the thickness T of the body wall B of the hinge portion as large as possible.
[0003]
On the other hand, the inside of the rice cooker body needs electric components that generate heat, such as switch elements and rectifier elements, and also includes many electric parts that dislike heat, such as transistors and capacitors. Of course, since the pot itself is heated, the inside of the rice cooker body is heated to some extent. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, a fan was arranged in the front part inside the rice cooker main body, and the wind sucked from the slit in the lower part of the rice cooker main body was formed in the lower bottom part on the back of the rice cooker main body as shown in FIG. By discharging from the slit E, the inside of the rice cooker main body is cooled.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The above-described body structure of the hinge portion in the conventional rice cooker may be deformed by a large load because it is formed of a single resin plate. There is a limit for reasons such as occurrence. Therefore, in order to obtain sufficient strength to prevent deformation, measures such as providing a reinforcing rib having a complicated shape have been taken.
Further, in the conventional cooling structure inside the main body of the rice cooker, the flow of air inside the rice cooker main body 1 is poor, and the cooling effect particularly on the back of the main body is small. In addition, cockroaches can easily enter from the slit formed in the lower bottom portion, and there is a possibility of mischief or accident such as foreign matter being inserted from the slit.
In view of the drawbacks of the related art, the first object of the present invention is to realize a trunk structure of a hinge portion having a higher strength with a simple structure, and more effectively utilizing the trunk structure. A second object is to realize a cooling structure inside the main body.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a rice cooker in which a lid is urged in a direction in which a lid is opened by mounting a hinge spring, wherein a body wall of a rice cooker body to which a hinge shaft formed on a back of the body is mounted is formed by an outer wall and an inner wall. Has a double wall structure that is continuous at the upper end. Thereby, even if the trunk wall is formed of a relatively thin wall, a large strength can be obtained. At this time, if a vertical rib is formed so as to protrude toward the opposed wall surface on the outer wall or the inner wall constituting the double wall, the strength can be further improved, and the double wall can be formed even in case of overload. This can prevent the collapse phenomenon.
[0006]
The present inventors utilize the double wall structure of the body wall formed at the hinge portion to realize a more effective internal rice cooker cooling structure. That is, the torso wall 10 at the hinge portion formed on the back of the torso has a double wall structure in which the outer wall 10a and the inner wall 10b are continuous at the upper end, and a through hole is formed as a ventilation means in the top wall 10c of the double wall structure. 15 is drilled. Thereby, the hot air inside the main body can be effectively released to the outside of the container, and the cooling effect can be improved. At this time, if a part of the air released from the through hole is diverted from the inflow path 23 to the inside of the lid, the inside of the lid can be cooled.
The outer wall 10a of the double-walled body wall 10 is continuous with the body surface of the rice cooker main body 1, is recessed from the body surface to form a recess 9, and the hinge cover 12 is attached to the outer surface thereof. Thereby, an accommodation space for accommodating electric components such as a hinge structure component and a substrate can be formed. By providing the through hole 21 in the bottom wall 9a of the accommodation space, which is the recess 9, a part of the air inside the rice cooker main body 1 can be sent into the accommodation space. Therefore, it is also possible to cool the electric components arranged in the housing space.
[0007]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of a rice cooker according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the entire rice cooker, FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of only the hinge structure portion, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the hinge portion of the body of the rice cooker body as viewed from the back.
[0008]
The rice cooker shown in FIG. 1 hermetically seals the rice cooker 2 with a lid 3 that opens and closes around a hinge shaft 4 at the back of the rice cooker 2 housed inside the rice cooker main body 1, specifically, an inner lid 5 attached to the lid 3. The pot 2 is self-heated by an induction current generated by an electromagnetic induction coil 6 disposed at the lower bottom portion, and cooked rice is cooked by the heat. The lid 3 that opens and closes around the hinge shaft 4 has its front end firmly locked by a hook 7 and its rear end supported by the hinge shaft 4. Therefore, the internal pressure of the shuttle 2 applied to the lid 3 is supported by the hook 7 and the hinge shaft 4 at the front end.
[0009]
As shown in FIG. 3, a recess 9 is formed in the back of the rice cooker main body 1 by partially recessing a body 8, and a hinge portion is formed on a body wall 10 forming the recess 9. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the hinge shaft 4 is attached to a part of the body wall 10, and the lid 3 is supported on the hinge shaft 4. The torso wall 10 located inside the recess 9 has a double wall structure of a part of the torso surface, in other words, an outer wall 10a forming the inner surface of the recess and an inner wall 10b continuous with the top wall 10c at the upper end. I have. The inner wall 10b is continuous with the upper surface of the rice cooker main body 1, that is, a shoulder portion that supports the pot 2, and a hinge spring 11 is mounted on the hinge shaft 4 to urge the lid 3 to always open.
[0010]
As described above, by forming a part of the body wall 10 into a double wall structure in which the outer wall 10a and the inner wall 10b are continuous with the top wall 10c at the upper end, the entire part of the synthetic resin material is not thickened. Can be improved in strength. With this structure, a body with a beautiful surface is molded without sink marks during molding. Between the outer wall 10a and the inner wall 10b that are continuous at the upper end, vertical ribs 13, 13 may be formed on the surface of the outer wall 10a or the inner wall 10b (in the illustrated example, the inner wall). In the drawing, the rib 13 keeps a slight gap without being continuous with the opposing outer wall 10a, so that it is possible to mold the outer wall surface in a clean state without causing distortion, and to form the inner wall 10b itself by the rib 13. Strength is improved. When an excessive load acts on the body wall 10 and the body wall 10 is distorted, the rib 13 serves as a support for the opposing wall surface, thereby avoiding the collapse of the double wall structure. The outer wall 10a shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 is provided with a reinforcing boss 14 at a position lower than a position facing the inner wall 10b to increase the strength of the outer wall itself.
[0011]
At the top wall 10c of the body wall 10 where the outer wall 10a and the inner wall 10b are continuous at the upper end, a through hole 15 serving as an air passage described later is provided, and a part of the body 8 (continuous with the outer wall 10b of the body wall 10). Is recessed to form a recess 9 and a hinge cover 12 is attached to the surface of the recess 9 to cover the hinge structure. By covering the recess 9 with the hinge cover 12, one space partitioned from the inside of the rice cooker main body 1 is formed. This space is used not only for a hinge structure such as a hinge shaft and a hinge spring, but also as a housing space for housing some electric components.
[0012]
Since the control board 16 mainly related to the control of the electromagnetic induction coil 6 is arranged in the front part in the rice cooker main body 1, the fan 17 is arranged in the lower front part in the rice cooker main body 1, and the control board 16 To cool down. As a result, part of the air sucked by the fan 17 from the slit 18 at the lower part of the rice cooker main body 1 is sent upward to cool the heat sink and other electric components of the control board 16, and part of the air is cooled from the front end of the lid 3. Flow into it. On the other hand, the air sent to the rear passes through the lower bottom portion in the rice cooker main body 1 and is sent to the back direction, while cooling the electromagnetic induction coil 6 and the like.
[0013]
The air sent to the back in the rice cooker main body 1 is discharged from the through hole 15 at the upper end, passing between the outer wall 10a and the inner wall 10b having the inner / outer double wall structure in the hinge structure. As described above, the space between the outer wall 10a and the inner wall 10b becomes the air passage 19, and the air that has risen through the air passage 19 is discharged from the through hole 15 at the upper end that functions as an exhaust hole. That is, the air sucked in from the front part of the rice cooker main body 1, passed through the inside and sent to the back part, is discharged upward from the body wall 10 part projecting upward at the back part. As a result of the through hole 15 being located at a higher position, the air passage 19 acts as a chimney and the flow of air is promoted, and the cooling effect is further enhanced.
The distance X between the outer wall 10a and the inner wall 10b shown in FIG. 2 is a distance at which a large strength can be obtained, and at the same time, a dimension capable of securing an appropriate air flow as an air passage is selected.
[0014]
Part of the air discharged upward from the rice cooker main body 1 through the through-hole 15 is discharged outside the device, and at least part of the air flows into the lid 3 via the inflow passage 23. That is, since the upper part of the hinge structure is covered with the lid 3, a part of the air released from the through hole 15 of the trunk wall 10, which is a part of the hinge structure, may be a gap or a space naturally formed in the structure. The water is shunted into the inside of the lid 3 from an inflow passage 23 such as a hole consciously drilled, and the inside of the lid 3 is also cooled by the flowing air.
Inside the lid 3, a heater 20 for heating the inner lid 5 as a heat radiating plate is provided, and the temperature of the pot 2 is likely to be high because the heat of the pot 2 is transmitted. On the other hand, since electric parts such as a display device are arranged in the lid, conventionally, a heat insulating material is arranged inside the lid to protect the electric parts. In the present invention, cooling of these electric parts is performed. Have the benefits promoted.
[0015]
Next, a through hole 21 serving as a ventilation hole is formed in the bottom wall 9a of the recess 9 in which the accommodation space is formed by being covered with the hinge cover 12. By drilling a through hole 21 in the bottom wall 9a of the recess 9, air sent through the inside of the rice cooker body 1 and sent rearward can pass through the recess 9 through the through hole 21 as shown by an arrow. It becomes possible to flow into the space and cool the electric components such as the control board 22 disposed therein.
[0016]
In a housing space or recess 9 formed in the back of the rice cooker main body 1, substrates mainly related to control and power supply of electric components of the lid 3 are arranged, and these electric components are electrically connected to each other through a gap in a hinge portion. They are connected by connecting means. Therefore, in a rice cooker in which an operation panel and a display panel are arranged on a lid, important substrates and the like related thereto are arranged.
As in the conventional case, when air is exhausted from the slit disposed at the lower portion of the rice cooker main body 1, warm air is exhausted from the lower portion in a state of rising. That is, in the conventional structure, heat tends to stagnate in the upper rear portion of the rice cooker main body 1 and hinders the overall cooling effect, and forcibly cools the electric components disposed on the back of the rice cooker main body. However, the structure of the present invention makes it possible to circulate cool air through the entire inside of the rice cooker main body 1 to cool the electric components arranged at the upper rear part of the rice cooker main body.
[0017]
【The invention's effect】
According to the rice cooker according to the first aspect of the present invention, since the body wall of the hinge structure portion to which the hinge shaft is attached has a double wall structure, the hinge structure of the pressure rice cooker without increasing the thickness of one wall surface. Large strength that can be adopted as In addition, since it is not necessary to increase the wall thickness more than necessary, a beautiful product that does not cause sink marks during molding can be provided.
[0018]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is the first aspect of the present invention, and it is possible to obtain a structure excellent in strength.
[0019]
According to the rice cooker according to the third aspect of the present invention, the air that has passed through the rice cooker main body is released from the hinge portion formed at the upper end portion of the back of the body to the outside of the rice cooker. It can enhance the cooling effect. Further, since the air is not discharged from the slit exposed at the bottom of the back surface of the rice cooker body as in the conventional case, if this slit is abolished, a foreign substance is not accidentally inserted from the slit.
[0020]
According to the fourth aspect of the invention, in addition to the effect of the third aspect, the air discharged from the rice cooker main body can be sent into the inside of the lid to cool the inside of the lid.
[0021]
According to the fifth aspect of the invention, in addition to the effects of the third aspect of the invention, it is also possible to cool the electric components housed in the recess covered with the hinge cover on the back of the main body, which has not been considered in the past. It becomes.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the entire rice cooker,
FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of only a hinge structure portion of the rice cooker,
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a hinge portion of a body of the rice cooker main body as viewed from a rear direction.
FIG. 4 is a bottom view of only the hinge portion of the body of the rice cooker main body,
FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view showing only a hinge structure portion of a rice cooker, showing a conventional example.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Rice cooker main body, 2 ... Kettle, 3 ... Lid, 4 ... Hinge axis, 5 ... Inner lid, 6 ... Electromagnetic induction coil, 7 ... Hook, 8 ... Body, 9 ... Recessed part, 9a ... Bottom wall, 10 ... 10a ... outer wall, 10b ... inner wall, 10c ... top wall, 11 ... hinge spring, 12 ... hinge cover, 13 ... rib, 14 ... reinforcement boss, 15 ... through hole, 16 ... control board, 17 ... fan, 18 ... Slit, 19: air passage, 20: heater, 21: through hole, 22: control board, 23: inflow passage.

Claims (5)

In a rice cooker in which a lid is urged in a direction in which a lid is opened by mounting a hinge spring, a double wall structure in which an outer wall and an inner wall are continuous at an upper end with a body wall of the rice cooker body on which a hinge shaft formed on the back of the body is mounted. A rice cooker characterized by: A vertical rib is formed on an inner surface of a body wall having a double wall structure in which an outer wall and an inner wall are continuous at an upper end portion, and a longitudinal rib is formed on one or both of the outer wall and the inner wall toward an opposed wall surface. Item 4. The rice cooker according to Item 1. In a rice cooker in which a lid is urged in a direction in which a lid is opened by mounting a hinge spring, a double wall structure in which an outer wall and an inner wall are continuous at an upper end with a body wall of the rice cooker body on which a hinge shaft formed on the back of the body is mounted. A rice cooker characterized in that a through hole is formed in a top wall portion of the double wall structure, and air in the rice cooker body is discharged from the rice cooker body through the through hole. 4. The rice cooker according to claim 3, wherein an inflow path to the inside of the lid is provided immediately above the through hole, and a part of the air discharged from the through hole is diverted into the inside of the lid. The outer wall constituting the double wall structure is a part of a wall forming a recess depressed from the body surface of the rice cooker main body, and a hinge structure component is provided by attaching a hinge cover to an outer surface of the recess. A part of the air inside the rice cooker main body is sent into the accommodation space by forming an accommodation space for accommodating a part of the electric component and providing a through hole in a bottom wall of the recess forming the accommodation space. The rice cooker according to claim 3, wherein

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