JP2004057545A - Rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a rice cooker which prevents the degradation of cooked rice caused by keeping the cooked rice warm and maintains the state of just cooked rice for a longer period of time. <P>SOLUTION: The rice cooker includes a pot 2, a lid 3 for the pot 2, a pot heating means 4, a detecting means 5 for a temperature of the pot for detecting the temperature of the pot, a steam generating means 10 for emitting steam in the pot at the right time, and a control means 14 for controlling the pot heating means 4 and the steam generating means 10 depending on at least the output of the detecting means 5 while the cooked rice is kept warm. The rice cooker heats the cooked rice and keeps it warm by heating with the pot heating means and by heating with steam by a steam heating means while preventing the cooked rice from being dried when heating the cooked rice at the time of keeping it warm, and maintains the state of the just cooked rice for the longer period of time while preventing the degradation of the cooked rice caused by keeping it warm. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a rice cooker that effectively keeps rice cooked.
[0002]
[Prior art]
FIG. 2 shows the configuration of a conventional general rice cooker. As shown in the figure, a pot 16 is detachably housed in a main body 15, and a lid 17 that can be opened and closed to cover the pot upper surface is provided. A pot heating means 18 for heating rice and water in the pot 16 is disposed at the bottom of the pot 16, and a lid heating means 19 is disposed in the lid 17. In order to control the heating state of the cooked rice, a pot temperature detecting means 20 for detecting the temperature of the pan 16 and a lid temperature detecting means 21 for detecting the temperature of the upper surface of the pan 16 are arranged at the bottom of the pan 16. The control means 22 operates the pot heating means 18 and the lid heating means 19 on a timely basis based on the detected temperatures of the pan temperature detecting means 20 and the lid temperature detecting means 21.
[0003]
In the above configuration, the rice cooking operation will be described. After the rice is cooked in the pot 16 and water suitable for the amount of rice is cooked, the rice is cooked, and the process proceeds to a warming process. The higher the holding temperature in the warming process, the quicker the deterioration such as drying proceeds, and the cooked rice becomes crisp rice and tastes poor. Therefore, in the warming process, the temperature of the cooked rice in the pan 16 is gradually lowered while maintaining the temperature uniformly. A method has been adopted in which the temperature of the warmed rice is lowered to a temperature at which the aging phenomenon of the cooked rice does not occur, the temperature is kept warm, and the cooked rice is periodically heated to suppress the growth of bacteria.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the method of keeping rice cooked in the conventional rice cooker, rice cooked in the pot 16 is periodically heated by a heating unit such as a pot heating unit 18 and a lid heating unit 19 in order to suppress the growth of bacteria. It is. Therefore, the moisture held by the cooked rice is released during the heating, and the drying gradually progresses, thereby deteriorating the taste of the cooked cooked rice.
[0005]
In addition, heating unevenness occurs during heating while keeping the temperature, and particularly, the cooked rice near the bottom surface becomes too high in temperature and is likely to deteriorate. Furthermore, there is a problem that the heat retention state differs depending on the amount of heat retention, for example, a small amount of cooked rice is greatly affected by drying.
[0006]
The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and has as its object to provide a rice cooker that can effectively keep rice cooked and maintain the state of freshly cooked rice for a longer time. is there.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the rice cooker according to the present invention, in addition to the heating by the pot heating means, discharges steam into the pot, thereby keeping the rice cooked and heating while preventing drying of the cooked rice by the steam.
[0008]
This makes it possible to maintain the state of freshly cooked rice for a longer time in keeping the rice warm.
[0009]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The invention according to claim 1 detects the temperature of the pot heated by the pot heated by the pot installed in the main body, the openable / closable lid covering the pot opening, the pot bottom, and the pot heating means. Pot temperature detecting means, steam generating means for appropriately introducing steam into the pot, and a rice cooker having a control means for controlling the pot heating means and the steam generating means based on at least the output of the pot temperature detecting means during heat retention, By performing the steam heating by the steam generating means in addition to the pot heating means, it is possible to maintain the warming temperature while preventing the drying of the cooked rice, and to maintain the state of the cooked cooked rice for a longer time Can be. For this reason, it is possible to prevent taste deterioration due to heat retention.
[0010]
The invention according to claim 2 is the rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the steam generating means has a water tank, a water tank heating means, and a water amount detecting means of the water tank. This ensures safety in the event that water is forgotten or water runs out.
[0011]
The invention according to claim 3 is the rice cooker according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control means controls the steam generation means so as to release steam into the pot at a fixed time interval during the heat retention. For rice cooked at a relatively low temperature, during heating during intermittent heating to prevent bacterial growth, the cooked rice is efficiently heated with steam at regular time intervals while preventing the cooked rice from drying. It can be prevented.
[0012]
The invention according to claim 4 is the rice cooker according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control means controls the steam generation means so as to release steam into the pot at an arbitrary time during the heat retention according to a user's instruction. In this way, when heating during the heat retention, the rice is efficiently heated with steam at an arbitrary time while preventing the rice from drying, thereby preventing the deterioration of taste due to the heat retention.
[0013]
The invention according to claim 5 has remaining rice detection means for detecting the amount of cooked rice remaining in the pot during the heat retention, and the control means controls the pot by the steam generation means in accordance with the output of the remaining cooked rice amount detection means. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which controls a steam release time into the inside, can perform steam heating suitable for the amount of cooked rice remaining in the pot during heat retention. is there.
[0014]
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the rice cooker according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the control means enables continuous input of steam into the pot by the steam generating means, thereby providing steam heating. And the smell of the food left in the pot by the cooking can be effectively removed.
[0015]
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the control means controls the steam temperature by the steam generating means, so that the rice cooker according to any one of the first to sixth aspects can control the amount of cooked rice and the temperature during the heat retention. By appropriately controlling the temperature of the steam discharged into the pot according to the amount of cooked rice remaining in the pot, the temperature of the cooked rice in the pot can be maintained optimally.
[0016]
【Example】
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0017]
FIG. 1 shows a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the drawing, reference numeral 1 denotes a main body of the rice cooker, in which a pot 2 is detachably mounted. Reference numeral 3 denotes a lid that covers the upper surface of the pot 2 and is installed to be freely opened and closed. Reference numeral 4 denotes a pan heating means for heating the bottom of the pan 2, on which the bottom of the pan 2 is detachably mounted. Reference numeral 5 denotes a pan temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the pan 2 heated by the pan heating means 4, which is in contact with the bottom center of the pan 2. Reference numeral 6 denotes a water tank 6 provided inside the lid 3, having a water tank heating means 7 at the bottom thereof, and a steam heating means 8 for further heating steam generated in the water tank 6 by the heating means 7. Further, a water amount detecting means 9 for detecting the amount of water in the water tank 6 is provided. The water tank 6, the water tank heating means 7, the steam heating means 8, and the water amount detecting means 9 constitute a steam generating means 10. Although the steam generating means 10 has a compact structure as a whole by being provided inside the lid 3 as in the embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be provided inside or outside the main body 1. Reference numeral 11 denotes a steam pipe 11 which connects the steam generating means 10 and a part of the upper surface of the pan 2, and discharges steam from an opening in the upper surface of the pan 2. Reference numeral 12 denotes a backflow prevention means provided at the opening of the steam pipe 11 for preventing steam generated from the pot 2 during rice cooking from entering the steam pipe 11. Reference numeral 13 denotes remaining rice detection means for detecting the amount of cooked rice in the pot 2. The remaining cooked rice detecting means 13 captures the length of time of the temperature change detected by the pot temperature detecting means 5 according to the amount of cooked rice in the pan 2, and estimates the amount of cooked rice in the pan 2 or Various methods such as a method of measuring the weight of the main body 1 and the like may be used.
[0018]
Reference numeral 14 denotes control means provided inside the main body 1, which controls the pot heating means 4, the water tank heating means 7, and the steam heating means 8 based on the outputs of the pot temperature detecting means 5 and the remaining cooked rice detecting means 13. Is what you do. In the embodiment, each unit is controlled based on both the output of the pot temperature detecting unit 5 and the remaining cooked rice detecting unit 13, but may be controlled by either one of the outputs depending on the control target.
[0019]
The rice cooking operation in the above configuration will be described. Rice to be cooked and water corresponding to the amount of the rice are placed in the pot 2 and the main body 1 is housed in a predetermined state. Further, when a predetermined amount of water is put into a water tank 6 provided in the main body 1 and the user operates a rice-cooking start switch (not shown), a rice-cooking process is performed.
[0020]
The water tank 6 is provided with a water amount detecting means 9, and if there is no predetermined amount of water, the user is notified that water is insufficient. In the case of reserved rice cooking, the output of the water amount detecting means 9 is checked when the user operates a reservation switch (not shown), and if the water is not enough, the state is notified.
[0021]
Then, when the rice cooking is completed, the user is notified of the completion of the rice cooking and the process shifts to a rice keeping process. The higher the temperature at which the cooked rice is kept warm, the more remarkable phenomena such as the heat retention smell and the discoloration of the cooked rice turning yellow, such as discoloration, appear. Therefore, in the warming process, the cooked rice temperature is maintained in a temperature range of about 60 to 75 degrees suitable for keeping warm. In this temperature range, the lower the temperature of cooked rice, the more the above-mentioned phenomena such as the heat retention odor and yellowing can be mitigated. However, when bacteria enter the pot 2, there is a risk of the bacteria growing. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically raise the temperature of the cooked rice to suppress the growth of the bacteria.
[0022]
Therefore, in order to periodically heat the rice rice kept warm, the control means 14 operates the pot heating means 4 to perform heating from the bottom of the pan 2, and further operates the steam generation means 10 to generate steam, thereby generating steam. By opening the backflow prevention means 12 provided at the end of the pipe 11, the generated steam is discharged from above the pot 2 through the steam pipe 11, and the steam directly heats the cooked rice. By heating the cooked rice with steam, the cooked rice is heated while preventing the water retained in the cooked rice from being released from the surface of the cooked rice grains.
[0023]
In addition, since the remaining cooked rice detection means 13 detects the amount of cooked rice kept in the pot 2, the amount that the cooked rice is eaten during the warming and gradually decreases is recognized at the start of the heating operation or during the heating operation. The heating is controlled by the heating time according to the amount of cooked rice and the heating condition of the steam temperature to be supplied.
[0024]
The steam generating means 10 generates steam by heating water previously put in the water tank 6 by the water tank heating means 7. When a higher temperature steam is required, the steam heating means 8 is operated to generate steam exceeding 100 degrees.
[0025]
The steam heating during the heat retention is performed at a predetermined time, but it is also possible to put the steam into the pot 2 for the purpose of moisturizing at another time.
[0026]
In addition, for the purpose of heating during the heat retention, the temperature of the cooked rice during the heat retention is lower than the temperature immediately after the rice cooking, so that it is possible to heat the rice to a freshly cooked temperature according to the user's preference. In this case, the operation is performed by performing a button operation when the user needs it. Also in this case, the remaining cooked rice detection means 13 performs heating controlled by the heating time according to the amount of warm rice cooked at the time of heating and the heating condition of the steam temperature to be supplied.
[0027]
In addition, in order to enable steam cooking other than rice cooking, it is possible to obtain heating conditions corresponding to the cooking time and the input steam temperature. Further, in order to prevent the odor from remaining in the pot 2 when cooking or cooking rice other than white rice, the odor can be easily removed by continuously introducing steam into the pot 2. In addition, the water amount detecting means 9 of the water tank 6 notifies the user that there is not enough water even if cooking other than rice cooking is performed, unless the required amount of water is provided.
[0028]
Further, when the water in the water tank 6 runs out during use, such as when the temperature is kept longer than expected, a water amount detecting means 9 and a new water tank temperature detecting means (not shown) are provided. In this way, it is possible to detect that the water tank 6 has run out of water and take safety measures to stop the operation of the water tank heating means 7.
[0029]
Further, by using a configuration in which the temperature of the water in the water tank 6 is raised by utilizing the heat of the pot 2 during cooking or the heat of the steam released from the pan 2 during cooking, the water tank heating means 7 Reduce the amount of heat input. Further, a configuration may be adopted in which the amount of steam released from the pot 2 during cooking rice is reduced.
[0030]
In the rice cooker described above, the same effect can be obtained even when the pot heating means 4 is a heater, electromagnetic induction of the pot, gas or the like.
[0031]
Moreover, by collecting steam generated during rice cooking in the water tank 6 and utilizing it as steam during heat retention, it is possible to save the user from having to put water into the water tank 6 during rice cooking. Thus, a more convenient rice cooker can be obtained.
[0032]
Further, in a rice cooker having a mechanism for automatically adding water to the rice cooker, the user can supply water to the water tank 6 without having to be aware of the supply of water even during cooking and cooking, and more easily utilize steam. It becomes possible.
[0033]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the rice cooker of the present invention, in the heating of the rice cooker at the time of keeping the temperature, the heating by the pot heating means and the steam heating by the steam heating means heat and keep the rice cooked while preventing the rice from drying. It can prevent the rice from deteriorating and maintain the state of the cooked rice for a longer time.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional rice cooker.
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body 2 Pot 3 Lid 4 Pot heating means 5 Pot temperature detecting means 6 Water tank 7 Water tank heating means 8 Steam heating means 9 Water amount detecting means 10 Steam generating means 11 Steam pipe 12 Backflow prevention means 13 Residual rice detecting means 14 Control means

Claims (7)

A pot built in the main body, a lid that can be opened and closed to cover the pot opening, a pot heating means for heating the bottom of the pot, a pot temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the pot heated by the pot heating means, A rice cooker comprising: steam generating means for supplying steam in a timely manner; and control means for controlling the pot heating means and the steam generating means based on at least the output of the pot temperature detecting means during heat retention. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the steam generating means includes a water tank, a water tank heating means, and a water amount detecting means for the water tank. 3. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the steam generation unit so as to release the steam into the pot at regular time intervals during the heat retention. 4. 3. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the steam generating unit so as to release steam into the pot according to a user's instruction at any time during the heat retention. 4. It has remaining rice detection means for detecting the amount of cooked rice remaining in the pot while keeping warm, and the control means controls the time of steam release into the pot by the steam generation means in accordance with the output of the detection means for remaining rice content. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control unit enables continuous input of steam into the pot by the steam generation unit. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control unit controls a steam temperature by the steam generation unit.

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