JP2005052532A - Rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a rice cooker which has a water supply means to a pot, prevents bacteria growth in water, and eliminates variation in rice cooking performance. <P>SOLUTION: The rice cooker is equipped with the pot 2 for accommodating rice, a weight measuring means 13 for measuring the weight of the pot 2, a water supply means 9 for supplying the accumulated water based on the measurement result by the weight measuring means 13 into the pan 2, and a cooling and heating means 16 for heating and cooling the water in the water supply means 9. The action of the cooling and heating means 16 keeps the water in the water supply means 9 at a low temperature and eliminates fluctuations in the water temperature depending on seasons. Consequently, the bacteria growth in the water is prevented, and variation in rice cooking performance is eliminated. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a rice cooker provided with water supply means for automatically supplying water to a pan containing rice.

Conventionally, in order to cook rice fully automatically, a rice cooker equipped with a water supply means for automatically supplying the stored water into the pan and removing the impurities of the water supplied to cook delicious rice has been It has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). In addition, rice cookers have been proposed that automatically prevent the water stored at the start of cooking that was reserved to cook delicious rice, preventing the spoilage of water caused by soaking rice in water for a long time. For example, see Patent Document 3).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-261010 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-245036 JP-A-9-262173

  However, in all of the conventional rice cookers, water is stored in the water supply means, so that chlorine is gradually removed with time, especially when left at room temperature of 30 degrees or more in summer. There was a problem that germs propagated. In addition, in what provided the water purifier, even if iron rust, trihalomethane, etc. can be removed, various bacteria cannot be removed.

  Furthermore, the water temperature of the stored water varies depending on the season, so if the temperature of the water during cooking is different, the amount of water absorbed into the rice will change even if the same rice is cooked, especially in summer and winter. The inconvenience of not being able to cook well due to variations in workmanship such as umami.

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and provides a rice cooker that can eliminate the proliferation of germs on the water stored in the water supply means and can eliminate variations in the quality of cooked rice due to fluctuations in water temperature. With the goal.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the rice cooker of the present invention includes a cooling and heating means for heating and cooling the water of the stored water supply means supplied into the pot.

  As a result, the temperature of the water supply means can be reduced by the action of the cooling and warming means, and fluctuations in the water temperature due to the season can be eliminated, breeding of bacteria in the water can be eliminated, and variations in the quality of the cooked rice can be eliminated. is there.

  The rice cooker of the present invention is provided with a means for supplying water to the pot, and can eliminate the proliferation of bacteria and can eliminate variations in the quality of cooked rice.

  The first invention is a pot for storing rice, a weight measuring means for measuring the weight of the pot, a water supply means for supplying water stored in the pot based on the measurement result of the weight measuring means, and the water supply means. By using a cooling and heating means that heats and cools the water in the water, the cooling and heating means can reduce the temperature of the water in the water supply means and eliminate seasonal fluctuations in water temperature. As well as eliminating the proliferation of germs, it is possible to eliminate variations in the quality of cooked rice.

  In particular, in the rice cooker of the first invention, the second invention is provided with a water temperature control means for controlling the cooling and heating means, and by controlling the cooling of the stored water supply means to a low temperature that does not freeze, It is possible to supply low-temperature water at any time, as well as eliminating variations in the production of miscellaneous bacteria and cooked rice.

  According to a third aspect of the invention, in particular, in the rice cooker of the second aspect of the invention, the water temperature control means controls the heating of the water to less than the gelatinization temperature of the rice by the cooling and heating means immediately before supplying the water of the water supply means into the pan. By doing this, not only will there be no variability in the propagation of miscellaneous bacteria and cooked rice, but the surface of the rice will become gelatinized and water absorption will not be hindered. be able to.

  In the fourth invention, in particular, in the rice cooker according to any one of the first to third inventions, the heat insulation of the pan as well as the propagation of miscellaneous bacteria and the completion of cooking are eliminated by insulating the pan. Can be saved, and energy can be saved when cooking rice.

  In the fifth invention, in particular, in the rice cooker of any one of the first to fourth inventions, by providing a rice measuring line in the pan, it is of course possible to eliminate miscellaneous bacteria breeding and cooked product variation. The optimal amount of water can be supplied without making a mistake in the amount of rice, and the cooked rice has a good taste.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 shows a rice cooker according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  As shown in the figure, the rice cooker main body 1 is provided with a pan storage unit 3 for setting a pan 2 for storing rice therein. A water tank 4 storing water to be supplied into the pot 2 is disposed on the side of the rice cooker body 1. And the water tank 4 and the pan 2 are connected by the supply water channel 5, and water is supplied from the upper direction in the pan 2. FIG. The water tank 4 is provided with a temperature sensor 6 for detecting the stored water temperature, and the water in the water tank 4 is supplied to the supply water channel 5 by driving the pump 7.

  The rice cooker body 1, the pan 2, and the like constitute the rice cooking unit 8, the water tank 4 and the like constitute the water supply means 9, and the rice cooker in the present embodiment includes the rice cooker 8 and the water supply means 9. The structure is divided into two.

  The pan 2 of the rice cooking unit 8 can be attached to and detached from the pan storage unit 3, and a lid 10 that can be opened and closed is provided on the top. A heating means 11 including a heating coil capable of electromagnetic induction heating is disposed at the bottom of the pot storage unit 3 to heat the pot 2. In addition, a temperature sensor 12 is arranged at a part of the bottom of the pot storage unit 3 so as to contact the pot 2 and detect the temperature. Furthermore, a weight measuring means 13 for measuring the weight of the pan 2 is provided. A support plate 14 that supports the pan 2 is arranged at the bottom, and a strain sensor 15 under the support plate 14 detects the amount of strain due to the amount of rice. Then, the weight of the rice in the pan 2 is detected.

  The water tank 4 constituting the water supply means 9 is provided with a cooling and heating means 16 comprising a Peltier element or the like for cooling or heating the water in the water tank 4 at the lower part thereof. Further, it is also provided with a water temperature control means 17 for changing the water temperature of the water tank 4 by cooling or heating control of the cooling and heating means 16 based on the signal of the temperature sensor 6. Then, based on the weight of rice measured by the weight measuring means 13, the pump 7 is driven to supply the water in the water tank 4 to the pan 2 through the supply water channel 5.

  Further, the water tank 4 of the water supply means 9 is detachably or fixedly provided, and a lid that can be opened and closed is attached to the upper part of the water tank 4, and when the water tank 4 is detachable, the water tank 4 can be carried. A large handle is attached (both not shown). The water tank 4 is made of aluminum, copper, or the like having high thermal conductivity so that heat conduction to water by the cooling and heating means 16 can be performed quickly. However, the surface of the pump 7 and the surface of the lid 10 are made of a plastic material such as polypropylene, that is, a material having low heat conductivity and heat resistance so that it is safe to touch. The water temperature control means 17 is a cooling and heating means especially in summer when the room temperature reaches 30 ° C., to a certain low temperature (for example, in the range of 1 ° C. to 5 ° C.) that does not freeze the water temperature of the water tank 4. 16 is cooled. Conversely, in cold regions, the temperature is controlled to maintain a constant temperature. Further, since the supply water channel 18 is configured to supply water from above the pot 2, the rice in the pot 2 is prevented from flowing back into the water tank 4.

  Next, the case where the rice cooker of this embodiment is actually used is demonstrated.

  First, when water is supplied to the water tank 4, the water temperature is detected by the temperature sensor 6. The detection signal is transmitted to the water temperature control means 17, and the cooling / heating means 16 is cooled or heated so that the temperature of the water does not freeze and freezes, that is, in the range of 5 ° C. to 1 ° C. In this state, the water is kept at a low temperature, and water in a state where propagation of various germs is suppressed can be supplied at the time of cooking. After putting predetermined rice into the pot 2, the lid 10 is put on. If the rice to be put into the pan 2 is non-washed rice, it may be put in as it is, but the rice ground with water is poured after draining.

  Thereafter, when a rice cooking switch (not shown) is pressed, the weight of the rice in the pan 2 is measured by the weight measuring means 13. The optimal amount of water for the measured value is stored in advance in the microcomputer as a memory, and a fixed amount of water determined based on the signal from the weight measuring means 13 is supplied to the pan 2 by the pump 7. For example, if a measured value from 450g to 20g range, that is, from 440g to 460g is sent to the microcomputer, it will be judged as 3 total amount from the weight, and the rice weight and water weight at the time of 3 rice total will be added up The total amount is calculated, and water is supplied from the water tank 4 by the pump 7 until it reaches its weight. Since the water supplied at this time is a constant water temperature of 1 ° C. to 5 ° C., rice is cooked with water in which miscellaneous germs are suppressed, and the scent can be finished into delicious rice.

  Also, if the water temperature is different in summer and winter, the water temperature in winter is lower than in summer, so if the water absorption time to rice is constant, the water absorption in rice in winter is inferior to that in summer. If you boil in that state and cook rice, even if you use the same brand of rice, the cooked state will be different and you may not cook well. However, since the water has a constant water temperature of 1 ° C to 5 ° C, it is possible to eliminate variations in rice cooking conditions in summer and winter, and delicious rice can be cooked at any time regardless of the season.

  In addition, a clean water filtration filter etc. can be provided in the middle of the supply water channel 18 to further increase the cleanliness, and in that case, the rice becomes even better.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 2 shows the flowchart of the rice cooker in Embodiment 2 of this invention.

  After putting the rice in the pan 2 and putting the lid 10, the weight of the rice is weighed (steps 1 and 2). On the other hand, the water in the water tank 4 is always kept at a temperature between 1 and 5 ° C. by the cooling control (cooling mode) of the cooling and heating means 16. When the rice cooking start time has been reached after the rice in the pan 2 has been weighed, the water in the water tank 4 is heated to 40 to 50 ° C. by the heating control (heating mode) of the cooling and heating means 17. (Steps 2, 3, 4, 5).

  The rice cooking start time at this time is determined based on whether the start button or the rice cooking reservation button is selected at the start of cooking. If the start button is selected, the heating mode of the cooling and heating means 17 is activated immediately after the weight is measured after the rice is put in the pan 2. If the reservation button has been selected, the cooking time is reserved, so the cooling and heating means 16 is calculated from the time when the total cooking time and the time required to heat the water in the water tank 4 are subtracted from that time. The heating mode is activated. In either case, after detecting that the water temperature in the water tank 4 has reached 40 ° C. or higher, the pump 7 is activated to supply water in the water tank 4 to the pan 2 (steps 6 and 7).

  The water supply is performed by operating the pump 7 until the weight is calculated from the amount of rice measured when the rice is put in the pan 2. The weight calculated from the amount of rice is determined by determining the total number from the rice weight and adding the water weight and the rice weight suitable for the total number. When the calculated weight is reached, the pump 7 stops and water supply ends (steps 8, 9, 10).

  After this, cooking rice is started. First, although it starts from the process which makes rice absorb water, the water supplied to the pan 2 at this time is the range of 40 degreeC-50 degreeC, and water absorption of rice can be performed in a short time. Above this temperature, for example, when the temperature exceeds 60 ° C., the surface of the rice begins to gelatinize and the water absorption into the inside becomes stagnant. When cooked in such a state, the surface is soft, but the inside of the rice is insufficient for water absorption. It is not gelatinized and becomes the rice with the core remaining. However, water absorption into rice is promoted by absorbing water that is as high as possible below the gelatinization temperature. When the water absorption of the rice is finished, the boiling state is continued by the heating means 11, and then the heating means 11 is stopped and the rice cooking is finished.

  As mentioned above, since the water temperature of the water tank 4 is kept at a low temperature until the start of rice cooking, the propagation of miscellaneous bacteria is suppressed and the taste of rice is not deteriorated. Furthermore, if the water temperature remains low, it takes time to absorb the rice, so when the rice is started, the water temperature in the water tank 4 is raised below the gelatinization temperature of the rice and then the rice is fed quickly. Water penetrates into the rice and can be made into plump rice.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 3 shows a rice cooker according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

  In the present embodiment, the pot 2 is insulated. That is, the side wall surface of the pan storage part 3 is composed of double walls, the inside is a vacuum heat insulating layer 19, and the core material of the heat insulating material is made of silica powder or glass wool fiber. Furthermore, in the pan 2, a rice measuring line 20 which is a scale line corresponding to the total number of rice is written. Other configurations are the same as those described in the first and second embodiments, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  Even in the conventional rice cookers, the water level line is written in the pot 2 and water is supplied in accordance with the water level line suitable for the total number of rice put in the pot 2. In the automatic water rice cooker, the amount of water suitable for the amount of rice put in the pan 2 is automatically supplied, so the water level line in the pan 2 becomes unnecessary. However, the amount of rice weighed in cups was cumbersome. Or, there are things that can be weighed by pressing the total number button when taking out in the rice storage, and when the weighing space partitioned for each total number button is filled with rice, an appropriate amount can be measured, Even if the weighing space is not filled with rice, it is configured so that when the button is pressed, the rice comes out, and when the amount of rice in the storage is reduced, it cannot be measured properly. Also, the weight of the button may be different from the original combined weight. If you want to cook delicious rice by calculating the amount of water supply based on the total number of rice, it is preferable that the accuracy of the rice weight per go is higher, and the rice is adjusted to the rice measuring line 20 in the pan 2 If you put, you can easily put a total number of rice that you want to put in the cup easily and accurately without counting.

  For example, washing-free rice that does not require washing is put in accordance with the rice measuring line 20 in the pan 2 without being measured as it is. Thereafter, the total number of rice is determined based on the weighing data of the rice weight, and the water supply amount is calculated. By introducing the rice in accordance with the rice weighing line 20 at this time, the variation by individuals caused when weighing in the cup or the rice storage is minimized, and the combined number is accurately determined and supplied with water. The calculation of the amount of water is also highly accurate, and it becomes possible to cook rice with an optimal amount of water.

  In this way, after a certain amount of rice is put in the pan 2, the water supply is finished and rice cooking is started. First, a water absorption process for allowing water to penetrate into the rice is started. Thereafter, the heating means 11 is normally operated to boil water, and the boiling state is continued for about 15 minutes. In the next step, the electric power of the heating means 11 is reduced and steamed for about 15 minutes. Even if the heating means 11 is stopped after boiling the water after the water absorption step by applying the vacuum heat insulating layer 19 to the side wall surface of the pot storage part 3, the temperature in the pot 2 is increased from 100 ° C. to 95 ° C. for 20 minutes. However, it can be cooked without using the electric power of the heating means 11 during continuation of boiling or steaming. Therefore, compared with a normal rice cooker, power input for a short time until boiling is sufficient, and energy saving can be achieved.

  As described above, the rice cooker according to the present invention is equipped with a means for supplying water to the pan, and can eliminate the proliferation of germs of water and can eliminate variations in the quality of cooked rice. Of course, it can also be applied to commercial rice cookers and automatic rice cookers that perform everything from washing to cooking.

Sectional drawing of the rice cooker in Embodiment 1 of this invention. The flowchart of the operating state of the rice cooker in Embodiment 2 of this invention. Sectional drawing of the rice cooker in Embodiment 3 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Rice cooker body 2 Pan 3 Pot storage part 4 Water tank 5 Supply channel 6 Temperature sensor 7 Pump 8 Rice cooker 9 Water supply means 11 Heating means 13 Weight measuring means 16 Cooling and heating means 17 Water temperature control means 19 Vacuum insulation layer 20 Rice metering line

Claims (5)

A pot for storing rice, a weight measuring means for measuring the weight of the pot, a water supply means for supplying water stored in the pot based on the measurement result of the weight measuring means, and heating and cooling the water in the water supply means A rice cooker equipped with cooling and heating means. The rice cooker according to claim 1, further comprising a water temperature control means for controlling the cooling and heating means, and cooling control of the stored water supply means to a low temperature that does not freeze the water. 3. The rice cooker according to claim 2, wherein the water temperature control means controls the heating of the water to less than the gelatinization temperature of the rice by the cooling and heating means immediately before supplying the water of the water supply means into the pan. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pot is insulated. The rice cooker of any one of Claims 1-4 which provided the rice measuring line in the pan.

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