JP2005198791A - Rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a rice cooker capable of cooking delicious rice by means of a weight sensor and an infrared ray sensor. <P>SOLUTION: The rice cooker is provided with: an inner pot 2 in which the rice 3a is charged; the weight sensor 7 for measuring the weight of the inner pot 2; a control part 9 for calculating the weight of the rice 3a inside the inner pot 2 on the basis of information from the weight sensor 7 and controlling the temperature of the inner pot 2 on the basis of temperature information from a temperature detection means 6 at the time of cooking the rice; and a heating means 5 for heating the inner pot 2. In the rice cooker, at least three weight sensors 7 for detecting the weight of the inner pot 2 by pressurizing a support member 7a connected with the weight sensor 7 by the flange part 2a of the inner pot 2 are provided and the infrared sensor 8 for detecting the temperature information inside the inner pot 2 is provided on a lid 4 which covers the upper opening of the inner pot 2. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a rice cooker that detects the weight of rice with a weight sensor, controls heating based on the weight, and corrects the heating control based on temperature information detected by an infrared sensor.

  Conventionally, when cooking with an electric rice cooker, measure the amount of rice with the attached measuring cup, sharpen the rice and then add and subtract water according to the water level scale displayed on the inner pot where the rice in the rice cooker is placed. I went into the heating process to do cooking rice.

  However, measuring the amount of rice with a lightweight cup, and adjusting the water level corresponding to the amount of rice to the water level scale displayed on the inner pot where the rice is put, is done by visual inspection, so it is true and delicious. There was a problem that rice was not cooked.

  Moreover, since the amount of rice cooking is detected by the temperature rise characteristic in the pre-cooking process, heating control in accordance with a specific rice cooking curve that is optimal for cooking in the pre-cooking process has a difficult problem.

  In order to solve this problem, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-261018 (Patent Document 1), a weight sensor is provided on the flange portion of the inner pot of the rice cooker, and the pre-cooking process in the rice cooking curve shown in FIG. Regardless of the amount of rice cooked from the pre-cooking process, the heating is always controlled along a specific rice cooking curve by detecting the amount of rice cooked before or at the start of the pre-cooking process and controlling the heating output according to the amount of rice cooked was there.

  Moreover, as what uses an infrared sensor, as disclosed by Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 10-137114 (patent document 2), an infrared sensor is mounted in a lid | cover, a water level line is detected with this infrared sensor, and the amount of rice cooking is reduced. There was something to judge before cooking.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-261018

JP 10-137114 A

  In recent years, the heat source in an electric rice cooker has changed from the sheathed heater method to the IH method. In the case of the sheathed heater method, radiant heat and conduction heat from the sheathed heater are mainly used, so the material of the inner pot in which rice is put was mainly aluminum with good heat conduction.

  On the other hand, in the IH system, an eddy current is generated inside the inner hook by the magnetic lines generated from the heating coil, and the inner hook itself generates heat due to the electric resistance of the inner hook. Therefore, in order to generate heat efficiently, an iron-based one having a large electrical resistance is preferable, so the inner pot is made of an iron-based material.

  For this reason, in the IH method, since the inner pot itself becomes a heat source, it can be heated more quickly and efficiently with a strong heating power than the sheathed heater method, so that delicious rice can be cooked and becomes the mainstream heat source of rice cookers.

  However, as mentioned above, the IH type inner pot is mainly made of iron-based material, so the weight becomes heavier and the weight ratio of rice in the inner pot becomes smaller. It was necessary to eliminate as much as possible.

  Therefore, a weight sensor capable of detecting the weight of the inner pot is an effective means for selecting an accurate rice weight.

  In such a situation, the thing in patent document 1 detects the weight of rice by using a weight sensor, and cooks rice based on this weight.

  However, as shown in FIG. 6, the connecting rod 31 b is connected to the lever 31 a that presses the weight sensor 31 at one location of the flange portion 30 a of the inner hook 30. At locations other than 31b, for example, the load balance changes when the flange 30a portion of the inner hook 30 contacts the main body upper frame 32 constituting the main body at the P portion in the figure, and the weight of the rice 33 accommodated in the inner hook 30 is accurately determined. However, there was a problem that it was difficult to measure.

  Moreover, although the thing of patent document 2 has provided the infrared sensor in the lid | cover, the function was made into the total number determination by water level line detection.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention calculates the weight of the rice in the inner pot based on information from the inner pot for storing rice, a weight sensor for measuring the weight of the inner pot, and the weight sensor. Or a rice cooker equipped with a controller for controlling the temperature of the inner pot based on temperature information from the temperature detecting means during rice cooking, and a heating means for heating the inner pot. At least three weight sensors that detect the weight of the inner hook by pressing the support member connected to the sensor, and an infrared sensor facing the inside of the inner hook on the lid that covers the upper opening of the inner hook It is.

  In addition, when the weight detection value of the rice of at least three weight sensors varies from a preset value at the start of rice cooking, the rice cooking heating is stopped.

  As described above, according to the present invention, an inner pot for putting rice, a weight sensor for measuring the weight of the inner pot, the weight of the rice in the inner pot based on information from the weight sensor, In a rice cooker equipped with a controller for controlling the temperature of the inner pot based on temperature information from the temperature detecting means and a heating means for heating the inner pot, the flange part of the inner pot is connected to the weight sensor. By providing at least three weight sensors for detecting the weight of the inner hook by pressing the supporting member, and by providing an infrared sensor for detecting temperature information inside the inner hook on the lid covering the upper opening of the inner hook, The weight information from the weight sensor is summed by the control unit, so that the weight of the rice stored in the inner pot can be accurately detected by a preset calculation, and the water amount can be accurately set according to the amount of rice. In the inner pot Can be heated along a particular cooking curve the optimum from a previous cook process since been identifiable heating control by cooking of rice.

  In addition, since the infrared sensor is arranged on the lid that covers the upper opening of the inner hook toward the inside of the inner hook, the water surface temperature in the inner hook can be directly detected. The heating control specified by the weight information of the weight sensor can be corrected, and heating can be performed along a specific rice cooking curve that is optimal, so that delicious rice can always be cooked.

  In addition, when the rice weight detection value of at least three weight sensors at the start of rice cooking varies from a preset value, rice cooking heating is stopped, so that the rice in the inner pot is biased , Cooking unevenness due to the difference in the amount of heat transmitted to the rice can be prevented in advance.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 1 denotes a main body of the rice cooker. Reference numeral 1 a denotes a main body upper frame constituting the upper part of the main body 1. 1b is a body that constitutes the external side surface of the main body 1, and is made of stainless steel that is hygienic and strong. Reference numeral 1c denotes a bottom that constitutes the outer bottom of the main body 1, and is made of a synthetic resin that can cope with a complicated structure. 1 d is an inner container which constitutes the inside of the main body 1. 2 is an inner pot for adding rice 3a and water 3b when cooking rice, and is made of an iron-based material. The inner pot 2 is fixed in the inner container 1d during cooking, and can be taken out from the inner container 1d when cooked or washed. Reference numeral 2a denotes a flange portion protruding like an eaves around the upper portion of the inner hook 2. In the present invention, the width of the flange portion is about 10 mm.

  Reference numeral 4 denotes a lid, which is provided so as to cover the upper opening of the inner hook 2 when closed, and can be freely opened and closed. Reference numeral 5 denotes a heating means serving as a heat source at the time of rice cooking, which is provided outside the lower portion of the inner container 1d and is constituted by a heating coil. Reference numeral 6 denotes temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the inner pot 2.

  A weight sensor 7 is provided at the lower part of the main body upper frame 1a. The weight sensors 7 are provided to detect the weight of the inner hook 2, and as shown in FIG. 4, three weight sensors 7 are provided at substantially equal intervals at the lower part of the main body upper frame 1a.

  2a in FIG. 2 is a support member provided so as to penetrate the hole 1a1 of the main body upper frame 1a. The support member 7 a transmits the weight of the inner hook 2 to the weight sensor 7, and one end is in contact with the flange portion 2 a of the inner hook 2 and the other end is in contact with the weight sensor 7.

  An infrared sensor 8 is fixed to the lid 4 so that the inside of the inner pot 2 can be seen, and detects temperature information in the inner pot 2. A control unit 9 calculates the rice cooking time by calculating the weight of the rice 3a based on the weight information of the inner pot 2 from the weight sensor 7, or the heating means 5 based on the temperature information of the infrared sensor 8 and the temperature detection means 6 during cooking. It is a place to control the operation.

  FIG. 3 is a top view of the appearance of the rice cooker. Reference numeral 10 denotes a pressure adjusting cap that is provided above the lid 4 and adjusts the air pressure in the inner pot 2 during rice cooking. Reference numeral 11 denotes an operation unit for displaying the hour / minute key 11a for setting the time, the menu key 11b for selecting a menu such as porridge or miscellaneous food, the time set by the hour / minute key 11a, the weight of the rice 3a measured by the weight sensor 7, and the like. A display unit 11c and a start key 11d for the user to instruct the control unit 9 to start cooking rice are arranged.

  The effect | action of the rice cooker comprised in this way is demonstrated.

  When the user cooks rice, an amount of rice 3a as needed is put in the inner pot 2 and set in the inner container 1d. Then, the support member 7a provided so as to penetrate the hole 1a1 of the main body upper frame 1a and protrude from the upper surface of the main body upper frame 1a is pushed down by the flange portion 2a of the inner hook 2 and moved downward to be provided at the lower end of the support member 7a. The weight information is transmitted to the weight sensor 7 provided.

  And each weight sensor 7 sends the weight information of the inner hook 2 to the control part 9, and the weight of the inner hook 2 is calculated by totaling here.

  Further, the control unit 9 calculates the weight of the rice 3a by a preset calculation. Therefore, even when the rice 3a is placed in the inner hook 2, the weight of the inner hook 2 can be accurately detected by the three weight sensors 7, and the weight information of the inner hook 2 can be obtained stably. it can.

  The weight of the rice 3 a of the inner pot 2 calculated by the control unit 9 is displayed on the display unit 11 c of the operation unit 11 and stored in the control unit 9.

  Next, the inner pot 2 is taken out from the inner container 1d and the rice 3a is sharpened with water. When the grinding is finished, drain the water and set the inner pot 2 in the inner container 1d again. Then, water 3b corresponding to the weight of the rice 3a measured and recorded from the relationship between the weight displayed on the inner pot 2 and the amount of water is added.

  Next, the lid 4 is closed and the rice cooking start key 11d is pressed to start rice cooking. From the start of rice cooking, the control unit 9 cooks rice by performing heating control corresponding to a rice cooking curve set in advance so as to obtain a delicious rice cooking as shown in FIG. 5 according to the stored weight of the rice 3a. Simultaneously with the start of rice cooking, the infrared sensor 8 detects the temperature in the inner pot 2 and corrects the heating control in accordance with the rice cooking curve.

  In the present invention, the weight sensor 7 is set at three locations. However, in the case of a rectangular and large inner hook 2 (not shown), the weight sensor 7 can detect the weight more stably when provided at four locations. In some cases, the number of weight sensors 7 is not limited to three.

  Next, stopping rice cooking heating when the weight detection value of the rice 3a of the three weight sensors 7 at the start of rice cooking varies from a preset value will be described.

  In order to cook rice, rice 3a and water 3b are put in the inner pot 2 and set in the inner container 1d. At this time, when the rice 3a is placed evenly in the inner hook 2, the weight detection amounts of the rice 3a of the respective weight sensors 7 are substantially the same value.

  However, when the rice 3a in the inner hook 2 is placed unevenly, the weight detection amount of the weight sensor 7 on the unevenly placed side becomes large, and the detection amounts of the other weight sensors 7 become small. If heating is started in such a state, cooking unevenness will be caused by the difference in the amount of heat applied to the rice 3a.

  In such a state, for example, when the ratio between the maximum weight detection amount and the minimum detection amount of the weight sensor 7 exceeds 3 to 5%, the heating is stopped by an instruction from the control unit 9 to prevent problems.

  Thus, when the flange portion 2a of the inner hook 2 presses the indicating member 7a, the weight information of the inner hook 2 calculated by the three weight sensors 7 interlocked with the support member 7a is sent to the control portion 9, where Since the weight of 3a can be accurately detected, it is possible to perform heating that is optimized from the pre-cooking process of rice cooking based on this weight, and the temperature in the inner pot 2 detected by the infrared sensor 8 during rice cooking. Because the information can correct the heating control according to the cooking curve, delicious cooking is always possible.

  Furthermore, when the rice 3a in the inner pot 2 is placed unevenly, cooking unevenness due to the difference in the amount of heat applied to the rice 3a can be prevented in advance by stopping the rice cooking heating.

It is sectional drawing of the rice cooker which is one Example of this invention. It is a cross-sectional detail drawing of the installation structure of the weight sensor which is one Example of this invention. It is an upper external view of the rice cooker which is one Example of this invention. It is an arrangement plan of a weight sensor which is one example of the present invention. It is a rice cooking curve figure which is one Example of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the conventional rice cooker. It is a rice cooking curve of the conventional rice cooker.

Explanation of symbols

2 ... Inner hook 2a ... Flange 3a ... Rice 4 ... Lid 5 ... Heating means 6 ... Temperature detection means 7 ... Weight sensor 7a ... Support member 8 ... Infrared sensor 9 ... Control unit

Claims (2)

  An inner pot (2) for storing rice (3a), a weight sensor (7) for weighing the inner pot (2), and the inner pot (2) in the inner pot (2) based on information from the weight sensor (7) A controller (9) for calculating the weight of the rice (3a) and controlling the temperature of the inner pot (2) based on temperature information from the temperature detecting means (6) during rice cooking; 2) In the rice cooker equipped with the heating means (5) for heating, by pressing the support member (7a) connected to the weight sensor (7) with the flange portion (2a) of the inner pot (2). At least three weight sensors (7) for detecting the weight of the inner hook (2) are provided, and an infrared ray for detecting temperature information inside the inner hook (2) on the lid (4) covering the upper opening of the inner hook (2). A rice cooker comprising a sensor (8). The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein when the weight detection value of rice (3a) of at least three weight sensors (7) varies from a preset value at the start of rice cooking, rice cooking heating is stopped.

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