JP2007000475A - Rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make water permeate rice effectively with pressure in a rice cooker which cooks rice by adjusting steam pressure inside of an inner pot in the case of boiling by a pressure-regulating means to pressurize to raise a boiling point. <P>SOLUTION: The rice cooker has: the inner pot 2 housed detachably in a main body 1; a heating means 3 for heating the inner pot 2; a lid 4 for sealing and closing the inner pot 2; a steam path 5 provided at the lid 4; the pressure-regulating means 6 provided at the steam path 5; an opening means 7 which invalidates pressure-regulating operation of the pressure-regulating means 6 by opening the steam path 5; a boiling detection means 8 for detecting boiling inside of the inner pot 2; and a control part 9 for controlling the heating means 3 and the opening means 7 according to the process of rice cooking. The control part 9 starts pressure regulation by the pressure-regulating means 6 after detecting boiling by the boiling detection means 8. The pressure-regulating means 6 regulates pressure inside of the inner pot to be not lower than the atmospheric pressure. After carrying out pressure regulation by the pressure-regulating means 6, the pressure-regulating operation by the pressure-regulating means is invalidated by the opening means to continue the state of continuing boiling with the atmospheric pressure. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a rice cooker.

  In order to cook delicious rice, many rice cookers that apply pressure to the inner pot during the rice cooking process have been proposed.

  Among them, the one shown in Patent Document 1 opens the steam passage before cooking rice and at the beginning of rice cooking, closes the steam passage during cooking rice, and cooks the pressure in the inner pot by the pressure adjusting means from the beginning of rice cooking. The pressure is adjusted so as to be higher.

  Moreover, what is shown in Patent Document 2 is a bumping phenomenon caused by a difference in boiling point after the inner pot is brought to a boiling state under a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, and the pressure in the inner pot is returned to atmospheric pressure by an opening means. The inner pot is boiled vigorously to cause convection.

Furthermore, what is shown to patent document 3 makes the optimal value of the pressure added to an inner pot during rice cooking 1.1-1.2kgf / cm < ² >. This is not only because the mechanism becomes complicated if the pressure is too high, but the rice is too sticky, and the effect of shortening the cooking time by improving the water penetration rate into the rice does not change much. .

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 09-192005 JP 2004-81824 A JP 09-103254 A

  The thing shown in patent document 1 closes a steam passage in the middle of rice cooking, changes to a pressurization state, continues a pressurization state after switching, and applies pressure continuously until water runs out from boiling. It is made to boil at high temperature to promote water absorption into rice.

  In Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3, from the pressurized state after boiling, the steam passage is opened to reduce the pressure, and after the pressure is reduced, the pressure is increased again. This aims at the stirring effect in the inner pot using the bumping phenomenon at the time of decompression.

  What is shown in Patent Document 3 is based on the premise that the pressurized state after boiling continues during the boiling time, as in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2.

  Now, the moisture (moisture content) contained in the rice is about 12 to 15% at first, and is saturated by absorbing water up to about 30% when immersed in water. When the water temperature exceeds 60 ° C. due to heating by cooking rice, gelatinization that starts to suck water further starts slowly. When the temperature exceeds 98 ° C., gelatinization proceeds rapidly, and water cannot be absorbed into the center of the rice grain when the surface of the rice grain is gelatinized. Therefore, it is important that water penetrates to the center of the rice grain before the surface of the rice grain is gelatinized.

  However, all of the above-mentioned patent documents all increase the permeability of water into the rice in a high temperature state due to pressure, but all of the atmospheric pressure until the water disappears in the inner pot after exceeding 98 ° C. The above pressure is applied.

  Among them, the one shown in Patent Document 2 is to perform decompression by opening the steam passage from the pressurized state after boiling, but this is aimed at agitation of bumping and immediately In order to return to the state where water is added, basically, pressure is continuously applied until water is exhausted.

  Therefore, as described above, the surface of the rice grain is gelatinized as soon as it is in a high-temperature boiling state, so even if an additional pressure is applied in a high-temperature boiling state to increase penetration, the rice grain surface does not penetrate into the center of the rice grain. There was a problem that it broke down.

  In order to solve such a conventional problem, the rice cooker of the present invention adjusts the vapor pressure in the inner pot at the time of boiling with a pressure adjusting means, applies pressure, raises the boiling point, cooks rice, and effectively by the pressure It is designed to infiltrate water into rice.

  More specifically, an inner pot detachably stored in the main body, a heating means for heating the inner pot, a lid for sealing and closing the inner pot, a steam passage provided in the lid, and a steam passage A pressure adjusting means for adjusting the pressure in the inner pot to a predetermined pressure, an opening means for disabling the pressure adjusting operation of the pressure adjusting means by opening the steam passage, and detecting that the inside of the inner pot has boiled. In a rice cooker having a boiling detection means and a controller that controls the heating means and the opening means in accordance with the rice cooking process, after the boiling detection is detected by the boiling detection means, the pressure adjustment by the pressure adjustment means is started. When the pressure inside the inner pan is adjusted to atmospheric pressure or higher by the pressure means, and the pressure adjustment by the pressure adjustment means is performed for a predetermined time, the pressure adjustment operation by the pressure adjustment means is released by the opening means, and the boiling state is continued at atmospheric pressure. In the subsequent boiling state, the pressure adjusting means is moved by the opening means. The one in which the internal pressure of the inner pot was not applied to disable.

  According to the configuration of the present invention, the inside of the inner pot is subjected to a predetermined pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure by the pressure adjusting means based on the time point when the boiling detection means detects that the inside of the inner pot exceeds 98 ° C. and steam has started to be emitted. Since the pressure is adjusted, water can be permeated to the center of the rice grain at once, and the pressure is returned to atmospheric pressure within the time that water permeates, so that the rice is not boiled.

  The time for performing the pressure adjusting operation by the pressure adjusting means is preferably within 3 minutes. By doing in this way, rice can be prevented from being boiled.

  Moreover, it is preferable that a pressure regulation means regulates the inside of an inner pot to the pressure exceeding 1.3 atmospheres. By doing so, moisture can be absorbed to the center of the rice before the surface of the rice is gelatinized.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to effectively permeate water into rice grains and cook delicious rice.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the rice cooker of the present invention, in a state in which the pressure adjusting means is operating. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the rice cooker, with the opening means operating. FIG. 3 is a circuit configuration diagram of the rice cooker.

  In the figure, 1 is a main body, 2 is an inner pan, 3 is a heating means, 4 is a lid, 5 is a steam passage, 6 is a pressure adjusting means, 6a is a hole, 6b is a steel ball, 7 is an opening means, and 8 is a boiling detection means. , 9 is a control unit.

  Next, the specific configuration will be described.

  An inner pan 2 is detachably inserted into the main body 1, and heating means 3 for heating the inner pan 2 is provided at the lower part and the side part of the main body 1. A lid 4 having an inner lid portion 4a covering the upper opening of the inner pot 2 is provided on the upper surface of the main body 1 so as to be freely opened and closed, and the upper opening of the inner pot 2 is closed and sealed with the inner lid portion 4a.

  The lid 4 is provided with a steam passage 5 serving as the only steam outlet from the sealed space in the inner pot 2 to the outside, and the steam passage 5 is provided with pressure regulating means 6.

  The pressure adjusting means 6 is composed of a hole 6a that forms a passage narrower than the steam passage 5, and a steel ball 6b that closes the hole 6a. The steel ball 6b is lifted by the vapor pressure inside the inner pot 2, the pressure is released from the hole 6a, and the steel ball 6b again closes the hole 6a to increase the vapor pressure, and the pressure is adjusted to a constant pressure.

  An opening means 7 is provided in the vicinity of the pressure adjusting means 6 so as to face the steel ball 6b. By preventing the steel ball 6b from blocking the hole 6a by the opening means 7, the inside of the inner pot 2 To prevent the pressure from increasing.

  Boiling detection means 8 is provided in the steam passage 5, and boiling is detected by the temperature of the steam passing through the steam passage 5. The main body 1 is provided with a control unit 9, and the boiling detection information of the boiling detection unit 8 is input to the control unit 9, and the heating unit 3 and the opening unit 7 are controlled based on the detected boiling state. Their circuit configurations are as shown in FIG.

  Next, the control from rice cooking to the steaming process will be described according to FIG.

  The user puts the required amount of polished rice and an appropriate amount of water into the inner pot 2, inserts it into the main body 1, and closes the lid 4.

  Next, when a rice cooking button (not shown) is operated, rice cooking is started by the control unit 9, and the control unit 9 operates the heating means 3 to heat the inner pot 2.

  At this time, the opening means 7 prevents the steel ball 6b of the pressure adjusting means 6 from blocking the hole 6a, so that the pressure inside the inner pot 2 does not increase.

  When the control part 9 performs the heating control for cooking deliciously and the inside of the inner pot 2 approaches the boiling point, the steam is released from the hole 6a to the outside of the lid 4 through the steam passage 5.

  In this process, the boiling detection means 8 is warmed and the temperature rises. Then, when the temperature exceeds 98 ° C. and reaches boiling, the emitted steam increases, so the temperature of the boiling detection means 8 rises all at once, and the control unit 9 determines that the temperature is boiling by this temperature, and as shown in FIG. The controller 9 operates the opening means 7 so that the pressure adjusting means 6 becomes effective (a state in which the steel ball 6b blocks the hole 6a in an operable state). At the same time, the control unit 9 starts timing.

  Inside the inner pot 2, the outlet of the generated steam is blocked, so the steam pressure increases and the boiling point rises. Eventually, when the vapor pressure reaches a level at which the steel ball 6b is lifted, the vapor is released from the gap between the hole 6a and the steel ball 6b, and the pressure is adjusted to a constant pressure by repeating this in small steps. In the present embodiment, the pressure regulating means 6 is set so as to be adjusted to 1.5 atm. However, the pressure in the inner pot 2 is preferably at least 1.3 atm or more. When the pressure is less than 1.3 atm, it may be insufficient to allow water to be sucked to the center of the rice while the surface of the rice grain is rapidly gelatinized.

  The rice in the inner pot 2 rapidly absorbs water from the point where it exceeds 98 ° C, and the surface of the rice grain becomes gelatinized in about 3 minutes and does not absorb water at the center. The water penetrates to the center of the rice grain in about 2 minutes.

  Accordingly, when 2-3 minutes have elapsed from the start of timing by the control unit 9, water penetrates into the center of the rice grain and the surface of the rice grain begins to boil. If high pressure is continuously applied, the rice will be boiled due to its high permeability, so that the opening means 7 again pushes the steel ball 6b of the pressure adjusting means 6 so that the hole 6a remains open as shown in FIG. Returning, the pressure regulating means 6 is made in an invalid state (a state where pressure regulation is not possible), and the internal pressure of the inner pot 2 is reduced to atmospheric pressure.

  Since the control part 9 continues the heating by the heating means 3, the inside of the inner pot 2 continues to boil at atmospheric pressure (100 ° C.), and after about 5 minutes, all the water in the inner pot 2 disappears. If the control part 9 detects that the water in the inner pot 2 has run out by detecting the temperature in the inner pot 2, the control unit 9 weakens the heating and shifts to the steaming process. Cooking is completed when steamed for a certain period of time.

  As described above, in the present invention, a high pressure of 1.3 atm or higher is applied to the inner pot 2 by the pressure adjusting means 6 only for a short time within 3 minutes after the boiling is detected by the boiling detecting means 8. In the continuous boiling state, the operation of the pressure regulating means 6 is invalidated by the opening means 7 and the control unit 9 controls so that no pressure is applied to the inner pot 2, so that the surface of the rice grain is rapidly gelatinized and sucks water to the center. Water can penetrate into the center of the rice grain at a short time until it disappears, and the pressure is released with the opening means 7 within 3 minutes of penetration (up to 3 minutes, when the pressure is applied for a longer time, the rice grain starts to boil). The rice is not boiled because it is pulled out.

  Thus, water can be effectively penetrated into the rice grains, and delicious rice can be cooked.

It is sectional drawing of the rice cooker of this invention, and the state which the pressure regulation means is operating is shown. The same sectional view shows a state in which the opening means is operating. It is a circuit block diagram of the rice cooker. It is explanatory drawing which shows the operation state in the rice cooking process of the rice cooker.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body 2 Inner pan 3 Heating means 4 Cover 5 Steam passage 6 Pressure regulating means 6a Hole 6b Steel ball 7 Opening means 8 Boiling detection means 9 Control part.

Claims (4)

An inner pot (2) detachably stored in the main body (1), a heating means (3) for heating the inner pot (2), a lid (4) for sealing and closing the inner pot (2), The steam passage (5) provided in the lid (4), the pressure regulating means (6) provided in the steam passage (5), and the pressure regulating means (6) by opening the steam passage (5) Opening means (7) for invalidating the operation, boiling detection means (8) for detecting that the inside of the inner pot (2) has boiled, heating means (3) and opening means (7) according to the cooking process In the rice cooker having the control unit (9) for controlling the pressure, the control unit 9 detects the boiling by the boiling detection means (8) and then starts the pressure regulation by the pressure regulation means (6), and the pressure regulation means (6 ) When the pressure inside the inner pan is adjusted to atmospheric pressure or higher and pressure regulation by the pressure regulation means (6) is performed for a predetermined time, the pressure regulation operation by the pressure regulation means is performed by the opening means. And Enabling, rice cooker which is adapted to continue the boiling continued state at atmospheric pressure. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the time for pressure regulation by the pressure regulating means (6) is within 3 minutes. The rice cooker according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pressure regulating means (6) regulates the pressure inside the inner pot (2) to a pressure exceeding 1.3 atm. An inner pot (2) detachably stored in the main body (1), a heating means (3) for heating the inner pot (2), a lid (4) for sealing and closing the inner pot (2), The steam passage (5) provided in the lid (4), the pressure regulating means (6) provided in the steam passage (5), and the pressure regulating means (6) by opening the steam passage (5) Opening means (7) for invalidating the operation, boiling detection means (8) for detecting that the inside of the inner pot (2) has boiled, heating means (3) and opening means (7) according to the cooking process In the rice cooker having the control unit (9) for controlling the cooking, within 3 minutes after the boiling detection means (8) detects boiling in the process of cooking, the pressure adjustment means (6) inside the inner pot (2) Pressure is applied until the pressure exceeds 1.3 atm. In the subsequent boiling state, the operation of the pressure adjusting means (6) is invalidated by the opening means (7) and the pressure is applied to the inner pot (2). Rice cooker, which was to be no et al.

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