JP2007029142A - Rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a rice cooker of a high heat insulation performance which reduces dew condensation generated accompanying the supply of steam even when the steam is supplied into a pot in order to reduce the drying of heat-insulated rice, reduces swelling and whitening of rice and improves the taste of the heat-insulated rice. <P>SOLUTION: A control means 9 for controlling a heating means 7 and a steam generation means 5 has a heat insulation course for keeping the temperature of the rice at a prescribed temperature, the heat insulation course has an intermittent heating process of automatically elevating the rice temperature to the prescribed temperature or higher, and the control means 9 operates the steam generation means 5 after heating the pot 2 by the heating means 7 in the intermittent heating process. Thus, since the temperature of the pot 2 is elevated when the steam is supplied, the dew condensation generated accompanying the supply of the steam is reduced, the swelling and whitening of the rice are reduced, the taste of the heat-insulated rice is improved, and the heat insulation performance is excellent. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a rice cooker that keeps cooked rice using steam.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a rice cooker in which steam is brought into contact with rice in a heat retaining process so that moisture can be replenished to dried rice (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In this rice cooker, when combined with heating from the bottom of the rice with a pan by bringing the steam into contact with the top of the rice, the temperature of the rice is more even than when the rice is kept warm only by heating the rice with the pan. Can be maintained. Therefore, it can reduce that the temperature of rice rises partly too much and becomes hard, or it can be dried, and the deliciousness of heat-retaining rice can be maintained.
JP 2004-57545 A

  However, in the said conventional structure, condensation will arise in a pan by throwing in a vapor | steam during a heat retention process. It is necessary to keep the pan at a temperature within a difference of about 5 ° C. with respect to the rice temperature so that the rice is not heated excessively and dried. Therefore, since the temperature of the pan is lower than 100 ° C., when the steam at 100 ° C. comes into contact with the pan, the heat is absorbed and liquefies, and condensation occurs in the pan. These condensation drops and concentrates in the vicinity of the pot of rice to give moisture. For this reason, the rice near the pan is in a state where it contains a large amount of water and is swelled, resulting in a problem that the appearance is poor and the taste is lowered. In particular, when the rice temperature is kept at a low temperature such as 60 ° C., the pan temperature also decreases, so the amount of heat that the pan can absorb from the steam increases and a large amount of steam is liquefied, increasing the amount of dew condensation. In addition, the dandruff of the rice increases and the taste decreases.

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and even if steam is introduced into a pan to reduce the drying of heat-insulated rice, the dew condensation caused by the introduction of steam is reduced, so that the rice is boiled or whitened. It aims at providing the rice cooker with high heat insulation performance which reduced and improved the taste of heat insulation rice.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the rice cooker of the present invention has a heat retaining course for maintaining the temperature of the rice at a predetermined temperature, and the heat retaining course is automatically controlled. In the intermittent heating process, the steam generating means is operated after the pan is heated by the heating means.

  As a result, the temperature of the pan rises at the time of steaming, so that the dew condensation caused by steaming can be reduced, and the hotness and warming of the warmed rice can be improved by reducing the hotness and whitening of the rice.

  The rice cooker of this invention can reduce the dew condensation which arises with steam | throwing-in, reduces the dullness and whitening of rice, and becomes the thing with the high heat retention performance which improved the taste of heat insulation rice.

  1st invention consists of the pan which accommodates rice and water, the heating means which heats the pan, the lid which covers the upper opening of the pan, the steam generating means connected to the pan, and the heating means And a control means for controlling the steam generating means, wherein the control means has a heat retention course for maintaining the temperature of the rice at a predetermined temperature, and the heat retention course is an intermittent operation for automatically raising the rice temperature to a predetermined temperature or higher. A heating step, and in the intermittent heating step, the control means is a rice cooker that operates the steam generation means after heating the pot by the heating means, so that the temperature of the pot rises when the steam is charged. Therefore, the dew condensation that occurs with the introduction of steam can be reduced, and the swelling and whitening of rice are reduced, and the heat-retaining performance is improved by improving the taste of the heated rice.

  In a second aspect of the invention, in particular, in the first aspect of the invention, the control means operates the steam generation means in the intermittent heating step, and then operates the heating means to heat the pan, so that the pan is 100 ° C. or less. Therefore, by heating the pot, the condensation that adheres to the dew that has adhered to it will be re-evaporated to further reduce the amount of condensation, reducing the deterioration of the rice, such as whitening and frosting of the rice, and further improving the heat retention performance It becomes possible.

  The 3rd invention is a rice cooking course which has a plurality of rice cooking courses which changed the amount of steam according to the kind and quantity of the rice to cook, and uses a lot of steam especially in the 1st or 2nd invention. When cooking rice, the control means restricts the operation of the steam generating means in the intermittent heating process, so that the user throws the steam up to about 90 ° C, which is optimal for eating warm rice. When reheating is performed, it is possible to reduce the shortage of water in the steam generating means, and the user can perform reheating without adding water for generating steam during heat insulation. Therefore, it is possible to improve the heat retaining performance and maintain the usability.

  In particular, the fourth invention includes any one of the first to third inventions, further comprising a water amount detecting means for detecting the amount of water stored in the steam generating means. By limiting the operation of the steam generation means, even if the user forgets to put in the predetermined water before cooking rice, etc., it automatically detects water shortage and the user adds water for steam generation while keeping warm Since reheating can be performed without any problems, it is possible to improve the heat retaining performance and maintain usability.

  The fifth invention has a small rice cooking course suitable for a small amount of rice cooking in any one of the first to fourth inventions, and when the rice is cooked in the small rice cooking course, By increasing the amount of steam input in the intermittent heating process than in the rice cooking course, even if the rice is small and the space in the pan is large, the space in the pan can be filled and the rice can be reliably heated. Therefore, it is possible to improve the heat insulation performance even with a small amount of rice.

  In particular, the sixth aspect of the invention includes the weight detection means for detecting the weight of the rice in the pan in any one of the first to fifth aspects of the invention, and the amount of steam input in the intermittent heating step according to the weight of the rice. Since the amount of steam that fills the space in the pan can be estimated from the weight of the rice and the optimum amount of steam can be introduced regardless of the capacity, it is possible to improve the heat retaining performance.

  In a seventh aspect of the invention, in particular, in any one of the first to sixth aspects of the invention, a reheating course for reheating the heated rice by operating the heating means and the steam generation means, and the reheating course are started. Reheating input means, and when the reheating course is started by the reheating input means immediately after supplying steam in the intermittent heating process, the amount of steam supplied in the reheating course is changed to normal reheating. By reducing the temperature compared to when heated, the steam is heated to about 90 ° C, which is optimal for eating cooked rice at about 60 ° C or about 70 ° C. If reheating is performed, the rice will be heated too much, and too much steam will be added, resulting in a large amount of dew condensation. Add steam By only, it is possible to improve the reheat properties.

  In an eighth aspect of the present invention, in particular, in any one of the first to seventh aspects of the present invention, the eighth aspect of the present invention includes a second heat retention course for maintaining the temperature of the rice at a higher temperature than that for maintaining the temperature of the rice at a predetermined temperature. In the heat insulation course of No. 2, the control means automatically operates the steam generation means at a predetermined time. For example, when the amount of rice is large, the control means maintains the temperature at about 75 ° C. in order to suppress the propagation of germs. However, since the rice can be moisturized by introducing steam even in such a heat retention course, the heat retention performance can be improved.

  In particular, in the ninth invention, in any one of the first to eighth inventions, the reheating reservation input means for inputting the time for the user to reheat the rice being kept warm in advance, and the input time In addition, there is a reheating reservation program that automatically reheats rice, and when reheating is reserved, the intermittent heating process is performed in accordance with the reheating process, thereby reducing the number of times the rice is heated. In addition, it is possible to reduce the drying of the rice, and at the same time, it is possible to further improve the heat retaining performance by maintaining the function of suppressing the propagation of various bacteria by heating the rice.

  In a tenth aspect of the invention, in particular, in any one of the first to ninth aspects of the invention, the lid opening detection means is provided, and the control means operates the steam generation means after detecting that the lid is closed, thereby opening the lid. When opened, the steam in the pan is dissipated into the air, and after the lid is closed, the pan is filled with dry air. Later, by adding steam, it is possible to reduce the drying of the rice and further improve the heat retention performance.

  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)
The figure shows a rice cooker in an embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, a rice cooker main body 1 includes a pot 2 that contains rice and water therein, a lid 3 that covers the upper opening of the pot 2, and an inner lid 4 that is fixed to the lid 3 and seals the opening of the pot 2. , Steam generating means 5 for generating steam, and a steam path 6 for guiding the generated steam to the pan 2. The steam path 6 is provided in the lid 3 so as to be fixed or detachable, and connects the steam generating means 5 and the pan 2 in communication.

  In the rice cooker main body 1, the pot 2 is energized by a heating means 7 for heating the pot 2, such as an induction coil or an electric heater, and a spring (not shown) for measuring the temperature of the pot 2. A pan temperature detecting means 8 and a control means 9 for controlling the heating means 7 and the steam generating means 5 are installed. The lid 3 has a steam cylinder 10 for discharging excess steam in the pan 2 to the outside of the rice cooker body 1, lid temperature detecting means 11 for detecting the temperature of the inner lid 4, and heating the inner lid 4. The lid heating means 12 is installed. The inner lid 4 is provided with a steam inlet hole 13 connected to the steam path 6. In addition, you may install the control means 9 in the lid | cover 3 instead of in the rice cooker main body 1. FIG. In addition, the number of holes is limited as long as the steam injection hole 13 is a single hole or a plurality of holes as long as the total area of the holes is such that the flow rate of the steam does not fall below the flow rate necessary to reach the bottom of the rice. do not do.

  The steam generating means 5 includes a detachable substantially cylindrical water container 14, a water container heating means 15 for induction heating the water container 14, a water container storage portion 16 for storing the water container 14, and the temperature of the water container 14. The water container heating means 15 and the water amount detection means 17 are fixed to the water container storage section 16. In addition, arrangement | positioning and shape of the steam generation means 5 are not limited to what is shown in a figure, If it is in the rice cooker main body 1 or the lid | cover 3 and can throw in steam into the pan 2, other arrangement | positioning or Other shapes may be used. Further, the water container 14 is not required to have a substantially circular shape, as long as it can generate steam even if it has a stepped cylindrical shape or a cross-sectional shape such as an ellipse or a polygon. The same applies to the water container storage unit 16. Further, although the water amount detection means 17 is arranged on the side surface, it is sufficient that the temperature of the water container 14 can be detected even if it is installed at another place such as the bottom surface or below the water container heating means 15. Furthermore, the contact portion of the water amount detection means 17 with the water container 14 only needs to be inside the water container storage portion 16, but even if it jumps out about 5 mm, it is effective if it does not hit the wind and does not adhere to foreign matter. It is good because it can be demonstrated. The water container heating means 15 is composed of an induction coil or an electric heater similarly to the heating means 7, and the lid heating means 12 is also the same.

  The control means 9 has a first heat retention course for maintaining the temperature of the rice at a predetermined temperature (about 60 ° C.), and this first heat insulation course automatically raises the rice temperature above the predetermined temperature (about 75 ° C.). ) Has an intermittent heating step. And the control means 9 controls to operate the steam generation means 5 after heating the pan 2 by the heating means 7 in the intermittent heating process. Further, the control means 9 operates the heating means 7 and the steam generation means 5 to operate the heating means 7 and the steam generation means 5 to reheat (up to about 90 ° C.), and a temperature higher than the first temperature maintenance course (about 70). C.) has a second heat retention course. In this reheating course, when the reheating course is started immediately after the steam is supplied in the intermittent heating process, the amount of steam supplied in the reheating course is reduced from that in the normal reheating. Further, in the second heat insulation course, the control means 9 automatically operates the steam generation means 5 at a predetermined time.

  The rice cooker body 1 includes weight detection means 19 for detecting the weight of the rice in the pan 2, and changes the amount of steam input in the intermittent heating process according to the weight of the rice. The reheating input means 18 for starting the reheating course, the reheating reservation input means 20 for inputting the time for the user to reheat the cooked rice in advance, and the lid opening detecting means for detecting the opening of the lid 3 21. The lid opening detection means 21 is composed of a magnet fixed to the rice cooker body 1 and a reed switch in the lid 3 that is turned on / off depending on the presence or absence of magnetic force. In addition, arrangement | positioning of the reed switch in the lid | cover 3 and the magnet by the side of the rice cooker main body 1 may be reversed, and the influence of gravity is provided when the movable magnet and reed switch are provided in the lid | cover 3, and the lid | cover 3 opens. The opening of the lid may be detected by moving the magnet automatically and moving away from the reed switch, or other components such as a switch may be detected. The configuration is particularly limited as long as the opening and closing of the lid 3 can be detected. is not.

  In FIG. 2, the water amount detection means 17 includes a temperature detection element 22 that converts temperature into electrical resistance, a metal-made element cover 23 that includes the temperature detection element 22 and has a bottomed cylindrical shape, a temperature detection element 22, and an element cover. It comprises a spring 24 for urging 23 to the water container 14 and a water container presence / absence detecting means 25 comprising a switch. In FIG. 2, the water container 14 is set. At this time, the temperature detecting element 22 and the element cover 23 are pushed by the water container 14 and moved in the opposite direction of the water container 14, and the water container presence / absence detecting means 25. Is turned on, and the control means 9 determines that the water container 14 is set. When the water container 14 is removed, the temperature detection element 22 and the element cover 23 are moved toward the water container 14 by the spring 24, the water container presence / absence detection means 25 is turned off, and the control means 9 is Is determined not to be set.

  About the rice cooker comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement and an effect | action are demonstrated below.

  First, the user sets predetermined rice and water in the pan 2 and presses a rice cooking start button (not shown) to start the rice cooking process. The rice cooking process is a dipping process in which the water is kept at a constant temperature and the rice absorbs water, the cooking pot 2 is heated at once by the heating means 7, and the water in the cooking pot 2 is boiled, the water in the cooking pot 2 It consists of a steaming process that suppresses heating in a state where there is almost no rice. During these processes, rice is gelatinized by promoting gelatinization. The control means 9 controls the heating means 7 optimally according to the temperature of the pot 2 by the pot temperature detecting means 8, and cooks rice according to a predetermined rice cooking sequence. As for the rice cooking sequence, a plurality of rice cooking courses are prepared depending on the type of rice. When the rice cooking process is completed, the process automatically shifts to the heat retaining process so that the temperature of the cooked rice does not decrease, and the user can always obtain warm rice.

  In addition, in rice cooking using steam, the control means 9 operates the water container heating means 15 to heat the water container 14 during cooking, and the water container 14 is heated by the temperature rise rate of the water container 14 detected by the water amount detection means 17. Only when a sufficient amount of water is detected, rice is cooked using steam.

  Further, steam is generated and used in the steaming process. Cooking rice is to advance gelatinization by supplying heat energy and moisture to the rice, but by applying steam to the rice in the steaming process and heating it, without causing the rice to burn or dry, Additional thermal energy and moisture can be applied to further develop gelatinization. As a result, good-tasting rice can be obtained.

  When supplying steam, the control means 9 operates the water container heating means 15 to heat the water container 14 and evaporate the water in the water container 14. In the figure, the generated steam is supplied to the pan 2 through the steam path 6 and the steam inlet 13 as indicated by arrows. Further, the control means 9 can operate the lid heating means 12 to heat the steam by the inner lid 4 and then put it into the pan 2. Further, the control means 9 detects whether the temperature of the water container 14 does not exceed the boiling temperature of the water by the water amount detection means 17 in order to prevent empty baking that keeps heating even when there is no water in the water container 14. Detecting an empty burn.

  When cooked rice is finished, it automatically shifts to the heat insulation process. The control means 9 is provided with the 1st heat insulation course which maintains rice at about 60 degreeC, and confirms the detection temperature by the pan temperature detection means 8 regularly, and only when the rice temperature falls below about 60 degreeC. The heating means 7 is operated to maintain the rice temperature. When the temperature of the rice is around 60 ° C. in the first heat insulation course, the temperature of the pan 2 is also about the rice temperature ± 5 ° C. This first heat insulation course has an intermittent heating step in the middle, and the control means 9 operates the heating means 7 to operate the heating means 7 periodically (about every several hours), and the steam generating means. The rice is heated up to about 75 ° C. by generating steam by operating 5. By setting the temperature of the rice stored at about 60 ° C. to 75 ° C. or higher, there is an effect of suppressing the propagation of germs in the rice. When this intermittent heating step is completed, the control means 9 again shifts to a heat retaining step for maintaining the rice temperature at about 60 ° C.

  If condensation occurs on the side wall of the pan 2 (range A in FIG. 1) in the heat insulation process, the resulting condensation will eventually drop onto the rice in the range B in FIG. There is a problem in that excessive moisture is obtained, resulting in dullness and whitening, resulting in a decrease in taste.

  In the present embodiment, in the intermittent heating step, the control means 9 first operates the heating means 7, heats the pan 2 to about 75 ° C., operates the steam generating means 5, and throws the steam into the pan 2. In the intermittent heating step, first, the control means 9 operates the heating means 7 based on the temperature detected by the pan temperature detecting means 8. Thereafter, the control means 9 operates the steam generating means 5 to heat the upper layer portion of the rice with steam, raises the rice temperature to about 75 ° C. by two types of heating, and supplements the dried rice with moisture. When the rice is heated by the heating means 7 through the pan 2, the rice on the bottom and side surfaces in the vicinity of the pan 2 is first heated, and the heat is gradually transferred to the rice in the center upper layer of the pan 2. Thereafter, the rice is heated from the upper layer through the steam generated by the steam generating means 5. Thereby, heat can be supplied to the upper layer part from which heat is hard to reach from the pan 2, and it can heat more uniformly. When the rice temperature reaches about 75 ° C. based on the temperature detected by the pan temperature detecting means 8, the control means 9 stops the heating of the heating means 7, enters steam, ends the intermittent heating process, and keeps the original heat retaining temperature. Move to the process. Although the temperature of the side surface of the pan 2 does not reach 100 ° C. by raising the rice temperature to about 75 ° C., the amount of condensation can be greatly reduced because the temperature is raised to a temperature in the vicinity of 80 ° C.

  Thus, in this Embodiment, after heating the pan 2 in the range which does not dry rice, by throwing steam into the pan 2, steam is thrown in with the temperature of the pan 2 being very low, and the pan 2 It is possible to provide a rice cooker that has improved heat retention performance by reducing the occurrence of dew condensation and whitening on the heat-retained rice resulting in a decrease in taste.

  In addition, even if it does not generate | occur | produce steam immediately after the heating of the pan 2, it may be provided if it is a short waiting time of about several seconds to several tens of seconds so that the pan 2 does not fall below the temperature of the rice. Further, when the steam generating means 5 is operated, it is necessary to boil water before generating steam. About the preheating stage which heats water in the range which does not generate | occur | produce a vapor | steam, even if it operates the steam generation means 5 before operating the heating means 7, a vapor | steam will not generate | occur | produce and dew condensation will not arise in the pan 2. FIG. Moreover, after the control means 9 operates the steam generation means 5, the heating means 7 is operated again to reheat the pan 2, so that the dew condensation generated on the side wall of the pan 2 can be reduced and reduced. For this reason, it can further reduce that dew condensation water causes the swell and whitening of rice to lower the taste. Further, the control means 9 operates not only the heating means 7 but also the lid heating means 12, whereby the inner lid 4 is heated and the radiant heat heats the condensation formed on the side wall of the pan 2, thereby further reducing the condensation. be able to.

  In addition, when a plurality of rice cooking sequences that use an optimal amount of steam depending on the amount of rice and rice are provided, when the rice is cooked using a rice cooking sequence that uses a large amount of steam, the control means 9 stores the rice cooking course. If the amount of water used in the heat insulation process is reduced so that the amount of water that can be used at one time without additional water is ensured, the reheating process using steam with the remaining amount of water will be maintained. The time and effort of adding water can be reduced, and the heat retention performance can be improved. In order to reduce the amount of water used in one intermittent heating step, the input supplied to the steam generating means 5 is reduced, the amount of steam generated per unit time is reduced, or the amount of energization per unit time is reduced. Alternatively, the steam amount may be reduced. In addition, for example, the number of times steam is generated in the intermittent heating process by supplying steam only for the first time during the intermittent heating process and not supplying steam in the subsequent intermittent heating process. The amount of water to be used may be reduced.

  Since the water amount detection means 17 detects the amount of water based on the temperature rise degree of the temperature detection element 22 due to the operation of the water container heating means 15, even if the user forgets to supply a sufficient amount of water before cooking rice, The amount of water can be determined regardless of the course. For this reason, it is possible to reliably retain the amount of water for reheating, further reduce the trouble of the user adding water during the heat retention, and improve the heat retention performance. Although the water amount detection means 17 is detected by the temperature detection element 22, it is sufficient if other means such as weight detection by a weight detection means (weight sensor) or energization amount detection by electrode energization can detect the water amount.

  In addition, we have a small rice cooking course that cooks with a rice cooking sequence suitable for cooking a small amount of rice, and when this small rice cooking course is selected and cooked, the rice is shallow near the bottom of the pan 2, The space above the rice in 2 is very large. Therefore, by filling the space above the rice with steam, the heat energy of the steam can be sufficiently transmitted to the rice, so that the rice can be heated and moisturized, and the heat retention performance is improved even when the amount of rice is small. Can be made.

  In addition, since the weight detection means 19 is provided, it becomes possible to measure the amount of rice in the pan 2 even if the user leaves some rice during the heat insulation and the rice is reduced in weight. By detecting the weight of the occasion and selecting the optimal amount of steam according to the amount of rice, the amount of steam is too much and condensation is increased, or the amount of steam is too small and the effect of heating and humidifying the rice is reduced. Heat retention performance can be improved. In addition, although the amount of rice is measured using the weight detection means 19, it replaces with this and you may use other measuring means, such as measuring the amount of rice by measuring the height of rice with a distance sensor. .

  Further, in the heat insulation course, a reheating course for heating the rice to about 90 ° C. starts when the user presses the reheating input means 18. In the reheating course, the heating means 7 passes the pan 2. By heating the rice from the bottom and side, the temperature of the rice is raised to a predetermined temperature. When the rice is heated by the heating means 7 through the pan 2, the rice on the bottom and side surfaces in the vicinity of the pan 2 is first heated, and the heat is gradually transferred to the rice in the center upper layer of the pan 2. Thereafter, the rice is heated from the upper layer through the steam generated by the steam generating means 5. Thereby, heat can be supplied to the upper layer part from which heat is hard to reach from the pan 2, and it can heat more uniformly. When the rice temperature reaches about 90 ° C. based on the temperature detected by the pan temperature detecting means 8, the control means 9 stops the heating of the heating means 7, enters steam, ends the reheating course, and keeps the original heat retaining temperature. Move to the course.

  In the rice cooker having such a reheating course, the reheating input means 18 may be pressed during or immediately after the intermittent heating process during the automatic heating, but during intermittent heating or after intermittent heating. The temperature of the rice rises sufficiently, and the amount of steam existing in the space above the rice is sufficient, and when the prescribed amount of rice heating and steam introduced in the reheating process is input, the rice is overheated and dried. Or the amount of dew condensation increases due to an excessive amount of steam, and reheating may adversely affect the taste. Therefore, the reheating performance is improved by reducing the heating amount and steam amount of the rice in the reheating according to the progress of the intermittent heating process.

  In addition, about the heating amount of the rice by reheating, the temperature of the pan 2 is detected by the pan temperature detecting means 8, and the heating amount is reduced according to the temperature, or the energizing time of the heating means 7 in the intermittent heating step. The heating amount in the reheating process may be controlled in accordance with the temperature and heating amount of the rice, such as reducing the heating amount based on the energization time. As for the amount of steam, the amount of energization to the steam generating means 5 in the reheating is controlled according to the amount of energization to the steam generating means 5 in the intermittent heating process, When energization to the generating means 5 is performed, it is only necessary to control the amount of steam by a method such as preventing steam from being generated by reheating.

  Moreover, in a heat insulation course, when there are many rices, it transfers to the 2nd heat insulation course which maintains rice at about 70 degreeC. In this second heat insulation course, the temperature of the rice is high, so the condensation does not occur as in the first heat insulation course maintained at about 60 ° C. Therefore, by periodically introducing steam, the heat insulation is maintained while reducing the condensation. Performance can be improved. In addition, even if the rice is kept at about 70 ° C. after a certain period of time has passed in the first heat retention course, the same effect can be obtained by similarly introducing steam.

  In addition, the reheating reservation input means 20 that reserves the time for the user to perform reheating in advance is performed to suppress the propagation of germs by performing reheating so as to end at the reserved time. The heating process is carried out in accordance with the reheating, and the number of times the rice is heated is reduced by one time by intermittent heating, once by reheating and not by two times. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the rice from drying and to improve the heat retaining performance.

  In addition, by providing the lid opening detection means 21, it is detected that the lid is closed after the lid 3 is opened, and steam is introduced into the pan 2 at the timing of closing the lid, thereby moisturizing the rice. Can prevent a decrease in taste. That is, as the lid 3 is opened, steam filled in the upper space of the rice is dissipated out of the pan 2, and instead dry air enters, which promotes evaporation of the moisture of the rice, but the timing of closing the lid Since steam is put into the pan 2, the promotion of moisture evaporation can be reduced, and the rice can be moisturized to prevent a decrease in taste.

  Note that when the steam is fed not only in the steaming process but also in the soaking process and the cooking process, the water temperature in the pan 2 can be uniformly raised to a constant temperature. In the cooking process, bubbling may occur due to generation of a foamy rice cracker containing starch of rice, but by applying steam, the foamy rice cracker can be reduced to reduce spillage. In addition, when the steam temperature, steam input time, and rice cooking method are changed according to the types of hard rice, brown rice, old rice, etc., the rice cooking performance is further improved.

  As described above, the rice cooker according to the present invention can reduce the condensation that occurs due to the introduction of steam, reduces the blistering and whitening of the rice, and improves the taste of the heated rice. It can be applied to all rice cookers.

Sectional drawing of the rice cooker in embodiment of this invention Cross section of steam generating means of the rice cooker

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Rice cooker body 2 Pan 3 Lid 5 Steam generation means 7 Heating means 9 Control means 17 Water quantity detection means 18 Reheating input means 19 Weight detection means 20 Reheating reservation input means 21 Lid opening detection means

Claims (10)

A pot for storing rice and water; a heating means for heating the pot; a lid covering the upper opening of the pot; a steam generating means connected to the pot; the heating means and the steam generating means; Control means for controlling, the control means has a heat retention course for maintaining the temperature of the rice at a predetermined temperature, the heat retention course has an intermittent heating step of automatically raising the rice temperature to a predetermined temperature or more, In the intermittent heating step, the control means operates the steam generating means after the pan is heated by the heating means. 2. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the control means operates the steam generation means in the intermittent heating step and then operates the heating means to heat the pan. When the rice is cooked in the rice cooking course that has a large amount of steam, and the control means is steam in the intermittent heating process. The rice cooker according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the operation of the generating means is restricted. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a water amount detection unit configured to detect a water amount stored in the steam generation unit, wherein the control unit restricts the operation of the steam generation unit in the intermittent heating process when the water amount shortage is detected. rice cooker. When having a small amount rice cooking course suitable for a small amount of rice cooking and cooking rice in the small amount rice cooking course, the amount of steam to be introduced in the intermittent heating step is increased as compared with the case of other rice cooking courses. The rice cooker according to any one of 4. The rice cooker of any one of Claims 1-5 provided with the weight detection means which detects the weight of the rice in a pan, and changing the steam amount thrown in in an intermittent heating process according to the weight of rice. A reheating course for reheating the heated rice by operating the heating means and the steam generating means, and a reheating input means for starting the reheating course, and the reheating course immediately after the steam is added in the intermittent heating process. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein when the reheating course is started by a heating input means, an amount of steam input in the reheating course is reduced from that during normal reheating. There is a second heat retention course for maintaining the temperature of the rice at a higher temperature than the heat retention course for maintaining the predetermined temperature, and in this second heat retention course, the control means automatically turns on the steam generating means at a predetermined time. The rice cooker of any one of Claims 1-7 to operate | move. A reheating reservation input means for inputting a time for reheating the rice that the user keeps in advance, and a reheating reservation program for automatically reheating the rice in accordance with the input time, reheating The rice cooker of any one of Claims 1-8 which implements an intermittent heating process according to a reheating process when is reserved. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a lid opening detection unit, wherein the control unit operates the steam generation unit after detecting that the lid is closed.