JP2008036288A - Rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a rice cooker capable of constantly heat-retaining the boiled rice shiny even if a lid is frequently opened/closed or opened long during retaining the heat. <P>SOLUTION: A steam generator 70 provided for jetting out steam inside a pot 11 with the lid body 31 closed is provided with a water supply tank 1 for storing water, a pump 72, a vaporizer 73 for generating steam, a water supply tube 74 for supplying water stored in the water supply tank 71 to the vaporizer 73 using the pump 72, and a steam outlet 75 jetting out the steam generated by the vaporizer 73 to the interior of the pot 11. Even if the lid body 31 is opened/closed during retaining the heat, this constitution supplies the steam to the boiled rice under heat retention so as to prevent drying of the boiled rice and constantly retain the boiled rice shiny. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a rice cooker used in a general household.

  A conventional rice cooker, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, keeps the cooked rice in the pan warm by a pan heating means during the warming.

Moreover, such a rice cooker is provided with a display device for displaying information, and the display content is controlled by a control component. These display devices and control components are accommodated in the rice cooker body in a state of being mounted on the control device. The data in which partial model change data is written is distinguished by marking the control parts for model discrimination.
JP 2005-46492 A

  However, the conventional rice cooker has the following drawbacks. The more the opening and closing frequency and opening time of the lid during the heat retention, the more steam escapes, the more the rice to be cooked dries, and the more the moisture becomes. Even if the opening and closing frequency of the lid is low, if the cooked rice is kept warm for a predetermined time, the moisture of the cooked rice evaporates, and the cooked rice becomes dry and becomes unsavory. If the lid is opened while the steam is being supplied, steam will come out of the steam device, which may cause safety concerns.

  Since the control device is identified by the control part marking, it takes time and effort to take out the control component and confirm the marking. On the other hand, although the model can be confirmed after the product is assembled, an operation different from the normal operation is required, which is troublesome.

  Therefore, in view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a rice cooker that can always keep a warm cooked rice even when the lid is opened and closed frequently and time is high.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a rice cooker that can display a model display on a display device without complicated operations.

  In the rice cooker according to the first aspect of the present invention, steam is supplied to the cooked rice being kept warm even if the lid is opened and closed during the warming. Can be provided. On the other hand, when the lid is opened, it is safe because the supply of steam is stopped.

  In the rice cooker according to the second aspect of the present invention, the steam to be supplied is controlled by the opening time of the lid, so that the cooked rice having a constant moisture content can be always kept warm.

  In the rice cooker of Claim 3 in this invention, when a lid | cover is opened and closed frequently in a short time, for example, during a meal, the useless supply of steam can be controlled.

  In the rice cooker of Claim 4 in this invention, supply of the vapor | steam to the to-be-cooked rice with sufficient moisture content immediately after cooking can be suppressed, and the stickiness of to-be-cooked rice can be prevented.

  In the rice cooker according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the model information is displayed on the display device when the control device is in the backup state, the model can be easily determined by the display without any special operation.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a rice cooker that can always keep a warm cooked rice even when the lid is opened and closed frequently and time is high.

  According to Claim 2 of this invention, the water | moisture content required in order to make a to-be-cooked rice gloss can be replenished appropriately.

  According to claim 3 of the present invention, steam can be effectively supplied to the cooked rice.

  According to claim 4 of the present invention, heat can be kept so as not to impair the taste of the cooked rice.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to easily confirm the assembly error at the time of product assembly and the model discrimination in the product state.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a rice cooker according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  First, based on FIG.1 and FIG.2, the structure of the rice cooker which is an example of this invention is demonstrated. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a main body that forms the outline of a rice cooker. This main body 1 is formed by an upper frame 2 that constitutes an upper surface and an upper side surface thereof, and a substantially cylindrical outer frame 3 that constitutes a side surface. A bottom plate 4 that covers the bottom opening of the frame 3 is provided. The upper frame 2 and the bottom plate 4 are formed of a synthetic resin such as PP (polypropylene), while the outer frame 3 is formed of a metal member such as stainless steel, for example, in order to improve cleanability and appearance quality. . Moreover, it is provided covering the bottom opening of the substantially cylindrical pan accommodating portion 6 formed integrally from the inner peripheral portion of the upper surface of the upper frame 2 and the pan accommodating portion 6, such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate). The inner frame 8 formed of a synthetic resin forms a pan container 9 made of a nonmagnetic material and having a bottomed cylindrical shape for accommodating a pan 11 described later.

  In the pot housing 9, a bottomed cylindrical pot 11 for storing a rice to be cooked such as rice or water is detachably accommodated. The pan 11 corresponding to the inner pot is composed of a pan body 12 mainly made of aluminum having good thermal conductivity, and a magnetic metal plate such as ferritic stainless steel joined from the lower side to the bottom of the outer surface of the pan body 12. And the heating element 13. The reason why the heating element 13 is not provided from the center to the top of the side surface of the pan 11 is to reduce the weight of the pan 11. An annular flange portion 14 is formed around the upper end of the pan 11 so as to extend to the outer periphery thereof. In addition, it has the structure which does not provide a heating means in the outer periphery of the pan accommodating part 6. FIG.

  The inner frame 8 is positioned to face the heating element 13 of the pan 11, but the bottom part of the pot 11, particularly the bottom part, is electromagnetically placed on the lower side and bottom part of the outer surface of the inner frame 8 facing the heating element 13. A heating coil 16 is provided as a heating means for induction heating. The heating coil 16 is not provided on the outer periphery of the pot housing 9. When a high-frequency current is supplied to the heating coil 16, the heating element 13 of the pan 11 is heated by the alternating magnetic field generated from the heating coil 16, and the cooked rice such as water and rice in the pan 11 and the pan 11 is heated. It has become so.

  In addition, a temperature sensor 21 serving as a pan temperature detecting means is disposed in the center of the bottom of the inner frame 8 so as to elastically contact the outer surface of the bottom of the pan 11, and detects the temperature of the pan 11. The heating temperature of the bottom of the pan 11 by 16 is mainly controlled.

  A cord heater 26 for heating the upper part of the side surface of the pan 11, in particular, the flange portion 14, is arranged in an annular shape at the upper end of the pan housing 9, located below the flange portion 14 of the pan 11. . The cord heater 26 is composed of an electric heater, and is held on a heater ring 27 as a heat dissipation suppressing member mounted so as to be placed on the upper end of the pot housing 9 and covers the cord heater 26 from above. In this way, a flange heater is configured by including the metal plate 29 attached to the heater ring 27 and having both a fixing metal member made of, for example, an aluminum plate having excellent heat conductivity and a heat radiating portion. The metal plate 29 is located opposite to the gap between the rice cooker body 1 and the lid 31. Then, the lower surface of the flange portion 14 of the pan 11 is placed on the upper surface of the metal plate 29, whereby the pan 11 is accommodated in the pan accommodating body 9 while being hung on the upper frame 2 of the main body 1. It is like that. Therefore, there is almost no gap between the pan 11 and the upper end of the pan housing 9 in which the pan 11 is housed. Moreover, the flange portion 14 of the pan 11 has an outer shape that is equal to or greater than the size of the cord heater 26, so that the cord heater 26 is covered with the flange portion 14 of the pan 11 from above. . However, although not shown in the drawing, the handle portion (flange portion 14) of the pan 11 is made non-contact, and by partially forming a gap, when cooking rice with water attached to the outer surface of the pan 11, Steam is discharged from the gap.

  The lid 31 is formed by combining, for example, a plastic outer lid 32 that forms an outer surface of the lid 31, a heat radiating plate 34 that forms a lower surface that is the inner surface of the lid 31, and the outer lid 32 and the heat radiating plate 34. The main component is an outer lid cover 35 as a lid base material forming the skeleton of the main frame. The heat radiating plate 34 provided on the outer lid cover 35 is made of metal, and is made of, for example, a material obtained by anodizing stainless steel or aluminum. A lid heater 36 as a lid heating means is provided on the upper surface of the heat radiating plate 34 inside the lid 31. The lid heater 36 may be an electric heating heater such as a cord heater or a heating coil by electromagnetic induction heating.

  Behind the upper frame 2 constituting the main body 1 is provided a hinge portion 38 as a connecting portion connected to the lid 31. The hinge portion 38 is provided with a pair of holes (not shown) in the left-right direction when viewed from the front of the rice cooker, and a hinge spring 40 as an urging means formed by, for example, a torsion coil spring, It is stored in. On the other hand, an outer lid cover hinge hole (not shown) as a hinge receiving portion is also provided behind the outer lid cover 35 so as to face the hole provided in the hinge portion 38. By inserting a rod-shaped hinge shaft 41 in common with the hinge hole and the hole 39 of the hinge portion 38, the main body 1 and the lid 31 are pivotally supported with the hinge shaft 41 as a fulcrum. Further, one end and the other end of the hinge spring 40 are hooked on the outer cover cover 35 and the outer frame 2, respectively, so that the cover body 31 is always urged in the opening direction. The open / closed state of the lid 31 is detected by a microswitch 91 as lid open / close detection means that switches on and off according to the opening / closing of the lid 31. The micro switch 91 is housed in the lid 31. The opening / closing detection of the lid 31 may be performed using a reed switch and a magnet instead of the micro switch 91.

  On the front upper surface of the lid 31, a lid opening button 46 is disposed in an exposed state. When the lid opening button 46 is pressed against this urging force, the engagement between the lid 31 and the main body 1 is released. The lid 31 is automatically opened by the hinge spring 40. A base end portion of a clamp (not shown) that rotates about a clamp shaft (not shown) is provided below the lid opening button 46. Clamp biasing means (not shown) such as a spring for biasing the base end portion of the clamp toward the lid opening button 46 is provided inside the lid body 31, so that the lid opening button 46 is always attached. A force to push upward acts.

  On the other hand, a clamp receiver (not shown) as a main body clamp portion is disposed in front of the upper frame 2 and is located on the substantially opposite side of the hinge portion 38 provided on the upper frame 2. Is closed to the main body 1 side, the clamp rotates about the clamp shaft as a central axis, and the lid 31 is held in the closed state with respect to the main body 1 by engaging with the clamp receiver.

  Reference numeral 55 denotes an inner lid assembly as an inner lid provided on the outer side, ie, the lower side of the heat radiating plate. This inner lid assembly 55 has a disk shape that is substantially the same diameter as the upper opening of the pan 11 and seals between the pan 11 and the inner lid 56 with a metal inner lid 56 anodized with stainless steel or aluminum. Therefore, a lid packing 57 as a sealing member made of an elastic member such as silicone rubber or fluorine rubber, and a pressure adjusting unit for adjusting the internal pressure of the inner hook (see FIG. Not shown). When the lid 31 is closed (when the lid is closed), the ring-shaped lid packing 57 abuts against the upper surface of the flange portion 14 of the pan 11 and closes the gap between the pan 11 and the inner lid 56. The steam generated from the pan 11 is sealed. In addition, a hook portion (not shown) that applies the elastic force of the clamp urging means to the clamp 44 only when the inner lid assembly 55 is attached to the lid 31 is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the inner lid 56. The formed annular packing base 59 is fixed, and is sandwiched between the packing base 59 and the inner lid 56, and the lid packing 57 is fixed. As a result, the inner lid 56 and the lid packing 57 are integrated by the packing base 59, and the inner lid assembly 55 is detachably provided from the lower surface of the lid 31. It becomes possible to wash.

  The heat radiating plate 34 is provided with a thermistor-type lid temperature sensor 61 for managing the temperature of the inner lid 56 by the lid heater 51 as lid temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the inner lid 56 of the lid 31 in particular. ing. Further, a steam port (not shown) that can be attached and detached from the upper surface side of the lid body 31 is provided in a portion closer to the upper surface of the lid body 31. The steam port and the pressure adjusting unit communicate with each other inside the lid body 31, and a steam discharge mechanism for discharging the steam generated in the pan 11 to the outside is formed by these steam ports and the pressure adjusting unit. .

  The pressure adjusting unit includes a pressure adjusting valve for adjusting pressure, a pressure adjusting valve holder that holds the pressure adjusting valve, and a dome-shaped pressure adjusting valve cover that covers the pressure adjusting valve. The pressure regulating valve is a material excellent in corrosion resistance and may be a part having a certain weight, and may be, for example, a ball made of austenitic stainless steel. The pressure regulating valve holder includes a pedestal portion on which the spherical pressure regulating valve is placed, and a communication hole that is disposed below the pressure regulating valve and communicates with the pan 11 to exhaust the steam in the pan 11. The communication hole is for communicating the pan 11 and the inner lid 56, and the steam passing through the communication hole is discharged to the outside from the steam port. Further, the pressure regulating valve is placed on the pedestal so as to close the communication hole, and the pressure in the pan 11 can be adjusted by the opening area of the communication hole and the weight of the pressure regulating valve. Further, the pressure regulating valve cover is for restricting the movement range of the pressure regulating valve, and is provided with a plurality of holes for guiding the steam discharged from the communication hole to the steam port.

  In addition, when the pressure inside the pan 11 is increased to an abnormal pressure that is equal to or higher than the set value due to some factor, the inner lid assembly 55 pushes up the valve body against the spring and opens the hole to reduce the internal pressure of the pan. A safety valve for lowering is provided. The pressure adjusting part and the safety valve are provided facing the inlet side of the steam port when the inner lid is attached to the lower side of the outer lid cover.

  78 is a solenoid that is provided inside the lid body 31 and adjusts the sealing degree of the lid body 31, that is, the internal pressure of the pan 11 by moving the pressure regulating valve. In this embodiment, in the non-energized state of the solenoid 78, the tip portion is held at the advanced position, and the pressure regulating valve is retracted from the communication hole, while the tip portion is retracted in the energized state, and the pressure regulating valve is connected to the communication hole. And rolls under its own weight, closes the communication hole, and puts pressure into the pan 11.

  Reference numeral 70 denotes a water vapor generating device as a steam device provided for ejecting water vapor into the pan 11 with the lid 31 closed. This water vapor generating device 70 uses a water supply tank 71 for storing water, a pump 72 as liquid feeding means, a vaporizer 73 for generating water vapor, and water stored in the water supply tank 71 using the pump 72. A water supply tube 74 as a water passage for supplying to the vaporizer 73 and a steam outlet 75 for jetting the water vapor generated in the vaporizer 73 into the pan 11 are configured. The water supply tank 71 has a box shape with an upper opening, and is stored in a water supply tank case 77 built in the rear of the main body 1 with a water supply tank lid 76 attached to the opening. A cylindrical outflow port 71a communicating with the inside of the water supply tank 71 protrudes from the lower side surface of the water supply tank 71, and a connection case 78 is joined to the outflow port 71a through a joint rubber 79 in a watertight state. The connection case 78 is joined to the water supply tank case 77, the tip of the tubular portion joined to the outlet 71a hangs downward, and one end of the pump joint 74a forming a part of the water supply tube 74 is joined to the suspending portion. Is done. The other end of the pump joint 74 a is connected to a water inlet of a pump 72 installed just below the water supply tank 71 by a pump stop provided below the water supply tank case 77.

  A water supply tube 74 b forming the main part of the water supply tube 74 is connected to the water outlet of the pump 72. This water supply tube 74 extends upward from the lower rear part of the main body 1, enters the lid body 31 from the vicinity of the hinge portion 38, and passes the upper portion of the tray-like vaporizer 73 provided near the central side surface inside the lid body 31. It is connected in a watertight state through a joint rubber 82 to a cylindrical water supply port 81a protruding from the covering vaporizer cover 81. The vaporizer 73 generates water vapor by evaporating the water supplied from the water supply tube 74 through the water supply port 82 provided in the vaporizer cover 81 by being heated to a high temperature by, for example, a sheathed heater or the like. . Around the vaporizer 73, a thermo 90 comprising a temperature sensor or the like for temperature control is disposed so as to come into contact with the bottom of the vaporizer 73, and since the vaporizer 73 becomes hot, the vaporizer 73 A vaporizer heat shield 83 is inserted between the vaporizer 73 and the outer lid 32 so that heat is not transferred to the outer lid 32. The water vapor generated in the vaporizer 73 flows from the discharge port 73a provided at the bottom of the vaporizer 73 into the vapor jet port 75.

  The steam spout 75 protrudes from the inner lid 56 into the pot 11 and has a cover 88 having an opening 95 formed in the center of the surface facing the pot 11 and the cover 88 is provided inside the cover 88. A double cylindrical valve seat 86 and a valve body 89 urged to the opening 95 of the cover 88 by a spring 87 attached around the inner cylinder of the valve seat 86 are configured. The inner cylinder part of the valve seat 86 is connected to the discharge port 73a of the carburetor 73 via the steam line 85, and the inner cylinder part and thus the inside of the cover 88 communicates with the inside of the carburetor 73. The cover 88 is attached to the inner lid 56 so as to cover the outer cylinder portion of the valve seat portion 86 from the opening side. The opening 95 of the cover 88 is always closed from the inside by a valve body 89 biased by a spring 87. A side opening 96 that communicates with the inside of the valve seat 86 is formed in the side periphery of the cover 88.

  An operation panel 101 is provided at the front of the main body 1. Inside the operation panel 101 is an LCD 102 as a display device that displays time and a selected menu, and an LED that displays the current process, rice cooking, and menu selection, although none of them are shown in the figure. A substrate on which operation switches and the like are arranged is provided. The operation panel 101 corresponding to the operation unit displays button names and the like, and prevents dust and water from adhering to the control means which is an electronic component. The operation panel 101 may be provided on the front side of the lid 31.

  By the way, as a means to improve the tracking performance on the board, a method of applying a solid silk print between the solder lands or between the component surface pins has been taken, but water droplets enter from the outside of the product and adhere to the board. In this case, since silk printing does not have a mechanism for removing the water droplets, there is a risk that current flows between solder lands or between component surface pins, resulting in insulation deterioration. Therefore, in the rice cooker of this embodiment, when water droplets adhere to the substrate, silk printing has a role of eliminating water droplets so that moisture does not stay for a long time between soldering lands or between component surface pins. The printed circuit board provided is used.

  A detailed configuration of the substrate will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 are perspective views of the substrate 150 on which the component 151 is mounted as viewed from the component surface 150a side or the solder surface 150b side. Through holes 152 and 152 are formed in the substrate 150, and pins of the component 151 are inserted into the through holes 152 and 152 from the component surface 150a side. On the solder surface 150b side, lands 153 are formed around the through holes 152, 152, respectively. Between the through holes 152 into which the pins of the component 151 arranged on the substrate 150 are inserted, silk printing 154 is formed on the component surface 150a, and silk printing 155 is formed on the solder surface 150b. Each of the silk prints 154 and 155 has an oval shape, and has a shape such that the water droplets that have entered flow on the substrate 150 without receiving external force. At this time, by making the width dimension of the silk prints 154 and 155 smaller than the dimension between the pins of the component 151, when water droplets adhere between the pins, the surface of the silk print 154 or the silk print 155 and the surface of the substrate 150 Due to the difference in height, water droplets can be excluded from between the pins.

  FIG. 5 shows a substrate 150 having another embodiment of silk printing. In this embodiment, a plurality of silk prints are applied between the pins of the component 151 arranged on the substrate 150. That is, by providing a silk print 156 on the silk print 154 shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 and increasing the height difference, it is possible to eliminate water droplets more smoothly.

  As described above, the substrate 150 used in the rice cooker in the present embodiment has water droplets for improving the tracking resistance between the lands 130 for soldering or between the pins of the component 150 inserted and mounted on the substrate 150. Silk printing 154, 155, 156, which has the role of eliminating That is, the substrate 150 is subjected to silk printing 154 a plurality of times only between the solder lands 130, 130 on the substrate 150 or between the pins of the component 151 on the component surface 150a, and the water droplets that have entered the substrate 150 are silk-printed. The height difference due to 154 is eliminated from between the lands 130, 130 or between the pins of the component 151 on the component surface 150a, thereby improving the tracking resistance.

  Returning again to FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 111 denotes a heating control means provided in front of the inside of the main body 1. The heating control unit 111 includes a heating element (not shown) for driving the heating coil 16, which is a heating unit, on a substrate. The element that drives the heating coil 16 is heated along with the oscillation of the heating coil 16, but has a use condition temperature that guarantees the operating state, and therefore needs to be used at a certain temperature or lower. For this purpose, the element that drives the heating coil 16 is thermally connected to a fin-like radiator 112 made of a material having good thermal conductivity such as aluminum and emits from a cooling fan 113 that is a cooling means. The element is driven within the operating temperature by applying wind to the radiator 112 to remove heat.

  The cooling fan 113 is disposed below or on the side of the radiator 112 attached to the heating control unit 111. In addition, a hole for discharging the air which is emitted from the cooling fan 113 and deprived of heat from the radiator 112 attached to the heating control means 111 to the outside of the main body 1 is formed in the bottom or side of the main body 1. A plurality of (not shown) are provided. The heating control means 111 is housed inside the product, that is, in the main body 1, but may be disposed at any position on the outer periphery of the pan 11. Moreover, you may arrange | position the hole provided in the bottom part or side part of the main body 1 in any position. However, in recent years, there is a demand for miniaturization of products, and the heating control means 111 and the cooling fan 113 and the hole 114 for discharging warm air are arranged at substantially opposite positions across the pan 11. Is preferred. Further, a cord reel 116 for winding a power plug (not shown) is provided inside the main body 1.

  Here, the substrate assembly provided with the heating control means 111 will be described with reference to FIG. The board assembly 160 described below means the whole board provided in front of the main body 1 and inside the operation panel 101. The board assembly 160 mainly includes a microcomputer 161 as a control device on which the LCD 102 and the heating control means 111 are mounted. . The board assembly 160 is supplied with power from an AC power supply 162, and AC power from the AC power supply 162 is rectified by a rectifier circuit 163 and then input to a 5V circuit 164 for driving a microcomputer. The microcomputer 161 includes a key input circuit 165 using operation keys including a cut key 171, an LCD 102, a power failure detection circuit 166 that detects a power failure of an AC power source 162 such as a commercial power source at a subsequent stage of the rectifier circuit 163, and setting data, for example. EEROM 167 for storing the information is connected. The microcomputer 161 is operated by a clock signal from the high frequency oscillator 168 and the crystal resonator 169. The microcomputer 161 is further connected with a backup circuit 170 that supplies power to the microcomputer 161 in the event of a power failure. When the AC power supply 162 is ON, the high-frequency oscillator 168 and the crystal resonator 169 operate, and when the AC power supply 162 is OFF. As the backup circuit 170 operates and the high-frequency oscillator 168 stops, the microcomputer 161 is driven by the crystal resonator 169.

  When changing the function of the board assembly 160 to make another model, the model is changed by writing data to the EEROM 167 with a function checker. The EEROM 167 is numbered every time the model is changed so that it can be discriminated. The microcomputer 161 reads data in the EEROM 167 during operation, and operates as a model with the read data.

  The operation of the microcomputer 161 and the display form of the LCD 102 will be described with reference to FIG. When the AC power supply 162 is in the ON state, the power failure detection circuit 166 outputs “H” to the microcomputer 161, and the microcomputer 161 determines that a power failure has not occurred and performs normal display on the LCD 102 (steps S1 and S2). As the normal display mode, for example, a clock display of “10:00” indicating the current time of 10:00, a heat retention time display of “1h” indicating the heat retention elapsed time of 1 hour, and “10” indicating the time of 10 minutes until the completion of steaming "Steaming time display" and timer reservation time display of "6:00" indicating the timer cooking time of 6:00.

  When the AC power supply 162 is turned off while the AC power supply 162 is turned on and the off key 171 of the key input circuit 165 in the board assembly 160 is pressed, the power failure detection circuit 166 outputs “L” to the microcomputer 161 (step S1, S1). S3). When the microcomputer 161 recognizes the power failure detection signal “L” and receives the push signal of the OFF key 171, it displays the model on the LCD 102, stops the high-frequency oscillator 168, and is driven only by the crystal resonator 169, and consumes power. The process shifts to a backup state in which necessary information is held while suppressing (step S4). Even if you do not perform complicated operations, simply press the off key 171 and turn off the AC power supply 162. When the microcomputer 161 enters the backup state, the model information is displayed on the LCD 102. Even if it is not, the model can be easily identified by the display. Thereafter, when the AC power supply 162 is turned on, the LCD 102 returns to the normal display, and the board assembly 160 is in a normal operation.

  When the AC power supply 162 is turned off without pressing the off key 171, the power failure detection circuit 166 outputs “L” to the microcomputer 161 and the backup circuit 170 operates, and the microcomputer 161 is assumed to have a power failure. A judgment is made to shift to the backup state, and a power failure mode display such as a clock display is displayed on the LCD 102 (steps S1, S3, S5).

  Next, the control system will be described with reference to FIG. In the figure, 111 is the heating control means described above, which receives each temperature information from the pan temperature sensor 21 and the lid temperature sensor 61, and a heating coil 16 that heats the bottom of the pan 11 during cooking and warming. In addition, the cord heater 26 for heating the side portion of the pan 11 and the lid heater 36 for heating the lid 31 are respectively controlled, and the above-described pump 72 and vaporizer 73 are received in response to the lid open / close detection signal from the microswitch 91. Is to control. In particular, the heating control means 111 of the present embodiment mainly controls the heating coil 16 based on the temperature detected by the pan temperature sensor 21 to manage the temperature of the bottom of the pan 11 and based on the temperature detected by the lid temperature sensor 52. Then, the lid heater 26 is controlled so that the temperature of the heat radiating plate 34 and the inner lid 56 is controlled. The heating control means 111 includes, as a function on the control sequence of the program stored in its own storage means (not shown), a rice cooking control means 118 that heats the cooked food in the pan 11 during rice cooking, Insulation control means 119 for maintaining and heating the rice in the pan 11 to a predetermined temperature is provided.

  The heat retention control means 119 includes a heat retention time counting means 120. When the heat retention operation is started, the heat retention time counting means 120 is activated to measure the elapsed heat retention time, and this heat retention elapsed time reaches a preset time. Then, it is configured to output a water vapor spray permission signal to the water vapor control means 130. Since the rice just after cooking has a sufficient amount of water, the rice will not dry even if the lid 31 is opened and closed somewhat. By using the heat retention time counting means 120, water is sprayed after a predetermined time that is judged to be a state where the moisture content of the rice kept in the pan 11 starts to decrease, so that the rice becomes sticky. Can be prevented.

  Reference numeral 122 denotes a heating coil driving unit that incorporates a high-frequency inverter circuit that receives a control signal from the heating control unit 111 and supplies a predetermined high-frequency current to the heating coil 16. Separately from this, the output side of the heating control means 111 receives a control signal from the heating control means 111 and drives the lid heater 36 so as to heat the radiator plate 34 and the inner lid 56. 123, a code heater driving means 124 for turning on the code heater 26, a solenoid driving means 125 for turning on or off the solenoid 78, and a pump driving means for driving the pump 72 in response to a control signal from the water vapor control means 130 126, a vaporizer driving unit 127 for controlling the temperature of the vaporizer 73 in response to a control signal from the water vapor control unit 130, and a display driving unit 129 for driving the display unit 128 including the LCD 102 and the LEDs described above. . At the time of cooking by the rice cooking control means 118 and at the time of heat retention by the heat retention control means 119, the heating to the bottom of the pan 11 by the heating coil 16 and the code heater 26 are detected by detecting each temperature from the pan temperature sensor 21 and the lid temperature sensor 61. Heating to the side surface of the pan 11 by heating and heating to the lid body 31 by the lid heater 36 are performed. In addition, after the rice cooking by the rice cooking control means 118 is finished and the cooked food in the pan 11 is cooked as rice, it automatically shifts to heat insulation by the heat insulation control means 119, and the temperature detected by the pot temperature sensor 21 is reached. Based on this, by adjusting the heating of the pan 11 by the heating coil 16 and the cord heater 26, the rice is kept at a predetermined temperature (about 70 ° C. to 76 ° C.).

  In particular, supplementary explanation about the heating by the cord heater 26, until the temperature of the rice is lowered from about 100 ° C. to about 73 ° C. after the rice cooking, and when the temperature is stable at about 73 ° C., the code heater 26 is heated, Heat is radiated from the metal plate 29 to the space between the lid 31 and the main body 1 to suppress cooling due to the entry of outside air from the gap, and the flange portion 14 of the pan 11 is heated. In addition, the cord heater 26 also heats the flange portion 14 of the pan 11 during the period when the rice is reheated during heat insulation, so that moisture generated by heating the rice is prevented from condensing on the upper part of the inner surface of the pan 11. ing.

  Further, the heating control means 111 in the present embodiment, after determining that the moisture content of the rice starts to decrease by the heat retention control means 119, in order to eject water vapor into the pan 11, Steam control means 130 for operating the vaporizer 73 is also provided. The water vapor control means 130 controls the temperature of the vaporizer 73 based on the temperature detected by the thermo 90, thereby ejecting water vapor at a stable temperature into the pan 11. The water vapor control means 130 is based on the lid opening / closing signal of the micro switch 91, and the lid opening counting means 131 that counts the time that the lid 31 is open, and the lid closing count that times the time since the lid 31 is closed. Means 132.

  Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described based on the timing chart of FIG. The figure shows the spraying timing of the water vapor during the opening / closing operation of the lid while the rice cooker mode showing each step of the rice cooker transitions.

  First, when rice and water to be cooked are put into the pan 11 and, for example, a rice cooking key of the operation switch 103 is operated, rice cooking by the rice cooking control means 118 is started. Here, the rice cooking control means 118 is based on the temperature detection of the bottom of the pan 11 by the pan temperature sensor 21 in order to promote water absorption of the rice in the pan 11 before starting the substantial rice cooking. Then, the bottom and side portions of the pan 11 are heated by the cord heater 26, respectively, and the water temperature in the pan 11 is maintained at about 45 to 60 ° C. for 15 to 20 minutes. During this process, the solenoid 78 is turned on and the pressure regulating valve is rolled to a position where the communication hole is blocked.

  After that, the pan 11 is heated strongly by the heating coil 16 to boil the cooking object. When the temperature of the bottom of the pan 11 becomes 90 ° C or higher during this boiling heating and the temperature of the lid 31 is stable at 90 ° C or higher (temperature rise rate detection), it is assumed that the inside of the pan 11 is in a boiling state. Shift to boiling continuous heating with less heating amount. As the boiling proceeds, the pressure in the pan 11 increases, and the pressure causes the valve body 89 of the steam outlet 75 to be pushed upward against the urging force of the spring 87, and the valve body 89 causes the inner cylinder of the valve seat portion 86 to move upward. The part is blocked. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the rice cake generated in the pan 11 from entering the vaporizer 73. During boiling heating, the rice cooking control means 118 turns off the solenoid 78 to retract the pressure regulating valve from the communication port. As a result, the pressure adjusting unit is not sealed and is in an open state in which the inside and outside of the pan 11 are communicated, and the pan 11 is maintained at substantially atmospheric pressure. Note that the fact that the temperature of the lid 31 described above is stable at 90 ° C. or higher is detected by the rate of temperature increase of the detected temperature from the lid temperature sensor 61. In this boiling detection, the pan temperature sensor 21 and the lid temperature sensor 61 can confirm that both the bottom of the pan 11 and the lid 31 have reached 90 ° C. or more, and the pan 11 has completely boiled. Can be detected accurately.

  Further, when any of the bottom part of the pan 11, the side part of the pan 11 or the lid 31 reaches a detection temperature that is not normally 120 ° C. or higher, the heating control means 111 determines that there is some abnormality and cooks rice. The amount of heating in the heating is reduced so that all operations are stopped, or the operation is shifted to the unevenness described later, or the heat is kept to prevent abnormal heating. Conversely, either the bottom of the pan 11 or the lid 31 has reached 90 ° C. or more and a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes) has passed, but either the bottom of the pan 11 or the lid 31 other than that. When the temperature is lower than 90 ° C, the pan temperature sensor 21 or the lid temperature sensor 61 in the low temperature state determines that the temperature detection accuracy has deteriorated for some reason (dirt, tilt, poor contact, etc.). Similarly, the amount of heating in rice cooking heating is reduced so that all operations are stopped, or the operation is shifted to unevenness, or the heat is kept, and this is dealt with.

  When shifting to continuation of boiling, the rice cooking control means 118 starts lid heating by the lid heater 36. The lid heating here is managed by the temperature detected by the lid temperature sensor 61 so that the temperature of the inner lid 56 becomes 100 to 110 ° C. In addition, when shifting to boiling continuous heating, the rice cooking control means 118 periodically turns the solenoid 78 on and off. In this continuous boiling heating, it is preferable to change the timing of turning on and off the solenoid 78 in accordance with the menu selected by the operation panel 101. Thereby, the sealing degree of the pressure adjusting unit 58 leading to the pan 11 can be changed to an optimum one according to the selected menu. And if the bottom part of the pan 11 raises predetermined temperature, cooking will be detected and it will transfer to unevenness. During unevenness, the lid heater 36 is cut off by temperature control based on the temperature detected by the lid temperature sensor 61 to prevent dew condensation on the inner lid 56, and the temperature is high enough that the rice does not burn (98-100 ° C). The temperature at the bottom of the pan 11 is controlled so that it is maintained. The unevenness is continued for a predetermined time (15 to 20 minutes), and when the unevenness is completed, the operation shifts to heat retention by the heat retention control means 119. In the above rice cooking process, since it is not necessary to generate water vapor, the water vapor control means 130 does not output a control signal for operating them to the pump driving means 126 and the vaporizer driving means 127. That is, the water vapor control means 130 does not spray water vapor during the rice cooking process.

  When the temperature is kept warm, the heating coil 16 heats the bottom and the lower side of the pan 11 and is slightly higher than the temperature of the rice contained in the pan 11, and the lower surface of the lid 31 is heated by the lid heater 36. The temperature of the side of the pan 11 is controlled by the code heater 26 so that the rice does not dry and a large amount of dew does not adhere. The temperature of the rice in the pan 11 is maintained at 70 to 76 ° C. Even when the temperature is kept, the pan temperature sensor 21 and the lid temperature sensor 61 are abnormally high or abnormally low. Detects abnormalities and prevents this abnormal heating. When the warming operation is started, the warming time counting means 120 measures the warming elapsed time, and when the warming elapsed time reaches a preset time, the steam control means 130 is allowed to perform the steam spraying operation.

  In addition, the sealing degree of the pressure adjusting unit in each process from steam unevenness to heat insulation varies depending on the selected cooking course, but when it reaches a predetermined time before the end of substantial rice cooking, the solenoid 78 Is turned off to lower the sealing degree of the pressure adjusting unit, and the pressure is reduced to such an extent that there is no problem in opening the lid 31 at the end of cooking rice.

  When the water vapor control means 130 receives permission of the water vapor spraying operation from the timer means, it monitors the lid open / close detection signal from the micro switch 91, and measures the time when the lid 31 is open and the time after it is closed, Control signals are output to the pump driving means 126 and the vaporizer driving means 127 to control the pump 2 and the vaporizer 3. When the lid body 31 is opened after a while from the start of the heat retaining process, the lid opening counting means 131 of the water vapor control means 130 starts timing, and counts and stores the opening time of the lid body 31. When the lid 31 is closed, the counting of the lid opening counting means 131 stops, while the lid closing counting means 132 starts timing, and when the lid closing counting means 132 counts for a certain time, the water vapor control means 130 A control signal is output to 126 and the vaporizer driving means 127 to operate the pump 2 and the vaporizer 3. Specifically, the water vapor control means 130 first activates the vaporizer 73, determines that the vaporizer 3 has reached an appropriate temperature from the detection signal of the thermo 90, and then activates the pump 72. The water in the water supply tank 71 is pumped up by the pump 72 through the water supply tube 74 to the vaporizer 73 and is evaporated in the vaporizer 73 that has become high temperature to become water vapor. The steam flows from the discharge port 73a through the steam pipe 85 and the inner cylinder part of the valve seat 86 into the steam outlet 75, and the steam is ejected from the side opening 96 into the pot 11. As a result, even if the lid 31 is opened and closed during the heat insulation, the steam is supplied to the rice being kept warm, so that the rice can be prevented from drying and the rice can always be supple. At this time, the water vapor control means 130 adjusts the flow rate of the pump 72 according to the time counted by the lid opening counting means 131, and controls the amount of water vapor sprayed into the pot 11. Since the water vapor control means 130 controls the amount of water vapor supplied according to the opening time of the lid 31, it is possible to always keep the rice with a constant water content. Further, when the lid 31 is opened during the spraying of water vapor, the pump 72 is stopped and the steam outlet 75 is closed by the valve body 89 to immediately stop the water jet. Thus, when the lid 31 is opened, it is safe because the spraying of water vapor is stopped.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the pan 11 housed in the main body 1, the heating coil 16 as a heating means for heating the pan 11, and the lid body 31 that covers the top of the pan 11 so as to be freely opened and closed are provided. In the rice cooker, a steam generator 70 for supplying steam to the cooked food in the pan 11 and a micro switch 91 as a lid opening / closing detection means for detecting opening / closing of the lid 31 are provided. When the lid 31 is opened and closed, steam is sprayed on the cooked rice in the pan 11 and when the lid 31 is open, the steam is not sprayed.

  In this way, even if the lid 31 is opened and closed during the heat insulation, the steam is supplied to the heat-insulated rice, so that the rice can be prevented from drying and the rice can always be supple. On the other hand, when the lid 31 is opened, it is safe because spraying of water vapor is stopped. From the above, it is possible to provide a rice cooker that can always keep warm rice even if the opening / closing frequency and time of the lid 31 are large during heat insulation.

  Further, in the rice cooker of the present embodiment, the lid opening counting means 131 that counts the time during which the lid 31 is open, and the water vapor amount of the steam generator 70 is controlled according to the time counted by the lid opening counting means 131. Steam control means 130 is provided.

  In this way, since the amount of water vapor to be supplied is controlled by the opening time of the lid 31, it is possible to always keep the rice with a certain amount of moisture. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately replenish water necessary for making the rice shiny.

  Furthermore, the rice cooker of the present embodiment is provided with the lid closing counting means 132 that counts the time from when the lid 31 is closed, and the water vapor generator 70 sprays water vapor after the lid closing counting means 132 counts for a certain time. It is configured to

  In this way, wasteful supply of water vapor can be suppressed when the lid 31 is frequently opened and closed within a short time, such as during a meal. Therefore, water vapor can be effectively supplied to the rice.

  Further, the rice cooker of the present embodiment is provided with a heat retention time counting means 120 for measuring the time from the start of heat retention, and the water vapor generating device 70 is configured to spray water vapor after the heat retention time counting means 120 has timed for a certain time. Yes.

  If it does in this way, supply of the water vapor | steam to rice with sufficient water content immediately after cooking can be suppressed, and the stickiness of rice can be prevented. Therefore, it can be kept warm so as not to impair the taste of freshly cooked rice.

  Furthermore, in the rice cooker of the present embodiment, in the rice cooker provided with the microcomputer 161 as a control device having a backup function for holding necessary information during a power failure of the AC power supply 162 and the LCD 102 as a display device, the microcomputer 161 is in a backup state. In this case, the LCD 102 is configured to display model information.

  In this way, since the model information is displayed on the LCD 102 when the microcomputer 161 is in the backup state, the model can be easily identified by the display without any special operation. Accordingly, it is possible to easily confirm an assembly error at the time of product assembly and a model discrimination in the product state.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said Example, It can change in the range which does not deviate from the meaning of this invention, and can be applied to all types of rice cookers.

It is principal part sectional drawing seen from the side surface direction of the rice cooker in this invention. It is the principal part sectional drawing seen from the back direction of the rice cooker same as the above. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the component surface of the board | substrate accommodated in the rice cooker main body same as the above. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the solder surface of the board | substrate accommodated in the rice cooker main body same as the above. It is explanatory drawing which shows another structure of the board | substrate accommodated in the rice cooker main body same as the above. It is a block diagram which shows the electrical structure of the board | substrate assembly accommodated in the rice cooker main body same as the above. It is a flowchart which shows the display process of LCD mounted in the rice cooker same as the above. It is a block diagram which shows the electrical structure of a rice cooker same as the above. It is explanatory drawing which shows the spraying timing of the water vapor | steam in a pot same as the above.

Explanation of symbols

1 body
11 Pot
16 Heating coil (heating means)
31 Lid
70 Water vapor generator (steam device)
91 Micro switch (lid open / close detection means)
102 LCD (display device)
120 Insulation time counting means (Insulation counting means)
130 Steam control means
131 Cover open counting means
132 Counting means for closing the lid
161 Microcomputer (control device)

Claims (5)

In a rice cooker provided with a pan stored in the body, a heating means for heating the pan, and an openable / closable lid, a steam device for supplying steam to the cooked rice in the pan, and opening and closing the lid Detecting means for detecting, and the steam device supplies steam to the cooked rice in the pan when the lid is opened and closed during heat insulation, and supplies steam when the lid is open. A rice cooker characterized in that the rice cooker is configured so as not to exist. 2. The rice cooker according to claim 1, further comprising: lid opening counting means for measuring a time for which the lid is open; and control means for controlling steam in accordance with the time counted by the lid opening counting means. vessel. The lid closing counting means for counting time from the time when the lid is closed, and the steam device is configured to supply steam after the lid closing counting means clocks for a certain time. The rice cooker of Claim 1 or Claim 2. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a warming counting unit that counts a warming time, wherein the steam device supplies steam after the warming counting unit counts a predetermined time. Rice cooker as described in. A rice cooker comprising a control device having a backup function for holding information and a display device, wherein the display device displays model information when in a backup state.

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