JP2008093106A - Rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely tightly close inside a container even if the container inside is in a state other than an atmospheric pressure, reduce the manufacturing cost, miniaturize a product size and improve the rice cooking performance. <P>SOLUTION: An inner lid 56 is provided with a hole 181 communicating inside a pot 11 and a shutoff valve 62 for opening/closing the hole 181. A shutoff valve operation means 211, or an operation means of the shutoff valve 62, is provided at a lid body 31. The shutoff valve operation means 211 includes an operation member 212 operating the movable shutoff valve shaft 201 of the shutoff valve 62, and a seal member 217 movable to the operation member 212 and abutting on the shutoff valve shaft 201 of the shutoff valve 62. The shutoff valve is so constituted as to open the hole 181, when the pressure in the pot 11 rises to and above a prescribed value after closing the hole 181 by the operation of the operation member 212. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a rice cooker that improves rice cooking performance.

  In general, a container is storable in the main body, a lid is provided so as to cover this container, and in order to cook rice beautifully, the pressure in the container is increased, and a pressure rice cooker that cooks rice is, for example, Patent Document 1 and the like disclose this. In addition, a rice cooker in which the rice cooking performance is further improved by the combined use of a so-called reduced pressure state in which the pressure in the container is lowered has already been proposed by the present applicant (Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-31674).

In this case, when the pressure in the container is high (pressurized state), the inner lid, that is, the lid body receives an upward force. On the contrary, when the pressure in the container is low (depressurized state), the inner lid, that is, the lid body receives a downward force. The inner lid is provided with a communication hole for the container. In a pressurized state or a reduced pressure state, it is necessary to close the communication hole by closing the communication hole. In order to be deformed by receiving a forward / reverse force below, sealing performance against such forward / reverse deformation is required.
JP 2006-350 A

  However, the structure of the conventional rice cooker described above has the following problems.

  The inner lid is provided with opening / closing means, and the opening / closing means freely opens and closes the communication hole by the operating means provided on the lid. However, if the positional relationship between the opening / closing means and the operating means is set so that the opening / closing means closes the communication hole during pressurization, a gap is generated between the opening / closing means and the operating means during decompression, and the communication hole cannot be sealed. Conversely, if the opening / closing means is set so as to block the communication hole during decompression, an excessive load is applied to the opening / closing means and the operating means during pressurization, which causes a problem in the durability of the parts.

  Further, when the open / close means closes the communication hole in the pressurized state, the lid does not open and there is no problem in use. However, when the open / close means does not close the communication hole in the pressurized state, that is, during decompression of the inside of the container, the operation means moves the open / close means in the direction to open the communication hole, and the operation means is engaged. It is in a position away from the department. Therefore, if there is a fallen object from above the lid during this time, for example, if a force that unexpectedly operates the engaging portion is applied, the lid may be opened. Rice cookers are usually used frequently in kitchens and the like, and can be easily dropped from above. When such a phenomenon occurs, the rice in the container becomes boiled (not cooked), and there is no rice at meal time.

  In view of the above problems, the present invention can reliably seal the inside of the container even when the container is in a state other than atmospheric pressure, reduce the product cost, reduce the product size, and improve the rice cooking performance. The purpose is to provide a rice cooker that can be used.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a rice cooker that can prevent the lid from opening even if an unintended lid opening operation is performed when trying to return the inside of the container to atmospheric pressure. .

  In the rice cooker according to claim 1 of the present invention, when the operating means operates the opening and closing means, the hole provided in the inner lid is closed, and then the opening and closing means when the pressure in the container rises above a predetermined value. By opening the hole, the inside of the container can be adjusted to a predetermined pressure value, and rice cooking performance can be improved. In addition, the operating member constituting the operating means does not directly operate the opening / closing means, but the sealing member movable with respect to the operating member operates the opening / closing means. Therefore, when the inside of the container is at atmospheric pressure, the opening / closing means is attached. Even if the inner lid may be deformed upward or downward, it is possible to prevent the operation means from being separated from the opening / closing means by using the movable portion of the sealing member, and the opening / closing means closes the hole to close the container. The inside can be securely sealed. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to adopt a special structure that does not deform the inner lid, it is possible to suppress an increase in manufacturing cost and to make the product size compact.

  In the rice cooker according to claim 2 of the present invention, even when the inner lid is deformed in a direction in which the opening / closing means is separated from the operating means, the sealing member is opened / closed by the elastic member between the operating member and the sealing member. The opening / closing means can more reliably close the hole. Further, when the pressure in the container rises above a predetermined value, the opening / closing means opens the hole against the biasing of the elastic member, so that the pressure in the container can be easily adjusted by this elastic member.

  In the rice cooker according to claim 3 of the present invention, the operation means operates one of the opening and closing means to close one of the holes provided in the inner lid, and then the pressure in the container rises above a predetermined value. In this case, the opening / closing means opens the hole, so that the inside of the container can be adjusted to a predetermined pressure value and rice cooking performance can be improved. In addition, the operating member constituting the operating means does not directly operate the opening / closing means, but the sealing member movable with respect to the operating member operates the opening / closing means. Therefore, when the inside of the container is at atmospheric pressure, the opening / closing means is attached. Even if the inner lid may be deformed upward or downward, it is possible to prevent the operation means from being separated from the opening / closing means by using the movable portion of the sealing member, and the opening / closing means closes the hole to close the container. The inside can be securely sealed. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to adopt a special structure that does not deform the inner lid, it is possible to suppress an increase in manufacturing cost and to make the product size compact.

  In the rice cooker according to claim 4 of the present invention, even when the inner lid is deformed in a direction in which the opening / closing means is away from the operating means, the sealing member is opened / closed by the elastic member between the operating member and the sealing member. The opening / closing means can more reliably close the hole. Further, when the pressure in the container rises above a predetermined value, the opening / closing means opens the hole against the biasing of the elastic member, so that the pressure in the container can be easily adjusted by this elastic member.

  In the rice cooker according to claim 5 of the present invention, when the operation member is operated to close the hole, the frame member moves to a position where the engagement portion is prevented from being disengaged, and then the pressure in the container becomes a predetermined value or more. Even when the container is raised to return to the atmospheric pressure in the container, the frame member continues to remain at a position that prevents the engagement portion from being disengaged, and the engagement portion does not move. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the lid from being inadvertently opened before the inside of the container has returned to atmospheric pressure, thereby preventing the rice from being boiled.

  In the rice cooker according to claim 6 of the present invention, the first opening / closing means for opening / closing the hole can be reliably moved by operating the frame member using the solenoid as a driving source.

  In the rice cooker according to claim 7 of the present invention, for example, if the inside of the container is decompressed in a sealed state by using a decompression means during heat retention, the oxygen concentration in the container is lowered and moisture of the cooked rice is prevented from evaporating. And can suppress the Maillard reaction and oxidation sufficiently.

  According to the rice cooker in claim 1 of the present invention, even if the inside of the container is in a state other than atmospheric pressure, the inside of the container can be surely sealed, the product cost is reduced, the product size is reduced, and the rice cooking performance is improved. Can be improved.

  According to the rice cooker in claim 2 of the present invention, using the elastic member, the opening and closing means can more reliably close the hole, and the pressure in the container can be easily adjusted.

  According to the rice cooker in claim 3 of the present invention, even if the inside of the container is in a state other than atmospheric pressure, the inside of the container can be surely sealed, the product cost is reduced, the product size is made compact, and the rice cooking performance is improved. Can be improved.

  According to the rice cooker in claim 4 of the present invention, using the elastic member, the opening and closing means can more reliably close the hole, and the pressure in the container can be easily adjusted.

  According to the rice cooker in claim 5 of the present invention, when the inside of the container is returned to the atmospheric pressure, the lid can be prevented from opening even if an unintended lid opening operation is performed.

  According to the rice cooker in claim 6 of the present invention, the first opening / closing means can be moved reliably.

  According to the rice cooker according to claim 7 of the present invention, the Maillard reaction and oxidation of rice can be sufficiently suppressed, yellowing and oxidation can be prevented, and good-tasting rice can be obtained for a long period of time.

  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, the structure of the rice cooker which is an example of this invention is demonstrated. In the figure, a main body 1 that forms the outline of a rice cooker 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 covering bottom plate 4 is provided. At that time, 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. The 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 has a pan body 12 mainly made of aluminum having good thermal conductivity, and a heating element 13 made of 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; Consists of. 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.

  A heating coil 16 as heating means for electromagnetic induction heating of the bottom of the pan 11 is provided on the lower and bottom sides of the inner frame 8 facing the heating element 13 on the outer surface. 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 in the pan 11 and thus the pan 11 is heated. Yes.

  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, particularly the flange portion 14, is arranged in an annular shape at the upper end of the pan container 9. The cord heater 26 is an electric heater, and is held on a heater ring 27 as a heat dissipation suppressing member mounted and mounted on the upper end of the pan container 9 and covers the cord heater 26 from above. A flange heater is configured by including a metal plate 29 that is attached to the heater ring 27 and has both a fixing metal member made of, for example, an aluminum plate, which is excellent in thermal 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 with an outer lid 32 as an outer part forming an outer shell of the upper surface, a lower surface which is an inner surface of the lid 31, a metallic heat sink 34 anodized with stainless steel or aluminum, an outer lid 32, and The main component is an outer lid cover 35 as a lid base material that forms a skeleton of the lid 31 by coupling the heat radiating plate 34. 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.

  A hinge portion 38 connected to the lid 31 is provided behind the upper frame 2. The hinge portion 38 is provided with a pair of holes (not shown) in the left-right direction when viewed from the front, and a hinge spring 40 formed of a torsion coil spring or the like is accommodated therein. 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 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.

  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, the engagement between the lid 31 and the main body 1 is released and the lid is opened by the hinge spring 40. The body 31 opens automatically.

  Here, the configuration around the lid opening button 46 will be described in more detail based on the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2. A clamp 44 corresponding to the engaging portion is disposed on the lid 31. The clamp 44 is rotatably supported with respect to the outer lid cover 35 around a clamp shaft 45 provided inside the lid body 31. The lid opening button 46 corresponding to the lid opening / closing means is disposed in an exposed state from the front upper surface of the lid 31 so that the user can operate it. Clamp biasing means (not shown) such as a spring for biasing the base end portion 44A of the clamp 44 toward the lid opening button 46 is provided inside the lid 31 so that the lid opening button 46 is always upward. The force to push up is applied.

  In addition to the base end portion 44 </ b> A that contacts the lid opening button 46, the clamp 44 has a drooping portion 44 </ b> B that protrudes downward from a clamping hole 48 on the lower surface of the outer lid cover 35, and a substantial distal end portion of the clamp 44. It corresponds to an engaging portion 44C extending from the lower end of the hanging portion 44B to the inside of the main body 1 as a starting point. The clamp 44 is formed of a metal part such as stainless steel, and the engaging portion 44C is substantially L-shaped. By doing so, it is possible to obtain engagement with the clamp receiver 50 having a higher strength than when the clamp 44 is made of synthetic resin. Further, the engaging portions 44C are provided at substantially equal positions on the left and right sides from the center. The hanging portion 44B and the engaging portion 44C are provided on the lower side of the clamp 44 and are provided in a pair on the left and right. The clamp shaft 45 serving as the rotation center of the clamp 44 is disposed along the upper end of the hanging portion 44B, and the engaging portion 44C swings substantially in the front-rear direction of the main body 1.

  On the other hand, a clamp receiver 50 corresponding to an engagement receiving 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. When closing to 1 side, the clamp 44 rotates around the clamp shaft 45 by the biasing force of the clamp biasing means and engages with the clamp receiver 50, thereby closing the lid 31 with respect to the main body 1. It is designed to hold the state. The clamp receiver 50 is formed of a metal part such as stainless steel. By doing so, compared with the case where the clamp receiver 50 is made of a synthetic resin, the engagement with the clamp 44 having a higher strength can be obtained. On the other hand, when opening the lid 31, the lid opening button 46 is pushed, the base end of the clamp 44 is pushed downward, the clamp 44 is rotated in the reverse direction, and the engaging portion 44 </ b> C is moved to the body 1. The engagement between the clamp 44 and the clamp receiver 50 is released by moving forward. The lower part of the clamp receiver of the upper frame 2 needs to have a depth that does not collide when the clamp 44 rotates about the clamp shaft 45. The clearance between the clamp 44 and the clamp receiver 50 is set to have a dimensional relationship that is larger than the normal engagement amount of the clamp 44 and the clamp receiver 50. Further, the dimensional relationship is set to be larger than the gap between the outer lid cover 35 and the upper frame 2.

  Here, the movable clamp 44 on the lid body 31 side is referred to as an engagement portion, and the fixed clamp receiver 50 on the main body 1 side is used as the engagement reception portion. The main body 1 may be provided with a movable engagement receiving portion.

  Reference numeral 55 denotes an inner lid assembly provided on the outer side, that is, 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 closes the gap between the pan 11 and the inner lid 56 with a metallic inner lid 56 anodized with stainless steel or aluminum. Therefore, a cover packing 57 made of an elastic member such as silicone rubber or fluorine rubber and a pressure adjusting unit 58 for adjusting the internal pressure of the inner hook are provided on the entire outer periphery of the inner cover 56. The inner lid 56 and the lid packing 57 are integrated by a packing base 59, whereby the inner lid assembly 55 is detachably provided on the inner surface of the outer lid cover 35. Further, the lid packing 57 formed in an annular shape contacts the upper surface of the flange portion 14 of the pan 11 when the lid 31 is closed (when the lid is closed), and the gap between the pan 11 and the inner lid 56 The steam generated from the pan 11 is sealed.

  Returning to FIG. 1 again, the heat radiating plate 34 has a thermistor for controlling the temperature of the inner lid 56 by the lid heater 51 as lid temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the lid 31, particularly the inner lid 56. A lid temperature sensor 61 of the type is provided. Further, a steam port 146 that can be attached to and detached from the upper surface side of the lid 31 is provided at a portion closer to the upper surface rear side of the lid 31.

  The inner lid 56 includes a plurality of holes communicating with the inside of the pan 11, that is, communication holes 77 and 181. Further, as the opening / closing means for opening and closing these communication holes 77 and 181, a pressure adjusting unit 58 as a pressure adjusting means and an opening / closing valve 62 are provided separately. When the inner lid 56 is attached to the lower side of the outer lid cover 35, the pressure adjusting unit 58 and the on-off valve 62 are both provided facing the inlet side of the steam port 146. Communicate internally. The pressure adjusting unit 58 and the on-off valve 62 adjust the pressure in the pan 11 by opening or closing the communication holes 77 and 181.

  Here, the configuration of the pressure adjusting unit 58 that opens and closes the communication hole 77 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. The pressure regulating unit 58 includes a pressure regulating valve 65 for regulating pressure, a pressure regulating valve holder assembly 66 that holds the pressure regulating valve 65, and a dome-shaped pressure regulating valve cover 67 that covers the pressure regulating valve 65. The pressure regulating valve 65 is a material excellent in corrosion resistance and may be any component having a certain weight, and is formed of, for example, an austenitic stainless sphere.

  The pressure regulating valve holder assembly 66 includes a first holder 68, a second holder 69, a first pressure regulating packing 71 corresponding to a pressure reducing support member, a second pressure regulating packing 72, and a pressure from the inside of the pan 11. In order not to directly apply to the 1 pressure regulation packing 71, there is a valve support 73 below the first pressure regulation packing 71, corresponding to a pressure support member, and a valve support on the lower surface of the first pressure regulation packing 71. And a pressure regulating spring 74 as an elastic body that urges the valve support 73 in the direction in which the 73 abuts. The valve support 73 is provided with a pressure regulating hole 70 that abuts below the ball-shaped pressure regulating valve 65 when the inside of the pan 11 is pressurized. The pressure adjusting hole 70 is for communicating the pot 11 and the outside of the lid 31. When the steam in the pot 11 passes through the pressure adjusting hole 70, the pressure adjusting hole 70 is discharged from the steam port 146 to the outside air. Yes. The first holder 68 and the second holder 69 are provided with a convex engaging portion 75 and a concave engaged portion 76 for fitting each other. The first holder 68 and the second holder 69 are attached to a communication hole 77 provided in the inner lid 56 as a holding member for holding the first pressure regulating packing 71, the valve support 73, and the like. The first holder 68 is entirely formed in a cap shape, and has a through hole 68A at the center thereof. The first holder 68 has a peripheral portion 68B of the through hole 68A and an upper end portion 69A of the second holder 69. The base is clamped. The second holder 69 has a cylindrical shape. A flange 69B is formed on the lower side of the second holder 69 so as to abut the lower surface of the inner lid 56 near the communication hole 77. A concave groove 69 </ b> C for fitting the two pressure regulating packings 72 is formed. Furthermore, a projecting piece 69d having an L-shaped cross section is formed on the inner peripheral side of the second holder 69 in order to fit one end of the pressure adjusting spring 74.

  When assembling the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 66, first, the pressure regulating packing 72 fitted into the concave groove 69C of the second holder 69 is inserted into the communication hole 77 provided in the inner lid 56, and the inside of the second holder 69 is inserted. The valve support 73 is inserted from above the second holder 69 so as to sandwich the pressure adjusting spring 74 on the circumferential side. Next, the first pressure regulation packing 71 is placed on the valve support 73 so as to cover the valve support 73 and the upper end 69A of the second holder 69, and the first pressure regulation packing 71 is further sandwiched from this state. In this manner, the first holder 68 is covered from above, the engaging portion 75 and the engaged portion 76 are fitted to each other, and the first holder 68 is attached to the second holder 69. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, when the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 66 is assembled, the inner surface of the second holder 69 and the lower surface of the valve support 73 are directly opposed to the inside of the pan 11. The first pressure regulating packing 71 arranged on the upper side of the two holders 69 and the valve support 73 has a structure that does not require direct pressure from the inside of the pan 11.

  The pressure regulating valve 65 is held by the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 66 assembled in this manner, and the pressure regulating section 58 is configured by covering the pressure regulating valve cover 67 from above. At this time, the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 66 and the pressure regulating valve cover 67 may be attached by claw fitting or may be stopped using a fastening member such as a screw or a rivet. The pressure regulating valve cover 67 is for restricting the movement range of the pressure regulating valve 65, and is provided with a plurality of holes (not shown) for guiding the steam discharged from the pressure regulating hole 70 to the steam port. Further, since the inner lid 56 is supported by the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 66 and the pressure regulating valve cover 67, the communication hole 77 of the inner lid 56 is not exposed.

  The opening area of the pressure regulating hole 70 of the valve support 73 is smaller than the area of the surface 80 that receives pressure directly from the inside of the pan 11 inside the leg 79 formed on the lower side of the valve support 73. Further, the pressure regulating valve 65 is held so as to close the pressure regulating hole 70. Therefore, the pressure in the pan 11 can be adjusted by the opening area of the pressure adjusting hole 70 and the weight of the pressure adjusting valve 65.

  As an operation source for adjusting the sealing degree of the lid 31 by moving the pressure regulating valve 65, that is, the internal pressure of the pan 11, the outer lid cover 35 in the lid 31 has a solenoid 78 for moving the pressure regulating valve 65 in the pressure regulating unit 58. Is provided. When the solenoid 78 is not energized, its tip is held in the advanced position and the pressure regulating valve 65 is retracted from the pressure adjusting hole 70, while when the solenoid 78 is energized, its tip is retracted and the pressure regulating valve 65 is adjusted. The pressure hole 70 is caused to roll by its own weight, the pressure adjusting hole 70 is closed, and the pressure is put into the pan 11.

  Both the first pressure regulating packing 71 and the second pressure regulating packing 72 are made of an elastic member such as silicone rubber. Accordingly, particularly when the pressure in the pan 11 shown in FIG. 5 is reduced, the pressure regulating valve 65 comes into close contact with the first pressure regulating packing 71 due to elastic deformation of the first pressure regulating packing 71, and the opening in the first pressure regulating packing 71. That is, the sealing performance of the hole 71A is improved.

  Here, the operation means of the pressure adjusting unit 58 will be described with further reference to FIGS. As described above, the pressure adjusting solenoid 78 that moves the pressure adjusting valve 65 in the pressure adjusting unit 58 by moving the plunger 151 in and out from the inside by the electromagnetic force is provided inside the lid 31. Similarly, the pressure adjusting frame 152 that moves together with the plunger 151 toward the outer lid cover 35 and the flexible pressure adjusting packing 153 that holds the inside of the lid 31 in a watertight state are also the outer lid in the lid 31. A cover 35 is provided. The pressure regulation packing 153 has a concave attachment portion 153A that faces the pressure adjustment portion 58 and fits to the periphery of an attachment hole provided in the outer lid cover 35. As shown also in FIG. 6, the pressure adjusting solenoid 78 and the pressure adjusting frame 152 are accommodated and arranged in a pressure regulating accommodating portion 154 formed in the lid 31 by the outer lid cover 35.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the pressure adjusting frame 152 includes a pressure adjusting operation portion 161 as an operation portion protruding toward the pressure adjusting valve 65, and a frame portion 162 provided so as to surround the pressure adjusting solenoid 78. And a clamp operation restricting portion 163 provided on the substantially opposite side of the pressure adjusting operation portion 161. The plunger 151 of the solenoid 78 and thus the pressure adjusting frame 152 are always positioned so as to push the pressure adjusting valve 65 in order to bring the inside of the pan 11 into a non-pressurized state, and in particular, the pressure adjusting frame 152 for operating the pressure adjusting valve 65. This portion is used as the pressure adjusting operation unit 161. In this way, when the lid 31 is to be opened, the inside of the pan 11 is communicated with the outside air, and a smooth lid opening operation can be obtained without being affected by negative pressure.

  In addition to the pressure adjusting unit 58 facing the communication hole 77, an open / close valve 62 that opens and closes the communication hole 181 is provided on the upper surface side of the inner lid 56 so as to face another communication hole 181. As shown in FIGS. 11 to 14, the on-off valve 62 includes an on-off valve shaft 201 that can move up and down, a shaft presser 202, a shaft spring 203 that is a coil spring that is an elastic body, and a lower portion of the on-off valve shaft 201. And a shaft packing 204 to be mounted on. The shaft retainer 202 has a cylindrical shape, and the lower end abuts around the communication hole 181 of the inner lid 56, while the on-off valve shaft 201 is inserted from the upper end. A shaft spring 203 is provided between a flange 201A formed on the outer periphery of the on-off valve shaft 201 and an upper end of the shaft presser 202, and always urges the on-off valve shaft 201 in a direction in which the shaft packing 204 is separated from the communication hole 181. To do. As described above, the open / close shaft 201 including the shaft packing 204 is constantly urged in the direction to open the communication hole 181 by the shaft spring 203, and this causes Oneva accumulated in the upper portion of the inner lid 56 to be connected to the communication hole 181. When the lid 31 is closed, the air is easily released from the inside of the pan 11 through the communication hole 181 to reduce the force applied when the lid is closed. Further, the shaft packing 204 provided facing the communication hole 181 is formed of a flexible material so as to reliably close the communication hole 181 when the on-off valve shaft 201 moves downward.

  205 is a cylindrical on-off valve cover that covers the outer periphery of the on-off valve shaft 201 and the shaft spring 203 and is attached to the upper part of the shaft presser 202. The on-off valve cover 205 may be attached to the pressure regulating valve cover 67, or may be provided separately from the pressure regulating valve cover 67.

  On-off valve operating means 211 is attached to the outer lid cover 35 at the upper part of the on-off valve 62. The on-off valve operating means 211 includes an operating member 212 for operating the on-off valve 62, an open / close frame 175 that is a frame member that moves the operating member 212 up and down, an elastic member 215 made of a coil spring, and the outer lid cover 35. A flexible seal member 217 that closes the hole portion 216 and a cap 218 attached to the upper portion of the seal member 217 are configured. The seal member 217 is provided with a seal portion 221 that seals the inside of the lid 31 on the outer peripheral portion thereof, and a bottomed cylindrical operation portion 222 that covers the operation member 212 is provided at the center portion. The operation part 222 is in contact with the upper end surface of the on-off valve shaft 201. Here, the seal member 217 has a U-shaped cross section, and is attached to the periphery of the hole 216 of the outer lid cover 35, and further, between the periphery of the hole 216 and the outer periphery of the cap 218. Sandwiched between. Further, the seal portion 221 and the operation portion 222 are connected by a connecting portion 223 that is thinner than the seal portion 221 and the operation portion 222 and is rich in flexibility. The connecting portion 223 is formed in a shape having a curved cross section. However, if the operating portion 222 is movable in the same vertical direction as the on-off valve shaft 201 in conjunction with the operating member 212, the connecting portion 223 has a shape other than a curved shape. May be.

  An elastic member 215 is mounted between the operation member 212 inserted into the hole 218A of the cap 218 and the operation portion 222 of the seal member 217. Further, a hole 213 through which the operation member movable portion 188 of the opening / closing frame 175 passes and contacts is provided above the operation member 212. Here, the configuration of the open / close frame 175 and its surroundings will be described based on FIGS. 7 and 8 and FIG. 10 described above, and is different from the pressure regulation housing portion 154 formed in the lid 31 by the outer lid cover 35. An open / close solenoid 172 is disposed in the open / close housing portion 171. Similarly to the pressure adjusting solenoid 78, the opening / closing solenoid 172 also has a configuration in which the plunger 173 is moved in and out by an electromagnetic force. The open / close frame 175 is accommodated in the open / close accommodating portion 171 together with the open / close solenoid 172, and is movable together with the plunger 173. As described above, the open / close frame 175 constituting the open / close valve operating means 211 operates with the open / close solenoid 172, preferably a solenoid, as a drive source, so that the open / close frame 175 can be reliably moved in the rice cooking process. Become. Similarly, the pressure adjusting frame 152 operates with the pressure adjusting solenoid 78, preferably a solenoid, as a driving source, so that the pressure adjusting frame 152 can be reliably moved in the rice cooking process.

  The operation member movable portion 188 is located between the operation member 212 and the plunger 173 of the opening / closing solenoid 172, and is formed in the shape of an arm piece integrally with the rear of the opening / closing frame 175. Further, in front of the opening / closing frame 175, a protruding clamp operation restricting portion 189 is provided so as to be positioned substantially opposite to the operation member movable portion 188. The operation member movable portion 188 has a shape having a height difference between the central portion 188A and the tip portion 188B, and is further set in a state of penetrating through a hole 213 provided in the operation member 212. In other words, the operation member movable portion 188 here forms a cam surface 188C at the contact portion with the operation member 212, and as the operation member movable portion 188 interlocked with the plunger 173 extends and retracts, By changing the position of the cam surface 188C with which the operation member 212 is in contact, the opening / closing shaft 186 and thus the opening / closing valve 182 move up and down.

  When the inner lid assembly 55 is attached to the lower surface of the outer lid cover 35, the upper end surface of the on-off valve shaft 201 pushed upward by the shaft spring 203 comes into contact with the operation portion 222 of the seal member 217. At this time, the opening / closing solenoid 172 is in a non-energized state, and since the central portion 188A of the operating member movable portion 188 is positioned in the hole 213 of the operating member 212, the elastic member 215 is bent and the operating member 212 is moved upward. Pushed up. Therefore, the shaft packing 204 is separated from the communication hole 181 and the communication hole 181 is kept open. That is, as shown in FIG. 11, when the opening / closing solenoid 172 is not energized in a normal state, the operation member 212 comes into contact with the central portion 188 </ b> A of the operation member movable portion 188, and the opening / closing valve shaft 201 of the operation member 212 or the opening / closing valve 62. Is located above, the communication hole 181 formed in the inner lid 56 remains open.

  Conversely, as shown in FIG. 13, when a predetermined process of rice cooking is started and the open / close solenoid 172 is energized, the open / close frame 175 operates to operate the operation member movable portion 188 in the hole 213 of the operation member 212. Retreats and moves through, and the operation member 212 is held in contact with the distal end portion 188B of the operation member movable portion 188. As described above, the central portion 188A and the distal end portion 188B of the operating member movable portion 188 have a height difference, and the distal end portion 188B has the cam surface 188C with which the operating member 212 abuts lower than the central portion 188A. is doing. Therefore, the operation member 212 and the operation part 222 of the seal member 217 move downward, and the on-off valve shaft 201 provided in the inner lid assembly 55 is pushed downward by the operation part 222 of the seal member 217. A shaft packing 204 attached to the tip of 201 closes the communication hole 181. At this time, in order for the shaft packing 204 to reliably close the communication hole 181, the force by which the operating portion 222 of the seal member 217 pushes the on-off valve shaft 201 downward is that the shaft spring 203 biases the on-off valve shaft 201 upward. To be greater than the power to do.

  As described above, in the vicinity of the pressure regulating solenoid 78, a pressure regulating operation unit 161 for moving the pressure regulating valve 65 is provided behind the pressure regulating frame 152, while on the front side of the pressure regulating frame 152. A protruding clamp operation restricting portion 163 is provided. Similarly, an operation member movable portion 188 having a cam surface 188C is provided behind the opening / closing frame 175 in the vicinity of the opening / closing solenoid 172, and a protruding clamp operation restricting portion 189 is provided in front of the opening / closing frame 175. Is provided. Then, when the plunger 151 of the pressure adjusting solenoid 78 moves to the retracted position, such as by starting cooking rice and moving to a predetermined process of pressurizing, the clamp 44 moves in the direction of releasing the engagement from the clamp receiver 50. In order to restrict, the clamp operation restricting portion 163 is arranged so as to sink under the base end portion 44A of the clamp 44, and when the plunger 173 of the opening / closing solenoid 172 moves to the retracted position, the clamp operation restricting portion 189 is It arrange | positions so that it may enter under the base end part 44A of the clamp 44. FIG. At this time, even if the clamp 44 is pushed by the lid opening button 46, the movement of the clamp 44 is restricted and the engagement with the clamp receiver 50 cannot be released.

  Conversely, when the plunger 151 of the pressure adjusting solenoid 78 is in the advanced position, the clamp operation restricting portion 163 is separated from the base end portion 44A of the clamp 44, and the plunger 173 of the opening / closing solenoid 172 is in the advanced position. In addition, the clamp operation restricting portion 189 is separated from the base end portion 44A of the clamp 44. That is, when the clamp operation restricting portion 163 and / or the clamp operation restricting portion 189 are located below the base end portion 44A of the clamp 44, the operation of the clamp 44 is restricted, and the clamp 44 is removed from the clamp receiver 50. Although the engagement cannot be released, when both the clamp operation restricting portion 163 and the clamp operation restricting portion 189 are separated from the lower side of the base end portion 44A of the clamp 44, the operation of the clamp 44 is not restricted and the lid opening button 46 is pressed. When the moving operation is performed, the clamp 44 is detached from the clamp receiver 50 and the lid 31 is opened. The clamp operation restricting portions 163 and 189 may be any shape as long as they have a position and a shape for restricting the operation of the clamp 44 without being submerged below the base end portion 44A of the clamp 44. .

  81 is a pressure reducing means provided to lower the inside of the pan 11 below the normal atmospheric pressure with the lid 31 closed to the main body 1. The decompression means 81 includes a decompression pump 82 serving as a decompression drive source, and a tubular path 84 extending from the decompression pump 82 through the main body 1 and the lid 31 to the hole 83 provided in the inner lid 56. Further, an electromagnetic valve 87 as an opening / closing body for opening and closing the base end portion of the path 84 and a valve housing body 88 for housing the electromagnetic valve 87 are provided inside the lid body 31. Connected to the valve housing 88 is a cylindrical decompression packing 89 protruding downward from the heat radiating plate 34 toward the periphery of the hole 83 of the inner lid 56. Here, the hole 83 in the inner lid 56 is provided as a vacuum communication hole for evacuation, and the electromagnetic valve 87 is provided between the hole 83 and the decompression pump 82. The path 84 is formed of a pipe such as a rubber tube, for example, and connects between the pressure reducing pump 82 and the electromagnetic valve 87. In FIG. 1, the decompression pump 82 is provided at the rear part of the main body 1, but this may be provided at the rear part of the lid 31 as shown in FIG. 7.

  Then, when the inner lid assembly 55 including the inner lid 56 is attached to the lower surface of the lid body 31, the decompression packing 89 is hermetically abutted against the upper surface of the inner lid 56 while being elastically deformed, whereby the hole 83 and the decompression pump 82 are connected. A communication path 84 is formed. Further, when the lid 31 is closed with the inner lid assembly 55 attached, if the lid packing 57 is in close contact with the pan 11 and the communication holes 77 and 181 are closed, the sealed pan 11 and the electromagnetic pump 82 are closed. Communicates with each other via a path 84. When the decompression pump 82 is started from this state, the solenoid valve 87 and thus the path 84 are opened, and the air in the pan 11 is exhausted to the outside of the main body 1 through the path 84 and the decompression pump 82, and the inside of the sealed pan 11 The pressure drops. In addition, when the pressure in the pan 11 drops below the atmospheric pressure by a certain value, the electromagnetic valve 87 and thus the path 84 are closed to keep the pan 11 in a reduced pressure state. Furthermore, even when the pressure in the pan 11 rises due to the slow leak, the electromagnetic valve 87 and consequently the path 84 are opened, and the decompression pump 82 is activated to maintain the pan 11 in a state lower than the atmospheric pressure. .

  In such a state where the inside of the pan 11 is lower than the atmospheric pressure, the air inside the leg 79 constituting the valve support 73 is sucked into the pan 11 and the pressure regulating valve 65 and this pressure regulating valve 65 are mounted accordingly. The valve support 73 to be installed is lowered against the bias of the pressure adjusting spring 74. However, when the opening 70 of the valve support 73 moves to a position lower than the hole 71A of the first pressure regulating packing 71, the pressure regulating valve 65 is mounted on the first pressure regulating packing 71 in place of the previous valve support 73. And the hole 71A of the first pressure regulating packing 71 is closed, so that the inside of the pan 11 is secured and the pressure reduction can be continued (see FIG. 5).

  On the other hand, when the inside of the pan 11 is pressurized to atmospheric pressure or higher, for example during rice cooking, the inside of the valve support leg 79 receives direct pressure from the inside of the pan 11, so that the valve support 73 resists the weight of the pressure regulating valve 65. Rises. Here, when the opening 70 of the valve support 73 moves to a position higher than the hole 71A of the first pressure regulating packing 71, the pressure regulating valve 65 is replaced by the valve support 73 instead of the first pressure regulating packing 71 so far. The pressure regulating valve 65 that is placed and closes the pressure regulating hole 70 and that is placed on the valve support 73 rises in the same manner as the valve support 73. After the valve support 73 is lifted, the valve support 73 comes into contact with the first pressure regulating packing 71, thereby blocking the steam and the like trying to pass through the hole 71 </ b> A of the first pressure regulating packing 71, thereby maintaining the hermetic seal in the pot 11. Yes (see FIG. 4).

  Returning to FIG. 1 again, an operation panel 101 is provided at the front of the main body 1. Inside this operation panel 101 is an LCD 102 for displaying the time and the selected menu, an LED for displaying the current process, and an operation for starting cooking and selecting a menu, although none of them are shown in the figure. In addition to the switch 103 (see FIG. 5), a substrate on which a depressurization selection switch for selecting a depressurization state in the pan 11 is disposed. The operation panel 101 displays button names and the like to prevent dust and water from adhering to the control means that is an electronic component. The operation panel 101 may be provided on the front side of the lid 31.

  111 is a heating control means provided in the front inside 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 means 111. Also, a hole for discharging the air that is warmed by taking heat from the radiator 112 attached to the heating control means 111 to the outside of the main body 1 at 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.

  In FIG. 2, reference numeral 141 denotes a substrate attached to the back (inside) side of the lid opening button 46. On this substrate 141, an LED 142 as an alarm means that is turned on when the pressure reducing means 81 operates and a Hall element 143 as a magnetic detection element are mounted. As shown in FIG. 3, the LED 142 is provided opposite to the upper surface of the lid opening button 46, and the hall element 143 is provided on the outer lid 32 when the lid opening button 46 is not pressed. It is arranged to face the magnet 144 as a magnetic body. When the Hall element 143 tries to release the engagement between the clamp 44 and the clamp receiver 50, the Hall element 143 detects the operation by separating from the magnet 144 and outputs a detection signal to the heating control means 111 described later. Provided as a means. In addition, you may comprise the detection means which has an equivalent function with another sensor.

  LED 142 is continuously lit only when the pressure reducing means 81 is activated in the initial stage of rice cooking or heat retention, and the inside of the pan 11 is below atmospheric pressure, and when the inside of the pan 11 is below atmospheric pressure during the heat insulation step, When the engagement between the clamp 44 and the clamp receiver 50 is to be released, a detection output from the hall element 143 is received, blinks for a predetermined time, and is then provided as display means that turns off. Instead of the LED 142, other display means such as an LCD may be used, or a notification means such as a buzzer may be provided. In this case, the notification means may be configured in a similar manner or in conjunction with the process. In addition to the lid 32, the radiator plate 34, the outer lid cover 35, and the inner lid assembly 55 described above, the lid 31 has an upper surface of the outer lid 32 in order to improve the appearance quality as the lid 31. A three-dimensional metal lid 33 covering the part may be provided.

  Next, the control system will be described with reference to FIG. In the figure, 111 is the heating control means described above, which is provided on the lid opening button 46 in addition to the temperature information from the pan temperature sensor 21 and the lid temperature sensor 61 and the operation signal from the operation switch 103. In response to the detection signal from the hall element 143 and another hall element 191 that detects the opening and closing of the lid 31, the heating coil 16 that heats the bottom of the pan 11 during cooking and warming, and the side of the pan 11 Each of the cord heater 26 for heating and the lid heater 36 for heating the lid 31 is controlled, and the above-described decompression pump 82, solenoid valve 87, solenoids 78 and 172 provided inside the lid 31 and LED 142 The display means 128 including each is controlled. 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.

  Here, the Hall element 191 that is a lid opening / closing detection means will be described. The Hall element 191 faces, for example, a magnet (not shown) that is a magnetic body provided at the rear of the lid body 31 so as to face the interior of the main body 1. Mounted on. Note that another sensor may be used instead of the Hall element 191 as long as the same function can be exhibited.

  The heat retention control means 119 here includes a timer means 120. When the heat retention operation starts, the timer means 120 is activated to measure the elapsed heat retention time, and this heat retention elapsed time is set to a preset time (for example, 1 hour). When the temperature reaches, the pressure in the pan 11 returns from the pressurized state to almost the atmospheric pressure, and the temperature in the pan 11 is reduced to the heat retention temperature, so that the so-called heat retention is in a stable state. In addition, the heating control means 11 receives a command for starting reserved rice cooking from the operation switch 103, and the rice cooking control means 118 so that the cooked rice in the pan 11 is cooked at a predetermined time previously stored in the storage means. Reservation rice cooking control means 121 capable of executing a reservation rice cooking course for controlling the cooking is provided. The predetermined time can be changed as appropriate by operating, for example, the hour key or minute key of the operation switch 103.

  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, code heater driving means 124 for turning on the code heater 26, solenoid driving means 125 for turning on or off the solenoids 78, 172, pump driving means 126 for driving the decompression pump 82, and solenoid valve 89 on Alternatively, an electromagnetic valve driving means 127 for turning off and a display driving means 129 for driving the display means 128 are provided. 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. The heating is performed on the side surface of the pan 11 and the lid 31 is heated by the lid heater 36. 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 into the space between the lid 31 and the main body 1 to suppress cooling due to intrusion 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.

  Furthermore, the heating control means 111 in the present embodiment is a period until the rice cooking at the time of standby of the reserved rice cooking by the reserved rice control means 121 or the time until the rice cooking control means 118 starts substantial rice cooking. Depressurization control to operate the decompression pump 82 and the decompression state maintaining electromagnetic valve 87 so that the inside of the pan 11 becomes lower than the atmospheric pressure after the period and the heat insulation control means 119 determine that the above-mentioned heat insulation is stable. A function as means 130 is also provided.

  Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described based on the timing chart of FIG. In FIG. 16, each graph in the uppermost stage and the next stage shows changes in temperature and pressure in the pan 11, and hereinafter, the operation timing of the pressure regulating valve 65 (pressure regulating solenoid 78), and the on-off valve 182. The operation timing of the (opening / closing solenoid 172) is shown (the painting state is on).

  In a cut-off state where rice cooking or heat insulation is not performed, both the pressure regulating solenoid 78 and the opening / closing solenoid 172 are in a non-energized (off) state. At this time, the plunger 151 of the pressure adjusting solenoid 78 is in the advanced position, the pressure adjusting valve 65 is moved so that the pressure adjusting hole 70 is opened, and the plunger 173 of the opening and closing solenoid 172 is also in the advanced position, The on-off valve shaft 201 moves upward so that the communication hole 181 of the inner lid 56 is opened. Therefore, the inside of the pan 11 communicates with the outside through the pressure adjusting hole 70 and the communication hole 181 and is maintained at atmospheric pressure. In addition, since both of the clamp operation restricting portions 163 and 189 are located away from the lower side of the base end portion 44A of the clamp 44, the operation of the clamp 44 is not restricted, and if the lid opening button 46 is pushed, 44 is detached from the clamp receiver 50. That is, in the cut state, the lid 31 can be freely opened and closed.

  Thereafter, when rice and water to be cooked are put into the pan 11 and a rice cooking key of the operation switch 103 is operated, for example, 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 kept at about 45 to 60 ° C. for 15 to 20 minutes. During this time, the decompression pump 82 and the solenoid valve 87 of the decompression means 81 are operated, and when the inside of the pan 11 is below atmospheric pressure, both the pressure regulating solenoid 78 and the opening / closing solenoid 172 are energized (on). The plunger 151 of the pressure regulating solenoid 78 and the plunger 173 of the opening / closing solenoid 172 are moved to the retracted positions. As a result, the pressure adjustment operation part 161 is separated from the pressure adjustment valve 65, the pressure adjustment valve 65 closes the hole 71 </ b> A of the first pressure adjustment packing 71, and the operation member 212 comes into contact with the tip end part 188 </ b> B of the operation member movable part 188. Since the on-off valve shaft 201 is pushed downward and the shaft packing 204 closes the communication hole 181 of the inner lid 56, the inside of the pan 11 is secured. In addition, since the clamp operation restricting portions 163 and 189 are both under the base end portion 44A of the clamp 44, even if the rotation of the clamp 44 is restricted and the lid opening button 46 is pushed, The engagement with the clamp receiver 50 is double-locked, and the lid 31 is prevented from opening.

  Further, when the start process is started, the decompression control means 130 turns on the decompression selection switch until just before the substantial rice cooking is started, and displays on the LCD of the display means 128 that the inside of the pan 11 is being decompressed. Thereby, the user can know that the inside of the pan 11 is being decompressed. Thereafter, the decompression control means 130 stops driving the decompression pump 82 and closes the solenoid valve 87 and consequently the path 84 to maintain the inside of the pan 11 in a decompressed state. After a lapse of time, the decompression control means 130 drives the decompression pump 82 again and opens the electromagnetic valve 87 and thus the path 84 to discharge air from the pot 11. By repeating such an operation, the pressure reducing pump 82 and the electromagnetic valve 87 are simultaneously turned on and off, and the pressure in the pan 11 is maintained at a value within a desired range.

  In this manner, the inside of the pan 11 is maintained in a reduced pressure state at the time of time. At the time of this pressure reduction, the pressure regulating valve 65 is placed on the first pressure regulating packing 71 and closes the hole 71A of the first pressure regulating packing 71, so that the inside of the pan 11 is secured. Therefore, the inside of the pan 11 can be depressurized in a sealed state at the time of passing, and the rice can sufficiently absorb water in the pan 11.

  After that, when the predetermined time is over, the rice cooking control means 118 starts a substantial rice cooking operation, the decompression control to the pan 11 by the decompression control means 130 is interrupted, the decompression selection switch is turned off, and the LCD The display indicating that the pressure is reduced is also stopped. At the same time, the decompression pump 82 and the electromagnetic valve 87 are turned off until the subsequent heat retention becomes stable.

  When shifting to the rice cooking process, the rice cooking control means 118 strongly heats the pan 11 by the heating coil 16 and performs boiling heating to the cooked rice. 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 stabilized at 90 ° C or higher, it is assumed that the inside of the pan 11 is in a boiling state, and the heating amount is reduced more than before. Shift to continuous boiling heating. During boiling heating, the rice cooking control means 118 turns off the solenoid 78 and retracts the pressure regulating valve 65 from the pressure regulating hole 70. As a result, the pan 11 is maintained at substantially atmospheric pressure, but the open / close solenoid 172 is still on, and the clamp operation restricting portion 189 is located below the base end portion 44A of the clamp 44 to open the lid 31. I can't do that.

  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. And when the bottom of the pan 11 has a predetermined temperature rise, the cooking in the pan 11 is detected, the rice cooking process by the rice cooking control means 118 is terminated, and the heat insulation control means 119 shifts to the heat insulation process. It shifts to nomura. 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.

  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.

  As described above, when the boiling state in the pan 11 is detected, cooking (continuous boiling heating) and unevenness are performed continuously. While the rice cooking control means 118 stops the operation of the decompression means 81, both the pressure adjusting solenoid 78 and the opening / closing solenoid 172 are turned on, the communication hole 77 is closed by the pressure adjustment unit 58, and another communication hole 181 is provided. It closes with the on-off valve 62. Thereby, while cooking rice cooking is continued, the communication between the inside of the pan 11 and the outside is blocked, and the pressure in the pan 11 increases. At this time, since both the clamp operation restricting portion 163 and the clamp operation restricting portion 189 sink under the base end portion 44A of the clamp 44, the engagement between the clamp 44 and the clamp receiver 50 is double-locked, and the lid body 31 cannot be opened.

  After that, when it is detected that the inside of the pan 11 has reached a predetermined pressure, the pressure adjusting solenoid 78 is switched from the on state to the off state, so that the pressure adjusting operation part 161 pushes the pressure adjusting valve 65. The pressure adjusting hole 70 is opened and the pressure in the pan 11 approaches the atmospheric pressure. In this state, the clamp operation restricting portion 163 of the pressure adjustment frame 152 moves to a position away from the lower side of the base end portion 44A of the clamp 44, but the clamp operation restricting portion 189 of another opening / closing frame 175 continues to be clamp 44. Therefore, even if the clamp 44 is pushed by the lid opening button 46, the movement of the clamp 44 is restricted and the lid 31 cannot be opened.

  When shifting to the unevenness, the operation of gradually returning the inside of the pan 11 to the atmospheric pressure is performed in consideration of the fact that the lid 31 can be opened immediately after the start of the subsequent heat insulation. Then, the rice cooking control means 118 switches the pressure regulating solenoid 78 from the on state to the off state in the middle of the unevenness, retracts the pressure regulating valve 65 from the pressure regulating hole 70, opens the communication hole 77 and opens the inside of the pan 11 Return to atmospheric pressure. Thereafter, the opening / closing solenoid 172 is switched from the on state to the off state, and another communication hole 181 is opened. In this way, at least after opening the pressure adjusting hole 70, the lid 31 cannot be opened until the opening / closing solenoid 172 is turned off, and the inside of the pan 11 cannot return to atmospheric pressure. Inadvertent opening of the lid 31 can be prevented.

  Immediately after the unevenness that is substantial rice cooking is completed and the process proceeds to the heat retaining step, the inside of the pan 11 communicates with the outside through the pressure adjusting hole 70 and the communication hole 181 and is maintained at atmospheric pressure. At the same time, since both the clamp operation restricting portions 163 and 189 are located away from the lower side of the base end portion 44A of the clamp 44, the lid 31 can be freely opened and closed.

  When the rice cooking process is completed, the heat retention control means 119 starts to measure the heat retention elapsed time by the timer means 120. At this time, the decompression control means 130 repeatedly performs decompression display for a short time using the LCD of the display means 128 until the heat retention elapsed time reaches a preset time, that is, until it is determined that the heat retention is stable. Make it. Thereby, the user can understand that the inside of the pan 11 has not yet shifted to the reduced pressure state after cooking. When the heat retention elapsed time reaches a preset time, the heat retention control unit 119 controls the decompression pump 82 and the electromagnetic valve 87 again so that the pressure in the pan 11 becomes lower than the atmospheric pressure by the pressure reduction control unit 130. . At the same time, the pressure adjusting solenoid 78 and the opening / closing solenoid 172 are simultaneously turned on in order to seal the inside of the pan 11. As a result, both the clamp operation restricting portion 163 and the clamp operation restricting portion 189 sink under the base end portion 44A of the clamp 44, and the rotation of the clamp 44 is restricted. Such an operation may be performed when the pan temperature sensor 21 detects that the inside of the pan 11 has reached the predetermined temperature in the heat retaining step, not after the predetermined time of the heat retaining step.

  Thereafter, the decompression control means 130 stops driving the decompression pump 82 and closes the solenoid valve 87 and consequently the path 84 to maintain the inside of the pan 11 in a decompressed state. After a lapse of time, the decompression control means 130 drives the decompression pump 82 again and opens the electromagnetic valve 87 and thus the path 84 to discharge air from the pot 11. Thereafter, the above-described operation is repeated, and the pressure reducing pump 82 and the electromagnetic valve 87 are simultaneously turned on and off, and the pressure in the pan 11 is maintained at a value within a desired range.

  When the process proceeds to the heat retaining step, the heat retaining control means 119 receives the detection signals from the Hall elements 143 and 191. That is, during the operation control of the pressure reducing means 81 for reducing the pressure inside the pan 11, the user intends to open the lid 31 with the pressure adjusting solenoid 78 and the opening / closing solenoid 172 turned on simultaneously. When the lid opening button 46 is pushed, the clamp 44 is restricted in its rotation, but the lid opening button 46 is pushed slightly downward due to the elasticity of the clamp 44 and the hall element 143 is magnetized. Move away from 144. When the heat retention control means 119 receives the detection signal from the hall element 143 at this time, the pressure adjusting solenoid 78 and the opening / closing solenoid 172 are turned off in conjunction with each other, and both plungers 151 and 173 are advanced to adjust. While the pressure hole 70 and the communication hole 181 are opened, the rotation restriction on the clamp 44 is also released, and the lid 31 can be opened by continuing to push the lid opening button 46.

  After that, when the cooked rice is taken out of the pan 11 and the lid 31 is closed again, another hall element 191 detects the closed state of the lid 31 and sends the signal to the heat retaining control means 119. Send it out. In response to this, the heat retention control means 119 activates the pressure reducing means 81 again after a predetermined time and simultaneously turns on the pressure regulating solenoid 78 and the opening / closing solenoid 172 so that the lid 31 is not opened carelessly.

  Thus, by repeating the operation of opening and closing the two communication holes 77 and 181 provided in the inner lid 56, the pressure in the pan 11 can be freely changed. And by changing the pressure at the time of pressurization according to a rice cooking course or the amount of rice cooking, it becomes possible to vary the amount of cooking.

  Further, during the unevenness and heat retention process, when the pressure reducing means 81 is operated and the inside of the pan 11 is at atmospheric pressure or lower, the heating control means 111 sends a control signal for continuously lighting the LED 142 to the display driving means 129. Thereby, the user can recognize immediately that the lid 31 and the main body 1 are engaged and locked because the inside of the pan 11 is being decompressed. In addition, since there is a slight time lag from when the lid opening button 46 is intended to be pushed to when the lid 31 can actually be opened, the clamp 44 of the lid 31 and the clamp receiver 50 of the main body 1 When the Hall element 143 outputs a detection signal when it is intended to release the engagement of the LED, the LED 142 switches to a blinking operation. After a predetermined time has elapsed, if the LED 142 is automatically turned off, the lid is immediately turned off. The user can understand whether the body 31 does not open.

  In the above series of steps, when the inside of the pan 11 is in a pressurized state, the pressure adjusting solenoid 78 does not return to the normal position, or foreign matter is caught between the pressure adjusting valve 65 and the pressure adjusting hole 70. If this occurs, the pressure adjusting hole 70 and thus the communication hole 77 will not be opened, and the pressure in the pan 11 cannot be brought close to atmospheric pressure. If this state continues, the inside of the pan 11 rises above a predetermined pressure value at which the pressure regulating solenoid 78 returns, and the inner lid 56 itself is deformed upward. When this increased pressure reaches a predetermined value, the elastic member 215 provided in the on-off valve operating means 211 operates. In this embodiment, since a coil spring is used as the elastic member 215, if the pressure applied to the on-off valve shaft 201 from the pot 11 becomes larger than the force with which the elastic member 215 pushes the on-off valve shaft 201 downward, the shaft packing The on-off valve shaft 201 including 204 moves upward against the biasing of the elastic member 215 and opens the communication hole 181. Thereby, the pressure in the pan 11 can be brought close to the atmospheric pressure. Further, even if the on-off valve shaft 201 moves upward, the operation of the on-off frame 175 is not affected, and the operation member 212 is kept in contact with the tip 188B of the operation member movable unit 188. The clamp operation restricting portion 189 of the opening / closing frame 175 is held at a position where the operation of the clamp 44 is restricted. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the lid 31 from being inadvertently opened.

  Further, when the pressure reducing pump 82 and the electromagnetic valve 87 are operated, the pressure regulating valve 65 closes the pressure regulating hole 70 and the on-off valve 62 closes the communication hole 181. This is for sealing the inside of the pan 11 in a sealed state. As the inside of the pan 11 is depressurized to below atmospheric pressure, the inner lid 56 to which the on-off valve 62 is attached gradually elastically deforms downward. Here, if the operation portion 222 of the seal member 217 does not move up and down with respect to the operation member 212, when the inner lid 56 is deformed downward, the shaft spring 203 that has been compressed up to that time is the original length. If it returns to, the clearance gap will arise between the upper end surface of the on-off valve shaft 201, and the operation part 222 of the sealing member 217, and the sealing in the pan 11 will collapse. However, the on-off valve operating means 211 in this embodiment is configured such that the operating portion 222 of the seal member 217 is biased in a direction in which the operating portion 222 contacts the on-off valve shaft 201 by the elastic member 215 and can move up and down with respect to the operating member 212. Therefore, even when the inner lid 56 is deformed downward to the extent that the shaft spring 203 returns to its original length, the upper end surface of the on-off valve shaft 201 is connected to the operation portion 222 of the seal member 217. It is pushed and no gap is formed, and the inside of the pot 11 can be kept sealed.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 12, when the opening / closing frame 175 of the opening / closing valve operating means 211 is moved to the position where the operating member 212 abuts the tip 188B of the operating member movable portion 188, the operating member 212 moves downward. Let A be the amount of movement. Further, from this state, as shown in FIG. 13, when the inner lid assembly 55 is attached to the lower side of the lid 31, the amount by which the operation portion 222 of the seal member 217 pushes the on-off valve shaft 201 is B. The elastic member 215 made of a coil spring provided between the operation member 212 and the operation portion 222 of the seal member 217 is bent by the length of (A-B) in the state shown in FIG. Similarly to the bending of the elastic member 215, the connecting portion 223 of the seal member 217 is also bent so that the operation portion 222 can move up and down.

  When the pressure in the pan 11 is reduced to less than atmospheric pressure using the pressure reducing means 81, the inner lid 56 is deformed downward. The amount of deformation is C (see FIG. 14). At this time, assuming that the amount of deflection of the shaft spring 203 is almost negligible, the amount of deflection (AB) of the elastic member 215 is set to be larger than the amount of deformation C of the inner lid 56 during decompression. That's fine. When this is expressed by a mathematical formula, (A−B)> C. In this way, even if the opening / closing valve shaft 201 provided in the inner lid assembly 55 and the operation portion 222 of the sealing member 217 constituting the opening / closing valve operating means 211 provided in the outer cover cover 35 are about to begin to separate, The connecting portion 223 between the elastic member 215 which is bent and the seal member 217 extends, and no gap is generated between the on-off valve shaft 201 and the operation portion 222 of the seal member 217.

  Further, when the inside of the pan 11 is pressurized higher than the atmospheric pressure, the inner lid 56 is deformed upward, and the on-off valve shaft 201 of the on-off valve 62 attached to the inner lid 56 also moves upward. Since the on-off valve shaft 201 is restricted from moving upward by the operation member 212, the communication hole 181 does not open. Therefore, regardless of whether the inner lid 56 is deformed upward or downward as the inside of the pan 11 is pressurized or depressurized, the on-off valve 62 reliably closes the communication hole 181 and thus the pan The inside of 11 can be maintained well. Further, even if the inner lid 56 is deformed upward when the inside of the pan 11 is pressurized, the deformation force is alleviated by the shaft spring 203 and the elastic member 215, and the on-off valve shaft 201 and the operation member 212 are both made of metal parts. There is no need. Therefore, an increase in product cost can be suppressed. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to adopt a special structure that does not deform the inner lid 56, an increase in manufacturing cost can be suppressed in this respect as well, and the product size can be made compact.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, the main body 1 including the pot 11 as a container and the lid body 31 covering the main body 1 are provided, and the lid body 31 covers the upper opening of the inner pot. 56 is detachably provided, and a hole 181 communicating with the inside of the pan 11 and an opening / closing valve 62 as an opening / closing means for opening / closing the hole 181 are provided in the inner lid 56, and an opening / closing valve operating means which is an operating means of the opening / closing valve 62 In the rice cooker in which 211 is provided on the lid 31, the on-off valve operating means 211 is movable with respect to the operating member 212 and the operating member 212 for operating the on-off valve shaft 201 on which the on-off valve 62 moves. A seal member 217 that can contact the on-off valve shaft 201, and after closing the hole 181 by operation of the operation member 212, when the pressure in the pan 11 rises above a predetermined value, the hole 181 is opened. An on-off valve 62 is configured.

  In the present embodiment, the inner lid 56 is provided with a plurality of holes 77, 181 communicating with the inside of the pan 11, and a pressure adjusting unit 58 and an opening / closing valve 62, which are opening / closing means for opening / closing the plurality of holes 77, 181. The opening / closing valve 62, which is one of the opening / closing means, is opened / closed, and the opening / closing valve operating means 211, which is the operating means for the opening / closing valve 62, is provided on the lid 31. In the provided rice cooker, the on-off valve operating means 211 is operated with respect to the on-off valve shaft 201 on which the on-off valve 62 is movable, and the on-off valve shaft 201 of the on-off valve 62 is movable with respect to the on-off valve shaft 201. The on-off valve 62 is configured to open the hole 181 when the pressure in the pan 11 rises to a predetermined value or higher after the hole 181 is closed by the operation of the operation member 212. ing.

  In this case, the on-off valve operating means 211 operates the on-off valve shaft 201 of the on-off valve 62 to close the hole 181 provided in the inner lid 56, and then the pressure in the pan 11 rises above a predetermined value. Furthermore, the opening / closing valve shaft 201 of the opening / closing valve 62 opens the hole 181, so that the inside of the pan 11 is adjusted to a predetermined pressure value, and the rice cooking performance can be improved. In addition, the operating member 212 constituting the on-off valve operating means 211 does not directly operate the on-off valve shaft 201 of the on-off valve 62, but the seal member 217 movable up and down relative to the operating member 212 is an on-off valve shaft of the on-off valve 62. Since 201 is operated, even if the inner lid 56 to which the on-off valve 62 is attached may be deformed upward or downward when the inside of the pan 11 is other than atmospheric pressure, the movable portion of the seal member 217 is utilized, It is possible to prevent the operation member 212 of the on-off valve operating means 211 from being separated from the on-off valve shaft 201 of the on-off valve 62, and to prevent a gap from being formed, and the on-off valve 62 closes the hole 181 and can securely seal the inside of the pan 11. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to adopt a special structure that does not deform the inner lid 56, an increase in manufacturing cost can be suppressed, and the product size can be made compact.

  In this embodiment, an elastic member 215 is provided between the on-off valve operating means 211 and the seal member 217, and the pressure in the pan 11 is adjusted by the elastic force of the elastic member 215. More specifically, the on-off valve operating means 211 further includes an elastic member 215, the seal member 217 has a seal part 221 for sealing the hole 216 formed in the lid 31, and the on-off valve shaft 201 of the on-off valve 62. And an elastic member 215 is arranged between the operation member 212 and the operation part 222 of the seal member 217. ing.

  In each of the above-described configurations, even when the inner lid 56 is deformed in a direction in which the on-off valve 62 is separated from the on-off valve operating means 211, the sealing member 217 is provided by the elastic member 215 between the operating member 212 and the sealing member 217. Is biased in the direction in which the on-off valve 62 contacts the on-off valve shaft 201, and the on-off valve 62 hole 181 can be closed more reliably. Further, when the pressure in the pan 11 rises above a predetermined value, the on-off valve 62 opens the hole 181 against the bias of the elastic member 215, so that the pressure in the pan 11 can be easily reduced by the elastic member 215. Can be adjusted.

  Further, in this embodiment, a hinge portion 38 for pivotally supporting the lid 31 on the main body 1 and a clamp 44 as an engaging portion for engaging and holding the lid 31 in the closed state with respect to the main body 1 are provided. The means 211 moves to a position where the disengagement of the clamp 44 is prevented when the operation member 212 is operated to close the hole 181. Even if the pressure in the pan 11 rises above a predetermined value, the clamp 44 continues. An opening / closing frame 175 is further provided as a frame member at a position that prevents the engagement from being released.

  In this case, when the opening / closing valve shaft 201 of the opening / closing valve 62 is operated to close the hole 181, the opening / closing frame 175 moves to a position that prevents the engagement of the clamp 44 from being released, and then the pressure in the pan 11 exceeds a predetermined value. Even when attempting to return to the atmospheric pressure inside the pan 11, the open / close frame 175 continues to stop at the position where the disengagement of the clamp 44 is prevented, so that the clamp 44 does not move. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the lid 31 from being inadvertently opened before the inside of the pan 11 has returned to atmospheric pressure, and it is possible to prevent rice from being boiled.

  In this embodiment, the opening / closing solenoid 172 as a solenoid for operating the opening / closing frame 175 is provided. However, the opening / closing valve 62 for opening / closing the hole 181 by operating the opening / closing frame 175 using the opening / closing solenoid 172 as a drive source. Can be moved reliably.

  Further, as in the present embodiment, if the pressure reducing means 81 for making the inside of the pan 11 lower than the atmospheric pressure is provided in advance in the rice cooker, for example, the pressure reducing means 81 is used in a sealed state at the time of heat retention. By depressurizing the inside of the pan 11, the oxygen concentration in the pan 11 is lowered, and moisture evaporation of the cooked rice housed in the pan 11 can be prevented, and the Maillard reaction and oxidation can be sufficiently suppressed.

  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. The set values and set times of pressure in the examples are merely examples, and may be appropriately changed according to the specifications of each rice cooker. Further, the configuration as the decompression means 81 is not limited to a combination of the decompression pump 82, the path 84, and the electromagnetic valve 87 as in the present embodiment.

It is whole sectional drawing of the rice cooker in one Example of this invention. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows the structure of a lid open button periphery same as the above. It is a top view of a rice cooker same as the above. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the pressure adjusting unit and its periphery during pressurization. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the pressure adjusting unit and its surroundings during pressure reduction. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part at the time of pressurization represented by a cross-section different from FIG. It is a perspective view inside a cover body of the state which removed the outer cover same as the above. It is a perspective view which shows a structure of the periphery of a clamp and a pressure regulating solenoid and an opening / closing solenoid. It is a perspective view which shows a solenoid for pressure regulation and its surrounding structure same as the above. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the opening / closing solenoid and the surrounding structure. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the main part when the open / close solenoid is not energized. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the main part when the inner lid assembly is not mounted when the opening / closing solenoid is energized. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the main part when the inner lid assembly is mounted from the state shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the main part when the inner lid is deformed from the state shown in FIG. 13. It is a block diagram which shows an electrical structure same as the above. It is a timing chart showing the transition of the temperature and pressure in a pan, and the operation state of each part.

Explanation of symbols

11 Pot (container)
31 Lid
38 Hinge
44 Clamp (engaging part)
56 Inner lid
58 Pressure regulator (open / close means)
62 On-off valve (open / close means)
77 holes
81 Pressure reducing means
172 Open / close solenoid (solenoid)
175 Opening and closing frame (frame member)
181 holes
211 On-off valve operating means (operating means)
212 Control members
215 Elastic member
217 Seal member
221 Seal part
222 Operation unit
223 joint

Claims (7)

A main body provided with a container; and a lid body covering the main body, the lid body including an inner lid, and a hole communicating with the container and an opening / closing means for opening and closing the hole are provided in the inner lid, In the rice cooker provided with operating means on the lid,
The operating means includes an operating member that operates the opening and closing means, and a seal member that is movable relative to the operating member and that can contact the opening and closing means,
The rice cooker characterized in that the opening / closing means closes the hole by operating the operation member and opens the hole when the pressure in the container rises to a predetermined value or more.   The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein an elastic member is provided between the operation member and the seal member, and the pressure in the container is adjusted by an elastic force. A main body provided with a container; and a lid body that covers the main body, the lid body including an inner lid, and a plurality of holes communicating with the container, and an opening / closing means that opens and closes the plurality of holes. In the rice cooker in which one of the plurality of holes is opened and closed by one of the opening and closing means, and the operation means is provided in the lid body,
The operating means includes an operating member that operates the opening and closing means, and a seal member that is movable relative to the operating member and that can contact the opening and closing means.
The rice cooker characterized in that the opening / closing means closes the hole by operating the operation member, and opens the hole when the pressure in the container rises above a predetermined value. The operating means further comprises an elastic member,
The seal member includes a seal portion with the lid, an operation portion that comes into contact with the opening and closing means, and a connecting portion that connects the seal portion and the operation portion.
The rice cooker according to claim 3, wherein the elastic member is disposed between the operation member and the seal member. A hinge portion that pivotally supports the lid on the main body, and an engaging portion that engages and holds the lid on the main body in a predetermined state;
The operating means operates the operating member to close the hole, moves to a position that prevents the engagement portion from being disengaged, and even if the pressure in the container rises above a predetermined value, the engagement means The rice cooker according to claim 3 or 4, further comprising a frame member in a position that prevents the joint from being disengaged.   6. The rice cooker according to claim 5, further comprising a solenoid for operating the frame member.   The rice cooker according to claim 6, further comprising pressure reducing means for bringing the inside of the container into a state lower than atmospheric pressure.