JP2009100890A - Rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a small-sized rice cooker capable of preventing rice from drying during warming and keeping an excellent flavor without the need of water supply from the outside during the warming and without the need of an exterior water supply tank. <P>SOLUTION: The rice cooker 1 includes: a pot 3 for putting materials to be cooked including water and rice therein; a rice cooker body 2 provided with an opening for housing the pot 3, and heating means for heating the materials to be cooked inside the pot 3, and has control means for controlling the rice cooking and warming of the materials to be cooked by controlling the heating means; a lid body 4 provided with a discharge path 6a for discharging steam inside the pot 3, for closing the pot 3 and the opening of the rice cooker body 2; a storage tank 6 for storing water generated by cooling the steam discharged from the discharge path 6a; and a water keeping tank 8 for supplying the water stored by the storage tank 6 into the pot 3. Moisture inside the pot 3 is adjusted by supplying the water into the pot 3 by the water keeping tank 8 during the warming. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a rice cooker that prevents the inside of a pan from being dried and the flavor of rice from being lowered during heat insulation.

  Conventionally, a rice cooker has a heat retaining function for heating the bottom or side or top surface of a pan with an electric heater or the like after the completion of rice cooking to keep the rice in the pan at around 60 ° C to 70 ° C. However, if the top lid of the rice cooker is opened and closed during heat insulation, moisture will escape from the rice as steam each time the lid is opened, while the surface side of the rice dries because the cold air in the atmosphere touches the rice, and the flavor over time There was a problem that was damaged. Furthermore, when the temperature is kept for a long time, the humidity in the pan is lowered to become a dry state, which causes problems such as discoloration of rice.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 6, a rice cooker disclosed in Patent Document 1 below includes a rotation driving means 112, a controller 113, and a heater 118 in a lid portion 102 of a rice cooker, an air pump 114, water on the upper surface of the lid portion 102. The container 115 is provided with a spray nozzle 119 on the lower surface of the inner lid 117, the air pump 114 and the water container 115 are connected to the spray nozzle 119 with tubes 120a and 120b, and the controller 113 periodically supplies rice from the spray nozzle 119 when the temperature is kept. By spraying mist-like water droplets on the surface, the rice is prevented from drying and solidifying and discoloring.

  Moreover, the rice cooker disclosed by the following patent document 2, as shown in FIG. 7, the rice cooker main body 121, the inner case 122 provided in this rice cooker main body 121, and the inner case 122 are desorbed. A pot 130 stored freely, a heater 126 for heating the pot in the inner case 122, a water tank 129 inserted in a tank storage section 127 having an opening 128 on the outside of the rice cooker body 121, An electric pump 131 is provided as water supply means for supplying water in the water tank 129 into the inner case 122 when the rice in the pan 130 is kept warm. The water supplied into the inner case 122 is evaporated by the heat of the heater to become steam, and this steam enters the pot, thereby preventing the rice in the pot from being dried.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8, the rice cooker disclosed in the following Patent Document 3 has a spray nozzle 143 attached to the inside of the upper lid 142, and when the upper lid 142 is opened and closed during heat insulation, the rice cooker is interlocked with the opening and closing. The rice cooker 141 is equipped with a spraying device that sprays a certain amount of water or warm water in the tank 144 from the spray nozzle 143 toward the surface of the rice. The water supply tank 144 is attached to the outer surface of the rice cooker 141 and is connected by a spray nozzle 143 and a water supply pipe 145. A control circuit is provided that measures the opening time of the upper lid 142 with a timer, calculates the spraying time of water or hot water based on this, and controls the spraying amount. Reference numeral 146 denotes a heater.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9, the rice cooker disclosed in the following Patent Document 4 includes a hollow outer lid 152 that opens and closes the rice cooker body 151 so as to be openable and closable, and a hollow outer lid 152 at the lower end wall portion of the hollow outer lid 152. A plurality of water vapor introduction ports 155 penetrating into and out of the lid 152 is formed, and a drainage port 153 penetrating into the inside and outside of the hollow outer lid is formed on the upper end wall portion, and formed between the water vapor introduction port 155 and the drainage port 153. Water content is retained in the hollow inside of the outer lid 152 to retain and store part of the water vapor and heat generated during rice cooking, and to adjust the temperature and humidity in the rice cooker with the retained water and heat and stored moisture and heat during heat insulation. Some have material 154 disposed. Examples of the water-retaining material are porous materials such as cotton, chemical fiber, silica gel, and foamed glass, and can hold water of 30% or more of its own weight. The retained moisture and heat eliminates the evaporation of moisture from the surface of the rice during the heat retention after the end of cooking, and reduces the dryness of the rice during the heat retention.
JP-A-5-56844 (paragraphs [0003] to [0005], FIG. 1) JP-A-5-161539 (paragraphs [0016] to [0017], FIG. 1) Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-39454 (paragraphs [0005] to [0009], FIG. 1) Japanese Patent No. 3078582 (paragraphs [0005] to [0007], [0016], FIG. 1)

  However, in Patent Documents 1 to 3, as described above, a water tank that is detachable is provided outside the rice cooker body and the outer lid, and water is supplied by this, so before rice cooking and heat insulation. It was necessary to replenish water. For this reason, since the water tank is attached to the outside of the rice cooker body, the rice cooker becomes large, and if the water supply to the water tank is forgotten, the effects shown in these documents cannot be obtained, so the use is troublesome. It was.

  Moreover, in the said patent document 4, the water vapor | steam and a part of heat | fever which generate | occur | produced at the time of rice cooking are water-retained and heat-stored in a water retention material, and the temperature and humidity in a rice cooker with the water | moisture retention and the heat-stored water | moisture content and heat at the time of heat retention However, water supply is not necessary, but it is necessary to remove the water retaining material and clean it, which is troublesome to maintain.

  As a result of various studies to solve the above problems, the present inventors have paid attention to the effective use of steam generated during rice cooking, and using the steam discharge structure portion provided in the lid of the rice cooker during rice cooking Generate and store liquid moisture from the generated steam, and supply this stored moisture to the pan during the heat insulation to prevent excessive reduction of humidity in the pan and thus maintain the flavor of the rice It has been found that the rice cooker of the present invention can be completed.

  That is, an object of the present invention is to provide a rice cooker that can maintain a good flavor by preventing the rice in the pan from drying during heat insulation.

  It is another object of the present invention to provide a rice cooker that does not require water supply from the outside and does not require an external water supply tank or water retention material and can be miniaturized.

  In order to achieve the above object, a rice cooker according to claim 1 of the present invention includes a pot for storing a rice to be cooked containing water and rice, an opening for housing the pot, and a rice to be cooked in the pot. A rice cooker main body having a heating means for heating and having a control means for controlling the heating means to perform rice cooking and heat retention control of the cooked rice, and a discharge path for discharging steam in the pan, and the pan A lid that closes the opening of the rice cooker body, moisture storage means for storing moisture generated by cooling the steam discharged from the discharge path, and moisture stored by the moisture storage means in the pan And supplying water to the pot by the water supply means when the temperature is kept to adjust the humidity in the pot.

  In addition, the invention according to claim 2 of the present invention is the rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the lid body includes a front lid and a lid cover respectively fixed to the top and bottom of the frame body, and a frame through the lid cover. It comprises an inner lid that is attached to the body, and the water supply means has a water retention tank that is detachably provided on the inner lid.

  Moreover, the invention which concerns on Claim 3 of this invention is the rice cooker of Claim 1. WHEREIN: The said water | moisture-content storage means and the said water supply means are connected by the connection part, At the time of rice cooking, this connection part is connected. An operating valve is provided that is closed and opened when the temperature is kept.

  Further, the invention according to claim 4 of the present invention is the rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the moisture storage means comprises a storage tank detachably attached to the lid body, It is characterized by comprising: a tow storage part for storing a tow contained in steam discharged from the discharge path; and a moisture storage part for storing water contained in the steam discharged from the discharge path.

  The invention according to claim 5 of the present invention is characterized in that, in the rice cooker according to claim 2, a communication hole communicating with the inside of the pan is formed in the water retention tank.

  Moreover, the invention which concerns on Claim 6 of this invention is the rice cooker of Claim 2. WHEREIN: The said water retention tank is equipped with the spray apparatus which spreads a water | moisture content in the said pan.

  By providing the above-described configuration, the present invention has the following excellent effects. That is, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the steam generated during rice cooking, which has been discharged to the outside through the discharge path in the past, is returned to the liquid water by the water storage means and stored in the present invention. Since the water stored in this way is supplied into the pan by the water supply means during the heat retention, the humidity in the pan does not decrease even during the heat retention, and the drying of the rice is suppressed. Good flavor can be maintained. Moreover, since water is stored by the water storage means every time rice is cooked, it is not necessary to supply water from the outside, and an external water supply tank is not required, so that a rice cooker that can be miniaturized can be provided. .

  According to the invention of claim 2, the lid body has an inner lid that is attached to the frame body via the lid cover, and the water supply means includes a water retention tank that is detachable from the inner lid. The water can be easily supplied into the pan through this water retention tank, and can be manufactured at low cost. The water retention tank can be removed and cleaned, making it easy and convenient to clean.

  Further, according to the invention of claim 3, since a connecting portion is provided between the water storage means and the water supply means, and this connecting portion is provided with an operation valve that is closed when cooking rice and opened when keeping warm. It is possible to supply moisture into the pan only during the heat insulation without affecting the pressure in the pan at the time.

  Further, according to the invention of claim 4, since the water storage means is formed by the storage tank that can be attached to the lid, it can be easily removed and cleaned, so that the maintenance is simple and convenient. In addition, since the rice cracker component and moisture contained in the steam generated during rice cooking are separated and stored separately, the rice cracker can be returned directly to the pan, making the rice more delicious, and It is possible to sufficiently secure the moisture supplied during the heat insulation.

  Further, according to the invention of claim 5 of the present invention, by forming the communication hole into the pot in the water holding tank, the water stored in the water holding tank always maintains the humidity in the pot appropriately. . Moreover, it becomes possible to adjust the humidity in the pan with such a simple configuration that the communication hole is simply formed in the water retention tank.

  In addition, according to the invention of claim 6 of the present invention, since the spray device for spraying the water stored in the water retention tank into the pan is provided, water can be evenly sprayed on the surface of the rice in the pan. Therefore, only a part of the rice does not become excessively watery.

  Hereinafter, the best embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, embodiment shown below illustrates a pressure-type rice cooker as an example of the rice cooker for materializing the technical idea of this invention, Comprising: This invention is specified to this pressure-type rice cooker. The present invention is not intended to be applied, and is equally applicable to other embodiments included in the scope of claims, such as an atmospheric pressure rice cooker.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention during rice cooking. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the rice cooker in the embodiment of FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the storage tank portion of the lid of the rice cooker. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the discharge path of the storage tank portion of the lid according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the water retention tank according to the embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a rice cooker 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a pan 3 into which a rice to be cooked containing water and rice is placed, an opening that detachably accommodates the pan 3, and a cover in the pan. Of the rice cooker body 2 having the heating means 5 such as the induction heating coil 51 for heating the cooked rice and the control means for controlling the heating means 5 to cook the rice to be cooked and keeping the temperature, the pot 3 and the rice cooker body 2 And a lid 4 that closes the opening. As will be described later, the lid 4 communicates the discharge path 6a for discharging the steam in the pot 3 to the outside of the rice cooker 1 and the inside of the pot 3 and the outside air in order to control the pressure in the pot 3. And a pressure valve 7 to be shut off.

  The rice cooker body 2 has a bottomed cylindrical inner case 21 formed of a nonmetallic material that accommodates the pot 3 therein, and an outer case 22 that covers the inner case 21. The pan 3 is detachably accommodated. The inner case 21 has a flange 21a that protrudes to the outer periphery at its upper end. The pan 3 is formed with a flange 31 projecting outward at the upper end opening thereof, and when the pan 3 is accommodated in the inner case 21, the flange 31 is placed so as to be hooked on the flange 21 a of the inner case 21. Is done. The inner case 21 is provided with an induction heating coil 51 on the outer periphery near the bottom. The induction heating coil 51 is supported by a coil cover (not shown) formed of a heat resistant resin material so that the distance to the outer peripheral surface of the pan 3 is constant. In the inner case 21, a side heater 52 is disposed between the upper opening and the induction heating coil 51.

  The rice cooker main body 2 is provided with an operation / display unit 9 on the front surface of the outer case 22 thereof. The operation / display unit 9 is provided with operation buttons such as a power switch 9a, a rice cooking start switch, a menu selection switch, a heat retention switch (not shown), and a display panel 9b. Various rice cooking menus are displayed on the display panel 9b.

  Further, in the rice cooker body 2, a control board 11 that supplies and controls power to the induction heating coil 51, the side heater 52, the lid heater 53, and the like is disposed at a location close to the vent hole 23 a. On the control board 11, electronic parts such as an inverter 12, a switching element, and a timer element made of semiconductor elements are mounted. Among these electronic components, in particular, the inverter 12 generates heat during operation, so that it is cooled using a heat sink (not shown) or a cooling fan 13. Moreover, the temperature detection sensor 32 is provided in the center part of the bottom part 23 of the rice cooker main body 2 so that the bottom face of the pan 3 may be contacted. Further, either the rice cooker body 2 or the lid 4 is provided with an outside air temperature sensor (not shown) that detects the outside air temperature. The output of the outside air temperature sensor is input to the control means, and the cooling fan 13 is operated.

  The control means is formed of a control board 11, and a CPU, ROM, RAM and the like are mounted on the control board 11. The operation / display unit 9 is connected to various operation buttons, a pan bottom temperature sensor 32, a steam sensor, and the like, and signals from these keys and sensors are input to the CPU. The CPU is connected to a timer for measuring a predetermined time, rice cooking menu detection means, ROM, and RAM.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the bottom 23 of the rice cooker body 2 is formed with a vent hole 23a for sucking air on the left and right sides and an exhaust hole 23b for discharging the sucked air, at a position close to the vent hole 23a. A cooling fan 13 is provided.

  The lid 4 has a configuration in which a front lid 41 and a lid cover 48 are respectively attached to the top and bottom of the frame body 42, and an inner lid 43 is attached to the frame body 42 via the lid cover 48. It is attached so as to cover the upper opening of the case 21. The attachment is configured such that the frame body 42 is pivotally supported on the rice cooker main body 2 using a hinge member 44 and a pivot pin 45. A lid heater 53 is disposed between the frame body 42 and the inner lid 43 so as to be covered with the lid cover 48. The lid cover 48 is fixed to the frame body 42, and the inner lid 43 covers the lid cover 48 and is detachably supported by the frame body 42. In addition, a recess is formed in a substantially central portion of the front cover 41, and a storage tank 6 as a moisture storage means is detachably attached to the recess. A pressure valve 7 that controls the pressure in the rice cooker body 2 and a safety valve that is opened when the inside of the pan 3 is abnormally pressurized due to a failure of the pressure valve 7 or the like are provided at the substantially central portion of the inner lid 43 (illustrated). Is omitted). A discharge path 6 a is provided in the lid 4 so as to connect the pressure valve 7 and the storage tank 6. Furthermore, a detachable water retention tank 8 is provided for the inner lid 43 of the lid.

  Around the outer periphery of the inner lid 43, a pot packing 49 that is in contact with the flange portion 31 of the pot 3 and seals the pot 3 in a sealed state is supported and attached to the outer frame 50. Further, a locking lever 47b is provided at a portion of the lid 4 that faces the position where the hinge member 44 is provided, and the locking member 47a formed at the upper end portion of the inner case 21 serves as the locking lever 47b. The lid 4 is held in a closed state by being locked. By providing such a configuration, when the pot 3 is accommodated in the inner case 21 and the lid body 4 is closed, the lid body 4 is closed at a position where the pot packing 49 is pressed against the opening edge of the pot 3. As a result, the inside of the pan 3 is sealed.

  The inner lid 43 is made of, for example, a stainless steel material, an aluminum material, or a clad material made of both. That is, the inner lid 43 is formed by press-molding a metal plate made of the above-described material into a disk shape with a step between the peripheral portion and the inside, and a hard plastic through a rubber pot packing 49 on the peripheral portion. A made outer frame 50 is attached. The pot packing 49 is preferably formed from silicon rubber. As shown in FIG. 2, the water retention tank 8 is attached to the lower surface of the inner lid 43 in close contact. The water retention tank 8 is made of stainless steel or the like, and has a substantially deep dish shape with a side surface provided with a communication hole 8 a communicating with the inside of the pan 3. A flange-shaped attachment portion 8 b is formed on the upper side wall of the water retention tank 8, and the water retention tank 8 is fixed by screwing the attachment portion 8 b to the inner pot 43.

  The inner lid 43 is provided with a pressure valve 7 for discharging the pressure in the pot 3 to the discharge path 6a through the valve hole 71 when the pressure of the steam in the pot 3 rises above a predetermined pressure. Yes. That is, a pressure comprising a valve seat 72 having a valve hole 71 in the inner lid 43, a ball 73 placed on the valve seat 72 so as to close the valve hole 71 by its own weight, and a cover 74 covering the ball 73. A valve 7 is provided. The pressure valve 7 opens and closes the valve hole 71 as the ball 73 moves on the valve hole 71 by the balance between the pressure in the pan 3 and the weight of the ball 73.

  The discharge path 6a is provided so as to allow communication between the pressure valve 7 and the storage tank 6, and the storage tank 6 temporarily separates the components of the rice and water from the steam generated during rice cooking. It is means to store. The discharge path 6a is provided with an operation valve 81 at a connecting portion 6l with the water retention tank 8. The operation valve 81 is closed during rice cooking to store water in the discharge path 6a, and is opened during heat retention. Move the water into.

  Inside the front lid 41 is provided a solenoid 80 for driving the operating valve 81 to open and close the connecting portion 6l. This solenoid 80 is controlled by a control means. When the solenoid 80 is in the cooking state where it does not receive the output from the control means, the operating valve 81 protrudes from the solenoid 80 and closes the connecting portion 6l between the storage tank 6 and the water retention tank 8 (see FIG. 1). The connection part 6l of the water retention tank 8 and the discharge path 6a is forcibly opened, and the water stored in the storage tank 6 is moved to the water retention tank 8 (see FIG. 2).

  In the rice cooker 1 of the present embodiment, as described above, an open / close mechanism that connects or blocks the inside of the pan 3 and the outside air so as to control the pressure in the pan 3 during rice cooking is provided. In the present invention, a storage tank 6 having a steam hole 6b for discharging steam in the pot to the outside air is provided on the front cover 41 of such a rice cooker, and the inside of the pot 3 and the outside air are connected via the valve hole 71 of the pressure regulating valve 7. Are connected to each other through a discharge path 6a to serve as a discharge port for releasing the pressure and steam in the pot 3 to the outside air. When cooking rice, as shown in FIG. 1, a part of the generated steam is sent to the storage tank 6 through the discharge path 6 a, and the steam is returned to water in the storage tank 6. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 2 at the time of heat retention, the water stored in the storage tank 6 is stored in the water storage tank 8 of the lid 4 through the connecting portion 61 and the humidity in the rice cooker 1 is stored by the stored water. Adjust.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the storage tank 6 includes a cover 6 c having a vapor hole 6 b, and is formed in a tank shape having a relatively large volume so as to be detachable from the lid body 4. As shown in FIG. 4, the storage tank 6 has a steam discharge port 6d connected to the discharge path 6a at the center, and the periphery of the vapor discharge port 6d is partitioned by a wall 6e to store the water storage portion 6f. Part 6g.

  Steam (hereinafter referred to as “exhaust fluid”) containing moisture and rice balls generated from the rice to be cooked by boiling in the rice cooking process passes through the pressure adjusting valve 7 to the discharge path 6a, the steam discharge port 6d, and the steam hole 6b. Although the exhaust fluid flows through the storage tank 6 by cooling when the exhaust fluid passes through the storage tank 6, the moisture in the exhaust fluid is returned to the liquid, and the moisture and the central portion in the exhaust fluid are separated. It has come to be stored.

  More specifically, the toy contained in the discharged fluid is stored in a toy reservoir 6g formed immediately below the vapor discharge port 6d. That is, immediately after being discharged from the steam discharge port 6d, the waste in the discharged fluid falls to the bottom of the storage tank 6, and is stored in the reservoir 6g. In addition, the exhausted fluid separated only from the water and containing only the moisture is once held in the storage tank 6 after being discharged from the vapor discharge port 6d. And while being held in the storage tank 6, condensation is formed on the ribs 6 j formed on the storage tank 6 and the inner wall of the storage tank 6 and the inner ceiling 6 k of the cover 6 c. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the bottom surface of the storage tank 6 is inclined so that it is collected and stored in the water storage section 6 f. Then, the discharged fluid from which the moisture and moisture are removed in this way is discharged to the outside from the vapor hole 6b provided in the cover 6c.

  The rice balls stored in this way flow as the negative pressure valve 6h opens and closes, fall into a saucer (not shown), and further fall through the saucer from the dispersion port. It will be reduced to cooked rice.

  Further, there is a connecting portion 6l to the water retention tank 8 on the bottom surface of the water storage portion 6f, and an operation valve 81 is provided in the middle thereof, and the operation valve 81 is closed at the time of rice cooking, so it is collected in the water storage portion 6f. Water will be held here once. A guide groove or the like is formed between the water storage part 6f and the connection part 61 so as to guide the water stored in the water storage part 6f to the connection part 61 more reliably. As a result, the water travels from the bottom of the water reservoir 6f through the guide groove and falls into the pipe of the connecting portion 6l. The guide groove is gradually deeper toward the periphery of the connecting portion 61 and is configured such that water easily falls.

  Further, the water stored in the water storage section 6f is transferred to the water storage tank 8 that is detachably attached to the inner lid 43 through the pipe of the connection section 61 by opening the operation valve 81 in the heat retention process. As shown in FIG. 1, the water holding tank 8 has a water receiving portion 8 c formed at the center on the upper surface side of a circular tray. In addition, a communication hole 8 a that communicates the water retention tank 8 and the inside of the pan 3 is formed at an arbitrary position on the side surface of the water retention tank 8. A check valve 90 is provided at the inlet of the water retention tank 8. This is to prevent the water in the water retention tank 8 from being discharged again to the outside through the connecting portion 61 because the operation valve 81 is open in the heat retention step.

  The water retention tank 8 can also be provided with a seal packing 8 d on the peripheral surface on the side attached to the inner lid 43. When the lid 4 is opened in the heat retaining process after the rice cooking process is finished, the lid 4 is pivotally supported by the rice cooker body 2 by the hinge mechanism 44, so that the steam moved from the inner lid 43 is cooled and becomes water droplets. Something or a squirrel remaining in the discharge path 6a flows to the hinge mechanism 44 side as the lid body 4 rotates, but this causes water to enter the gap in the mounting portion 8b. Old water accumulates in parts that are difficult to clean and becomes unsanitary. Therefore, if the space between the inner lid and the inner lid is sealed in a liquid-tight manner by the seal packing 8d, water does not enter the gap of the mounting portion 8b, and the above problem can be prevented. As shown in FIG. 5, the water retention tank 8 has a screw hole 8e in the attachment portion 8b to the inner lid 43, and a screw (not shown) is screwed into the inner lid 43 through the screw hole 8e. This is fixed to the inner lid 43.

  Since the water retaining tank 8 communicates with the inside of the pan 3 through the communication hole 8a, water is supplied through the communication hole 8a even when the inside of the pan 3 is dried. The humidity can be kept constant at all times. In addition, the water retention tank 8 is preferably provided with a spray device (not shown) for spraying the stored water in the pan, and when the spraying time and the spray amount are controlled by the control means, the water retaining tank 8 is accurately placed in the pan 3. It is effective for maintaining the flavor of rice because it can be sprayed with fresh water.

  The operation valve 81 may be of any type as long as it has a function of automatically closing when the rice cooking mode is set and automatically opening when the heat retention mode is set. Furthermore, after the water is removed from the water reservoir 6f and transferred to the water retention tank 8 during the heat retention, the connecting portion 6l may be closed again. In that case, since the operation valve 81 prevents the steam from leaking from the water retention tank 8 to the discharge path 6a, it is not necessary to form the check valve 90, and the humidity can be efficiently supplied into the pan 3. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide the check valve 90 at the inlet of the water retention tank 8. The operation of the actuating valve 81 is not limited to the solenoid 80, as long as the actuating valve 81 is forcibly opened from the closed state, regardless of whether the opening / closing mechanism is electromagnetic or mechanical. Good.

  According to the present invention, since the removable water retention tank is provided on the inner lid that covers the pot of the rice cooker main body, it is easier to maintain the humidity during the heat retention than in the past, and it is possible to provide rice that does not pass for a long time. . Moreover, since the rice cooker 1 does not require an external water supply tank, it can be downsized. Further, since the water retention tank 8 is detachable, it can be easily maintained.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention during rice cooking. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the rice cooker according to the embodiment of FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the storage tank portion of the lid of the rice cooker according to the embodiment of FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the discharge path of the storage tank portion of the lid according to the embodiment with the outer lid of FIG. 3 removed. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the water retention tank according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional rice cooker. FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a rice cooker showing another conventional example. FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a rice cooker showing still another conventional example. FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a rice cooker showing still another conventional example.

Explanation of symbols

2 Rice cooker body 3 Pan 4 Lid 41 Front lid 42 Frame 43 Inner lid 48 Lid cover 5 Heating means 6 Storage tank 6a Discharge path 6b Steam hole 6c Cover 6d Steam discharge port 6e Wall 6f Moisture reservoir 6g 7 Pressure valve 71 Valve hole 72 Valve seat 73 Ball 74 Cover 8 Water retention tank 80 Solenoid 81 Actuation valve 90 Check valve

Claims (6)

A pot for containing cooked rice containing water and rice,
A rice cooker main body having an opening for storing the pan and a heating means for heating the cooked rice in the pan, and having a control means for controlling the heating means to cook rice and keep warm,
A lid that has a discharge path for discharging the steam in the pan and closes the opening of the pan and the rice cooker body;
Moisture storage means for storing moisture generated by cooling the steam discharged from the discharge path;
Water supply means for supplying the water stored by the water storage means into the pan;
The rice cooker is characterized by adjusting the humidity in the pan by supplying moisture into the pan by the water supply means at the time of heat retention.   The lid body includes a front lid and a lid cover fixed to the upper and lower sides of the frame body, and an inner lid attached to the frame body via the lid cover, and the water supply means is detachably provided on the inner lid. The rice cooker according to claim 1, further comprising a water holding tank.   The said water storage means and the said water supply means are connected by the connection part, The operation part which is closed at the time of rice cooking and opened at the time of heat retention is provided in this connection part. Rice cooker as described in.   The moisture storage means includes a storage tank that is detachably attached to the lid, and the storage tank stores a towel included in the steam discharged from the discharge passage, and the discharge The rice cooker according to claim 1, further comprising: a moisture storage unit that stores water contained in the steam discharged from the path.   The rice cooker according to claim 2, wherein a communication hole communicating with the inside of the pan is formed in the water retention tank.   The rice cooker according to claim 2, wherein the water retention tank includes a spraying device for spraying moisture into the pan.

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