JP2010075583A - Rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent boiling-over by allowing the pressure of an inner pot not to be swiftly opened to the atmosphere in cooking a small amount of rice, and to cook rice without damaging the shapes of rice grains. <P>SOLUTION: A rice cooker includes: a steam path 8 arranged in an outer lid 3 so as to attain communication between the inner pot 2 and the external air; a pressure-regulating means 11 arranged in the steam path 8 and regulating the pressure of the inner pot 2; an opening means 10 for invalidating the pressure-regulating operation of the pressure-regulating means 11; a boiling detecting means 9 for detecting the boiling inside the inner pot 2; and a control section 12 for controlling a heating means 4 and the opening means 10 in response to a cooking step. When the boiling detecting means 9 detects the boiling in the inner pot 2 within a short time in the heating step of cooking rice, it is determined that the cooking is performed to a small amount of rice, thereby increasing the pressure of the inner pot 2 by the pressure-regulating means 11. After pressurization is performed for a fixed time, the heating means 4 is stopped, and then, after the stopping of the heating means 4, the opening means 10 invalidates the pressure-regulating operation of the pressure-regulating means 11. The steam path 8 is opened to the atmosphere, so as to discharge the pressure of the inner pot 2 to the external air. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a rice cooker that cooks rice by applying pressure to the inner pot during the rice cooking process.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, rice cookers have been proposed in which delicious rice is cooked by applying pressure to the inner pot during the rice cooking process to improve water penetration into the rice grains.

  For example, as shown in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the rice cooker includes an inner pot that is detachably stored in the main body, a heating means that heats the inner pot, and an open / close that covers the upper surface opening of the inner pot. A possible outer lid, a steam passage provided in the outer lid for communicating the inner hook and the outside air, a pressure regulating means provided in the steam passage for regulating the pressure in the inner hook, and Maintaining boiling, comprising an opening means for disabling the pressure adjustment operation, a boiling detection means for detecting boiling inside the inner pot, and a controller for controlling the heating means and the opening means in accordance with the rice cooking process During the process, within a few minutes (about 3 minutes) after boiling is detected by the boiling detection means, the pressure adjusting means applies a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure (about 1.3 atmospheres) to the inside of the inner pot. The operation of the pressure adjusting means is invalidated by the opening means in a high state, the steam passage is opened, and the pressure inside the inner pot is reduced. It was open to the open air from the upper surface of the outer lid at once.

JP 2004-81824 A JP 2007-475 A

  In the conventional rice cooker, the process moves from the cooking process to the boiling maintenance process, and within a few minutes after the boiling is detected by the boiling detection means, a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure is applied to the inner pot by the pressure regulating means. After that, the steam passage is opened by the opening means in a high pressure state, and the pressure inside the inner pot is released from the upper surface of the outer lid to the outside air at a stroke. Therefore, when cooking a small amount of rice, for example, 5.5 cooks About 1 to 2 go, if you cook 1 to 3 go by cooking one bowl, the hot water inside the inner pot will blow out from the steam passage to the outside, causing spilling and safety for the user There was a problem with sex.

  Moreover, in the boiling maintenance process, since a high pressure is continuously applied in the inner pot for a long time of several minutes, there has been a problem that the shape of the rice grains collapses during the above-mentioned small amount of rice cooking.

  The present invention has been made to solve such a conventional problem, and specifically, an inner hook that is detachably accommodated in a main body, a heating means that heats the inner hook, and the inner hook. An openable and closable outer lid that covers the upper surface opening, a steam passage that is provided in the outer lid and communicates the inner hook and the outside air, and a pressure adjusting means that is provided in the steam passage and regulates the pressure in the inner hook. And an opening means for invalidating the pressure adjusting operation of the pressure adjusting means, a boiling detecting means for detecting the boiling inside the inner pot, and a controller for controlling the heating means and the opening means in accordance with the rice cooking process. In the rice cooker, when the boiling detection means detects boiling in the inner pot within a short time in the heating process during rice cooking, it is judged as a small amount of rice and the pressure in the inner pot is applied by the pressure adjusting means. The heating means is stopped after pressurizing for a certain time, and the heating means is stopped after the heating means is stopped. To disable the pressure regulating operation of more pressure regulating means to the means opening the steam passage, and discharges the pressure in the kiln to the outside air.

  According to the present invention, when boiling in the inner pot is detected in a short time by the boiling detection means during the rice cooking process, the pressure in the inner pot is increased by the pressure adjusting means by judging a small amount of rice cooking, Since the steam passage is opened by the opening means after the heating means is stopped after pressurizing for a certain period of time, the pressure in the inner pot will not be released to the outside vigorously. No more jumping outside, preventing spills and improving safety.

  Moreover, even if a small amount of rice is cooked with pressure rice, the problem that the shape of the rice grains collapses can be solved.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the induction heating rice cooker of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a control circuit configuration diagram of the induction heating rice cooker, and FIG. 3 is a rice cooking process diagram showing an energized state during the rice cooking.

  In the figure, 1 is a main body, 2 is an inner pot, 3 is an outer lid, 4 is a heating means, 5 is a temperature sensor, 6 is a solenoid, 7 is a moving rod, 8 is a steam passage, 9 is a boiling detection means, and 10 is an opening means. , 11 is a pressure adjusting means, and 12 is a control unit.

  Next, the specific configuration will be described.

  An inner hook 2 is detachably inserted into the main body 1 and its upper opening is covered with an openable / closable outer lid 3.

  A heating means 4 comprising an induction heating coil of about 1400 W is provided on the outer bottom surface of the inner pot 2 and is connected to a control unit 12 disposed in a space in the main body 1.

  A steam passage 8 serving as the only steam outlet from the sealed space in the inner pot 2 to the outside air is provided in the outer lid 3, and pressure regulating means 11 is provided in the steam passage 8.

  The pressure adjusting means 11 includes a narrow passage 11b provided at a part of the inlet side of the steam passage 8 and a pressure ball 11a that closes or opens the passage 11b to adjust the pressure in the inner hook 2. .

  In the vicinity of the pressure adjusting means 11, an opening means 10 comprising a moving rod 7 for pushing the pressure ball 11a and a solenoid 6 for operating the moving rod 7 is provided. The moving rod 7 is a pressure ball. In the state where 11a is pushed, the steam passage 8 is opened to the atmosphere, the pressure regulating means 11 is invalidated, and the moving rod 7 is pulled to the solenoid 6 side by the operation of the solenoid 6, thereby closing the outlet of the steam passage 8 by the pressure ball 11a. Then, the pressure adjusting means 11 is operated effectively to increase the pressure by the steam generated in the inner pot 2.

  The boiling detection means 9 is provided in the vicinity of the steam passage 8 on the lower surface inside the outer lid 3, and detects this boiling when water boils inside the inner pot 2.

  A temperature sensor 5 is provided at the outer bottom of the inner hook 2, and temperature information on the bottom of the inner hook 2 is input to the control unit 12 so that the heating means 4 heats the inner hook 2.

  The operation of the above configuration will be described.

  When cooking rice, the user puts rice and an appropriate amount of water into the inner pot 2, stores them in the main body 1, operates a rice cooking switch of an operation unit (not shown), and starts cooking.

  When the controller 12 detects the operation of the rice cooking switch described above, the heating means 4 is energized to heat the inner pot 2, and the water temperature inside the inner pot 2 rises as shown in FIG.

  Because of its characteristics, rice absorbs water up to about 30% of the weight of the rice by immersing it in water at a water temperature of 60 ° C. or lower. However, rice does not saturate and absorb water even if left for a long time.

  The reason why rice is generally sharpened and then soaked in water is to allow the rice to absorb up to 30% before cooking rice. In this process, the higher the water temperature, the faster it absorbs water. In Fig. 3, the rice is sharpened and preheated so that it can be cooked even if the rice cooker is operated immediately. A preheating process is provided for efficient suction in a short time.

  In the preheating step of FIG. 3, the inner pot 2 is heated by the heating means 4, and the heating means 4 is controlled by the control unit 12 while monitoring the temperature with the temperature sensor 5 so as to keep the water temperature at 60 ° C. or lower. The heating means 4 is energized intermittently. At this time, the pressure ball 11a of the pressure adjusting means 11 is pushed in the direction of opening the steam passage 8 by the moving rod 7 of the opening means 10, the pressure adjusting operation of the pressure adjusting means 11 is invalidated, and the steam passage 8 is opened. (I).

  When the preheating process is completed and the process proceeds to the heating process, the heating means 4 performs heating until the water in the inner pot 2 boils all at once. Then, when the water in the inner pot 2 boils, the boiling detection means 9 detects it and moves the moving rod 7 of the opening means 10, whereby the pressure ball 11a of the pressure adjusting means 11 closes the steam passage 8, At the same time, the inner pot 2 is heated by the heating means 4 to increase the steam in the inner pot 2 and the pressure rises (b).

  At this time, in the case of a small amount of rice with a small amount of rice, for example, in the case of cooking for about 1 to 2 go with 5.5 go cooking, or about 1 to 3 go cooking for 1 st cook, the water in the inner pot 2 Since the time until boiling is short, if the boiling detection means 9 detects this, the heating means 4 is stopped during the operation after the heating means 4 is operated for a certain time.

  Then, the pressure adjusting means 11 is kept in an operating state while the heating means 4 is stopped, and the pressure ball of the pressure adjusting means 11 closing the steam passage 8 from the control unit 12 when the pressure in the inner pot 2 decreases. 11a is pushed by the moving rod 7 of the opening means 10, the pressure adjusting means 11 is invalidated, the steam passage 8 is opened to the atmosphere, and the pressure is lowered (c).

  In addition, after a heating process is complete | finished, it transfers to a normal steaming process and cooks rice.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when cooking a small amount of rice, when the pressure in the inner pot 2 drops, the opening means 10 is operated to invalidate the pressure regulating means 11. Therefore, there is no concern that hot water in the inner pot 2 will be expelled from the outlet of the steam passage 8 to the outside air, and it is possible to prevent spillage and to ensure the safety of the user.

  Moreover, since it is not necessary to apply high pressure to the rice grain in the inner pot 2 for a long time, rice can be cooked without breaking the shape of the rice grain.

It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the induction heating type rice cooker of this invention. It is a control circuit block diagram of the same induction heating type rice cooker. It is a rice cooking process figure which shows the electricity supply state in the case of the same rice cooking.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body 2 Inner hook 3 Outer lid 6 Solenoid 7 Moving rod 8 Steam passage 9 Boiling detection means 10 Opening means 11 Pressure adjusting means 12 Control part

Claims (1)

An inner pot that is detachably stored in the main body, a heating means that heats the inner pot, an openable / closable outer cover that covers the upper surface opening of the inner pot, and the inner pot and the outside air that are provided on the outer lid A steam passage communicating with the steam passage, a pressure regulating means provided in the steam passage for regulating the pressure in the inner pot, an opening means for invalidating the pressure regulating operation of the pressure regulating means, and a boiling in the inner pot In the rice cooker having a control unit for controlling the heating means and the opening means according to the boiling detection means and the rice cooking process,
In the heating process during rice cooking, when the boiling detection means detects boiling in the inner pot within a short time, it is judged as a small amount of rice and the pressure in the inner pot is increased by the pressure adjusting means for a certain period of time. After the pressurization, the heating means is paused, and after the heating means is paused, the pressure regulating operation of the pressure regulating means is invalidated by the opening means, the steam passage is opened, and the pressure in the inner pot is discharged to the outside air. A featured rice cooker.

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